In Brazil, following a study by Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV) on behalf of UNICA, UNICA wants the ICMS tax policy reinstated in order to get back incentives for ethanol. The study says that re-implementing the policy will help to reduce inflation as well because the extra taxes levied on fossil fuels goes to subsidizing public […]
In Washington, news filtered through today that Heather Zichal, Obama Administration climate and energy policy adviser, has resigned to return to the private sector. Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis said: “Heather is a consummate professional and has brought a wealth of knowledge and expertise on energy policy to the White House. She has always approached […]
In North Dakota, the state will become the ninth state to offer E15 blended gasoline. The announcement, made jointly by Gov. Jack Dalrymple and key players from North Dakota’s agriculture and ethanol industries, was made on Sept. 23. Since then, the fuel has become available at six stations across the state. More on the […]
In South Africa, at long last the country’s E2 and B5 mandates will come into effect from Oct. 1, 2015. Tax incentives for both ethanol and biodiesel producers have been on the books since 2007 but that hasn’t been enough to encourage production. A Biofuels Pricing Framework will be released before year’s end.
In Washington, the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation purchased 136,026 short tons of refined beet sugar for approximately $65.9 million. CCC then immediately re-sold that sugar to bioenergy producers for approximately $12.6 million, resulting in a net expenditure to CCC of $53.3 million. The sugar purchased by CCC requires sugar loan repayments, preventing forfeitures of loan […]
In Washington, Frontiers of Freedom, Americans for Tax Reform, Tea Party Nation and 18 other groups have sent a letter to Congress demanding the end of the Renewable Fuel Standard rather than reforming it. They claim that the RFS leads to higher food prices, higher gasoline and diesel prices, is incompatible with many cars and […]
In Brazil and Belgium, the the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association, issued the following statement on the European Parliament’s vote on biofuels and the issue of indirect land use change, or ILUC. In part, the statement reads: “UNICA very much appreciates the efforts over the past several months of Members of the European Parliament to push […]
In Washington, Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa is pressing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase the transparency of the Renewable Identification Number (RIN) market and provide assurances that the market is functioning for its intended purpose, rather than acting as a profit mechanism for Wall Street banks and other financial institutions.
In India, peasant farmers in Maharashtra are demanding government permission to produce ethanol directly from excess cane rather than just from the molasses byproduct, especially since Praj—who designs and manufactures ethanol plants for the global market—is located in the state. Producers say the government won’t allow direct ethanol production because it would lose out on […]
In Washington, Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, called on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to review recent allegations about possible manipulation of the markets for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). Stabenow called on the CFTC, which is tasked with overseeing markets for commodity futures, options and swaps, […]
