Category: Policy

National Research Council report says RFS biofuels targets out of reach

National Research Council report says RFS biofuels targets out of reach

October 5, 2011 |

In Washington, D.C., a congressionally requested study from the National Research Council states that due to the high expense and difficulty in producing next-generation biofuels, the U.S. is unlikely to meet the government’s usage mandates. The study also warns that the feedstocks needed to produce advanced biofuels could compete with food crops for land — […]

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US House leader aims to link ethanol mandate to corn stocks

US House leader aims to link ethanol mandate to corn stocks

October 4, 2011 |

In Washington, D.C., U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee Vice Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., is preparing to introduce legislation that would reduce the corn ethanol usage requirements of the Renewable Fuels Standard in times of low U.S. corn supplies. Goodlatte, who represents a leading turkey and poultry-producing district, said all end-users of corn need a […]

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Military investment will hasten scale-up of aviation biofuels, says BIO

Military investment will hasten scale-up of aviation biofuels, says BIO

October 3, 2011 |

In Washington, the Biotechnology Industry Organization submitted comments to the Air Force’s Request for Information on the commercial status and market for advanced drop-in biofuels. Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, stated, “The U.S. military and the nation as a whole face a significant national security threat from U.S. dependence […]

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Open Fuels Standard Act aims for 50% flex-fuel cars in US by 2015

Open Fuels Standard Act aims for 50% flex-fuel cars in US by 2015

September 30, 2011 |

In Washington, Sen. Maria Cantwell joined Sen. Dick Lugar in introducing a bill to break oil’s monopoly over the U.S. transportation fuel industry by ensuring that most new vehicles in the United States are capable of running on a range of domestically produced alternative fuels starting in 2015.  The Open Fuels Standard Act requires that […]

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Monsanto lobbying costs top $1.7M for Q2

Monsanto lobbying costs top $1.7M for Q2

September 29, 2011 |

In Washington, D.C., the world’s largest seed company spent $1.71 million in the second quarter of 2011 to lobby the federal government, according to a disclosure report filed with the House clerk’s office by Monsanto Co. The Company lobbied Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture over regulations that would affect the distribution of genetically […]

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US House working up compromise bill on ethanol blender credit

US House working up compromise bill on ethanol blender credit

September 28, 2011 |

In Washington, the House of Representatives is working on a compromise deal that would partly rescue the ethanol blenders credit that the Senate had voted to eliminate in June. The Fencepost reports U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo.’s spokeswoman Rachel Boxer said the congressman hasn’t seen the details of the new proposal, “but is optimistic that […]

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New bill proposes matching corn stocks with US biofuels blending ratios

New bill proposes matching corn stocks with US biofuels blending ratios

September 27, 2011 |

In Washington, legislation is being drafted in the US House of Representatives that alter the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 in such a way that would allow the federal ethanol use mandate to be lowered when corn supplies were tight. Reuters is reporting that the mandate would likely be lowered by 25% if stocks-to-use ration fell […]

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POET finalizes $105M DOE loan guarantee

POET finalizes $105M DOE loan guarantee

September 26, 2011 |

In South Dakota,  POET  received final approval for a $105 million loan guarantee issued through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan programs Office. The loan guarantee and financing allows POET to construct Project LIBERTY, a 25 million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET started construction in 2010 with a 22-acre integrated stackyard to store […]

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Air Force Research Laboratory Alternative Fuels Team wins major prize for aviation biofuels work

Air Force Research Laboratory Alternative Fuels Team wins major prize for aviation biofuels work

September 23, 2011 |

In Ohio, the Air Force Research Laboratory Alternative Fuels Team is the recipient of the 2011 Theodore von Karman Award. The Theodore von Karman Award is the highest research award provided from the Air Force Association in recognition of the most outstanding contribution in the field of science and engineering. The AFRL Fuels team research […]

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South Africa releases draft biofuels policy for comment

South Africa releases draft biofuels policy for comment

September 22, 2011 |

In South Africa, the Department of Energy has issued a draft policy that would mandate E5 and B2 blending. The policy is open for public comment until Nov. 18. The Department of Energy is also working on two other complementary regulations: the pricing and the financial support mechanisms, which will also be submitted for public […]

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