In Washington, the USDA is asking the White House to approve the first ever use of the feedstock flexibility program that allows the USDA to sell sugar at a loss to ethanol makers. The USDA is set to buy up to 400,000 tons of sugar to avoid forfeiture under the commodity insurance program at an […]
In South Africa, the “effective date” of the country’s new E2 and B5 blending programs announced last August is at last expected sometime during the next month. Voluntary blending hasn’t created demand. The government expects that the blending mandate which will lead to two major ethanol and two major biodiesel projects coming on line after […]
In Florida, the Florida Senate Committee on Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities voted to repeal all ethanol blending requirements for the state. The bill, SB 320, will be reviewed on April 9th before another State committee. The bill “recognizes that the life span of vehicles and equipment can be dramatically reduced with the wrong fuel.” […]
In Washington, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for federal REAP funds to help gasoline retailers install blender pumps designed to give consumers flexibility and choice in the ethanol blends they use. This is the third year that blender pumps have been authorized as part of the REAP program. Agriculture Secretary […]
In Malaysia, palm oil biodiesel producers may be able to benefit from proposed trade sanctions the EU is looking to lodge against Indonesian and Argentine biodiesel exporters. The country’s five biodiesel facilities are running at full capacity in hopes of taking advantage of the EU’s enquiry on the impact of the export tax differentials for […]
In the Ukraine, the government is implementing a two-year plan to convert 29 distilleries to produce ethanol production in order to supply its E5 mandatory blending policy by 2014. Production from the distilleries should reach 360,000 metric tons of ethanol annually. The government is also encouraging sugar producers to produce ethanol rather than exporting surplus […]
In Iowa, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and and incumbent Gov. Terry Branstad both lauded the RFS at DuPont Pioneer’s research center in Johnston despite their differences in political party. Recently, Branstad submitted an article to Politico regarding the importance of the Renewable Fuel Standard to Iowa. Bransad said the Renewable Fuel Standard “is under […]
In Maryland, the “Monthly Energy Review” by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through December 31, 2012 is showing that renewable energy sources and natural gas expanded rapidly during the Obama Administration’s first term while coal, nuclear power, oil imports and use, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions all declined significantly. Comparing data for […]
In Washington, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters that RIN prices had gone through the roof because of speculation and that it was up to regulators like the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to look into controlling it. Anti-biofuels groups are taking advantage of soaring RIN prices as an opportunity to get rid of the RFS.
In the Philippines, the country’s long-awaited E10 policy will finally begin on Monday. Local environmental group Kaibigan ng Kaunlaran at Kalikasan (KKK) is seeking studies from the government, if any, showing that E10 would not be harmful to the national fleet. It claims that none have been undertaken since E5 was introduced in 2007, setting […]
