In Iowa, the Senate has approved a tax break for ethanol that continues the current rate of taxation, $0.20 per gallon, for another year. Without the extension, the fuel would be taxed at $0.21 per gallon. The House has yet to approve the change. The House has also seen an amendment that would gradually increase […]
In Washington, an “unintentional” subsidization of foreign ethanol imports created by the RFS may be closed with a new bill introduced by Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Joe Manchin (D-WV). The Foreign Fuels Reduction Act, the Senators argue, has created an incentive to import biofuels by not requiring volume requirements for the advanced and total […]
In Washington, as part of the EPA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for RIN integrity, QAP providers were required to submit details of their QAP-A replacement plans to the EPA by May 1, 2013. Under the NPRM, the QAP-A RIN provides an obligated party zero liability if the RIN is ever to be found invalid. […]
In Switzerland, Argentina has made an official complaint against the European Union at the World Trade Organizations in the latest chapter in their on-going spat over alleged biodiesel dumping. Argentina is complaining about specific trade policies in Belgium, Spain, Poland, France and Italy.
In Nepal, despite the government imposing an E10 blend for all public transport vehicles as of January 2004, the policy remains unimplemented and the country’s sole ethanol plant—built in 2004 at Shree Ram Sugar Mills at Gadura—has never come online other than for trial runs when it was first constructed. The country imports 150,000 liters […]
The Farm Bill. In Washington, BIO begins the week with applause for Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee for including mandatory funding for Energy Title programs and eligibility for renewable chemicals in draft Farm Bill reauthorization legislation. Don’t be incredibly surprised if the House Ag […]
In Maine, the state legislature has approved a bill that would ban ethanol blends in Maine, as long as two other nearby states do the same. Concerns about fuel prices if Maine is required to make a custom blend for their state only have been raised, thus the requirement that two other New England states […]
In Washington, Sens. Al Franken (D-MN) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) have introduced legislation to support agricultural energy technologies such as advanced biofuels and biogas to be included in the 2013 Farm Bill. The Rural Energy Investment Act contains programs like the Biorefinery Assistance Program and the Biomass Research and Development Initiative. It is co-sponsored by […]
In Canada, Ryan Leef, Member of Parliament for Yukon, announced that the Government of Canada will invest over $2 million in two innovative clean energy projects in Canada’s North. The first project announced is Champagne and Aishihik First Nations pursuit of a study of a potential power generation plant fed by biomass in Haines Junction, […]
In the UK, the government is coming under pressure by aid groups to get G8 countries to pull back from biofuel mandates during the upcoming G8 meeting in June in Northern Ireland. The Enough Food for Everyone, or IF campaign, are pushing for an end to biofuels mandates because of landgrabbing and food competition issues. […]
