In California, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing for the tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol to be dropped, calling it a “crime” to not import the sugarcane-based fuel. Keeping the tariffs up is demonstrating a “lack of leadership in Washington,” he said. He is also pushing for building of new nuclear facilities in the state. […]
In Washington, the World Bank is putting partial blame for food riots and unrest in North Africa on national policies that promote biofuel use—especially pointing the finger at US use of 1/3 of its corn crop for ethanol. World Bank head Robert Zoellick is calling for biofuel policies to be relaxed during times of food […]
By Biofuels Digest columnist Tom Buis CEO, Growth Energy There is no greater hurdle to the expansion of the American biofuels industry than the artificial barriers to the market. Through flawed policy and outdated regulation, these barriers serve as a mandate for the American people that 90 percent of our fuel must be gasoline. It […]
In Washington, the USDA announced that it will provide up to $61 million in guaranteed loans and $42 million in grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Funds are available to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses develop renewable energy systems, make energy efficiency improvements and conduct studies to determine the feasibility […]
In Washington, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says that biofuel critics are engaging in the wrong debate by arguing whether or not biofuels should be produced, but instead they should be looking for ways to encourage farmers to grow fuels, ‘shortchanging’ agriculture instead of looking at its ‘enormous possibilities.’ More on the story.
In Washington, researchers who testified at the EPA’s peer review meeting in March on its first triennial review for biofuels are concerned that the review lacks input from industry nor expertise in greenhouse gas emissions. The lack of comparison between biofuels and petroleum does a disservice to policymakers who may not be familiar with the […]
In Washington, former Senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), former National Security Advisor General Jim Jones (Ret.) and former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly announced they will lead the new Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) Energy Project with a focus on key national energy policy issues, including energy security, supply, reliability, cost and sustainability. […]
In Spain, the government has published in its national journal the biofuel blending target for 2011 at 6.2% and 6.5% for 2012 and 2013, bringing the new law into force. Minimum blending targets for biodiesel specifically are 6%, moving up to 7% for 2012. More on the story.
In Washington, the USDA says it expects ethanol refineries to be co-located near feedstock sources as new non-corn based technologies become commercially available, helping to break the concentration of ethanol production and availability in the corn belt. At the same time, the Des Moines Register is reporting that Sen. Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate […]
In Washington, National Clean Fleets Partnership announced that five of its charter members: AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon, who represent five of the nation’s 10 largest national fleets and collectively own and operate more than 275,000 vehicles, have committed to reducing their petroleum consumption. Their planned current and near-term petroleum reduction strategies will account […]
