In Switzerland, the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Global Subsidies Initiative has prepared a policy brief, Cultivating Governance: Cautionary tales for biofuel policy reformers, which investigates the challenges of designing and implementing good biofuel policies. The policy brief pays particular attention to how policies can be effected by pressure from various interest groups. The paper stresses […]
In Texas, the state’s Farm Bureau is unclear about the direction it wants to take, with a plank for its state lobbying efforts approved that will seek to eliminate ethanol blending mandates while also ratifying its support of the national Farm Bureau’s policy to maintain the RFS mandate.
In Washington, the National Association of Fleet Managers is taking a stand on the renewal of advanced biofuel and biodiesel tax credits, encouraging its members to stand in favor of the credits because they are among of the early adopters of biofuel vehicles. In a letter to the members of NAFA Fleet Management Association, Executive […]
In Florida, AAA is reporting that a recent survey finds a strong likelihood of consumer confusion and the potential for voided warranties in the use of E15 gasoline. AAA reports, “An overwhelming 95 percent of consumers surveyed have not heard of E15, a newly approved gasoline blend that contains up to 15 percent ethanol. With […]
In Washington, the US Energy Department issued a request for information to garner input from researchers in industry, academia, and other interested biofuels stakeholders to identify key technical barriers in converting biomass via thermochemical direct liquefaction pathways to transportation fuels in the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel ranges. For the purpose of this RFI, thermochemical […]
In India, despite the government deciding that E5 should begin from Dec. 1 and oil companies charged to buy ethanol to begin blending, the issue over price remains up in the air. Prices have been raised more than 20% to 65 cents per liter from 48 cents per liter.
In Washington, the National Biodiesel Board is organizing a Fly-In on Nov. 29 including stakeholders from California, Iowa, North Carolina, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Minnesota in order to convince policymakers to pass a legislative package that includes a $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit.
In India, the government has decided that ethanol prices should be pegged at market prices, which could see prices jump 22% to 59 cents per litre from the current mandated price of 48 cents from as early as next month. The new price is based on the landed price for ethanol imports as there isn’t […]
In China, the vice general manager of Dongling, one of China’s largest soybean crushers, indicated that the government has scaled back its ethanol production and ended their incentives for corn processing in order to stretch its dwindling corn supply. He argues that corn, along with soy, will experience heightened demand as the population demands more […]
In Washington, Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager announced payments to 189 companies to support the production and expansion of advanced biofuels. The payments total more than $15.7 million. The funding is being provided through USDA Rural Development’s Advanced Biofuel Payment Program, which was established in the 2008 Farm Bill. Under this program, payments […]
