By Brent Erickson, executive vice-president, the Biotechnology Industry Organization; head, Industrial & Environmental Section The World Resources Institute (WRI) recently issued a new working paper, authored by Tim Searchinger and Ralph Heimlich, resurrecting a previously discredited attack on the carbon neutrality of biomass feedstocks. Ironically the working paper makes plain the fallacies behind this attack […]
Tell us about your role at Novozymes. I’m responsible for Novozymes’ biomass activities on the commercial side; I’ve been doing this for close to three years. My background is as an economist and investment banker. Novozymes began its efforts in this area in 2001 with more than 100 scientists and a lot of public affairs […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive VP, BIO; Head, Industrial & Environmental Section The underlying legal constructs of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) remain in working order, despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to issue a final 2014 rule and its other regulatory missteps. Over the past five years, the program spurred billions of dollars of […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive VP, BIO; Head, Industrial & Environmental Section EPA’s November surprise is as big a shock to the system as this year’s early arrival of cold weather. The decision not to finalize a 2014 rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) merely compounds the damage done to the advanced biofuel industry by […]
By Brooke Coleman, Executive Director, Advanced Ethanol Council As the renewable fuels industry awaits U.S. EPA’s final decision on the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO), it is extraordinary to think that President Obama still appears committed to adopting a methodological change to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pioneered by the biofuel industry’s most ardent foes. […]
By Jim Stewart, Chairman, BioEnergy Producers Association The momentum leading to the introduction of new technologies for alternative energy production has become increasingly evident during 2014. The year has brought a steady stream of announcements from the industry regarding equity infusions, strategic alliances and commercial demonstration projects. However, as far as the use of conversion […]
By Dr. Doria Gordon, The Nature Conservancy Cultivation of bioenergy crops is predicted to increase to between 27 and 120 million acres by 2022 in order to meet the renewable energy needs of the U.S. and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard. These crops may be used for production of ethanol, biodiesel or heat through […]
By Todd Taylor, partner, Fredrikson & Byron Skeptic: from the Greek “skeptikos” meaning “to consider, examine” “Skeptic does not mean him who doubts, but him who investigates or researches as opposed to him who asserts and thinks that he has found.” [Miguel de Unamuno, “Essays and Soliloquies,” 1924] “Trust, but Verify” – President Ronald Reagan […]
Thinking of carbon dioxide as a green chemical? What about the effects on the environment and economy? By Sam A. Rushing, President, Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd. Carbon dioxide is ever – more a green-natured agent when applied in a growing number of industries. Further, it is often difficult to think of carbon dioxide as a green […]
By Michael McAdams, President, Advanced Biofuels Association For months the biofuels industry has focused on the EPA’s issuance of the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO’s). Lobbying has been furious and consistent from all the various stakeholder groups that are impacted by the final numbers. It is expected that the final rule will be issued in […]
