Category: Policy

BIO says petroleum refining organizations lying to Congress in anti-Renewable Fuel Standard campaign

July 13, 2012 | Jim Lane

In Washington, Brent Erickson, executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) Industrial & Environmental Section, said, “Petroleum refining industry organizations are engaging in a misguided and misleading anti-Renewable Fuel Standard campaign, going so far as to provide factually incorrect information to Congress. “In a letter to House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee leaders, AFPM […]

RFA CEO testifies in front of House committee on RFS.

July 10, 2012 | Meghan Sapp

In Washington, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Energy and Power on Tuesday highlighting how the RFS has reduced depending on oil imports and lowered gas prices.

DOE Biomass 2012 meeting kicks off, now with social media tools

July 10, 2012 | Jim Lane

In Washington, the industry is gathering this week at the DOE’s fifth annual BIOMASS meeting at the Washington Convention Center. The DOE team will be live tweeting the conference from the Bioenergy Knowledge Discovery Framework (KDF) Twitter handle (@BioenergyKDF), as well as posting live updates to the KDF Facebook wall, http://www.facebook.com/BioenergyKDF. Attendees and followers are encouraged […]

Ethiopia’s ethanol blending saves $20.5 million in three years.

July 9, 2012 | Meghan Sapp

In Ethiopia, the government says that the country’s ethanol blending policy—at first 5% for the Addis Ababa region, then later boosted to 10% for the region—has saved the country $20.5 million in fuel imports since the policy began in 2008. The country has so far produced 32.86 million liters of ethanol at the Fincha and […]

Midwestern governors rally around E15 regulation

July 9, 2012 | Isabel Lane

In Washington, state governors are rallying around an E15 action plan in the state level as Gov. Terry Brandstad (R-Iowa), Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Ill) and Gov. Sam Brownback (R-Kan) sent a letter to the other midwestern governors on the Midwestern Governors Association. The letter calls on the state governments to coordinate their agencies, ensure that […]

Emissions from forest fires, biomass burning worse than thought: new study.

July 5, 2012 | Jim Lane

In New York, emissions from forest fires and other biomass burning has a greater impact on global warming than previously understood, according to a new study. Carbonaceous aerosol emissions from forest fires and other biomass burning have long been known to include both dark particles that absorb heat, known as black carbon, as well as lighter […]

New Hampshire bill takes a swipe at Low Carbon Fuel Standard

July 4, 2012 | Meghan Sapp

In New Hampshire, a bill has been proposed in the state legislature that would limit the state’s ability to participate in any Low Carbon Fuel Standards like the one in California by prohibiting participation when there are quotas, caps or mandates on transportation fuels, fuels used for industrial purposes or fuels used for home heating […]

Bill would eliminate “phantom” fuel quota from RFS2.

July 2, 2012 | Meghan Sapp

In Washington, in retaliation to the EPA’s cellulosic ethanol quota under the RFS2 where the oil industry has made a fuss over not having sufficient supply access to fulfill blending requirements, Representative Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) has introduced the Phantom Fuel Reform Act (H.R. 6047) that would require the EPA to set quotas based on existing production.

Fraudster convicted, faces up to 484 years in prison for fake renewable fuels scheme

July 2, 2012 | Jim Lane

In Maryland, Rodney R. Hailey was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and violating the Clean Air Act, in a biodiesel RIN fraud case, and faces up to 484 years in prison. The 33-year old was convicted of selling $9 million in fraudulent RINS, and faces sentencing on October 11th. RIN fraud cases have created […]

Bad weather, crop failures, regulatory confusion, economy fears put the price squeeze on biofuels

June 29, 2012 |

Any way you look at it, this hasn’t been a good year for biofuel feedstocks. In the US rising crop costs have squeezed both farmers’ and producers’ margins, while in Brazil high sugar prices have made ethanol uncompetitive with subsidized gasoline, Europe is awash in biodiesel amid shrinking production and low demand, and in the […]

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