In Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry is expected to have a hard time running for office in pro-ethanol states due to his attempt to get the EPA to cut back ethanol blending in 2008 while he was governor of Texas. The move was at the behest of livestock producers who believed the ethanol mandate […]
In Texas, a change in law came into effect on Aug. 1 that is expected to increase biodiesel blending in the state thanks to a more straightforward way of tracking biodiesel use, and therefore qualifying for a tax exemption. Previously, oil companies were required to track and report biodiesel blending to the tenth-of-a-percent but the […]
In the Philippines, the International Sugar Organization’s Executive Director says that ethanol-blending mandates are ‘spreading like bushfires and this is irreversible’, a trend he sees as capping sugar production especially in countries such as India, Thailand and Brazil.
In Iowa, Tim Pawlenty, the center-right Governor of Minnesota who took a policy of opposing ethanol support into the closely-watched Iowa Republican Party straw poll, exited the race after badly trailing fellow Minnesotan Michelle Bachmann in the poll and running third, overall. Bachmann is committed to a review of all energy subsidies, while Republican front-runner […]
In New Mexico, Senator Tom Udall announced a plans to introduce bipartisan legislation with Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) to reform the Renewable Fuels Standard to make it more technology neutral. Udall will introduce the bill after the Senate returns from its August work period. The current RFS includes a traditional ethanol standard of up to […]
In the Philippines, following requests by the local ethanol industry to impose an import tariff of 20% compared to the current 1% tariff, that was brought down from a previous 10%, a Cabinet technical working group together with the Department of Finance is validating the data on the matter and will then present the findings […]
In Belgium, the European Biodiesel Board has slammed the way the European Commission is tackling the Indirect Land Use Change debate by focusing solely on the study by US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), which the EBB says has been researched using a flawed methodology. The EBB says the study fails to take into […]
In Canada, a fight is brewing over the federal government’s decision to permanently exempt Newfoundland and Labrador from the 2% biodiesel blending mandate for transport and heating fuel, with the national association of renewable fuels pointing the finger at the oil and gas lobby. The province is already exempt from E5 with the argument being […]
In Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the designation of 14 additional biobased product categories which are eligible for federal procurement preference, adding 2,500 biobased products. The new categories include animal repellent, bath products, bioremediation materials, compost activators and accelerators, concrete and asphalt cleaners, cuts, burns and abrasions ointments, dishwashing products, erosion control materials, floor […]
In Washington, members of the aviation industry testified at a Senate Aviation operations, safety and security subcommittee hearing. Among those testifying, John Plaza, Imperium CEO, asked that the Pentagon be allowed to sign long-term contracts for as long as fifteen years as opposed to the current five-year limit. Billy Glover, Boeing managing director for environmental […]
