According to a new study, “Tomorrow’s Vehicles: What Will We Drive in 2023?” released by the Fuels Institute, the growth of vehicles running on alternative fuels will accelerate over the next decade but diesel-fuel and gasoline-powered vehicles will continue to dominate the market. For light-duty vehicles (passenger vehicles and light trucks), gasoline-powered vehicles will continue to dominate the market, although …
Ethanol By-Product as Biodegradable Kitty Litter
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found a way to turn a by-product of ethanol production into a biodegradable form of kitty litter. This news release from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says USDA plant physiologist Steven Vaughn and his colleagues are using dried distiller’s grains, DDGs, as a starting material for a more environmentally friendly alternative …
Today in Energy Looks at RFS
A recent Today in Energy published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reviewed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule for the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS program, established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and later expanded by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA07), requires EPA to set annual requirements for the …
EPA to Hold Hearing on RFS Proposal
The Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a public hearing on its proposal to lower the volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014. According to a notice in the Federal Register, the hearing will be held December 5 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. The event will begin at 9:00 in the morning and “end …
E15 Now Available in Cedar Falls/Waterloo, IA
ECI has announced it has begun selling registered E15 to motorists who drive a 2001 or newer vehicle. ECI is located near Waterloo at 1144 Hwy 63 North in Hudson, Iowa. E15, a blend of gasoline and 15 percent ethanol, can be used by all 2001 and newer passenger vehicles, which account for about 85 percent of fuel use in …
BioEnergy Bytes
The University of Colorado will be offering two of its core graduate energy courses online this spring: RSEI 5000 ‘Energy Science and Technology’ and RSEI 5002 ‘The Business of Sustainable Energy.’ Both courses are full-semester, for-credit courses; taught by our regular faculty. These courses provide an in-depth understanding of the renewable and sustainable energy industry. These courses will help you …
IA Gov Branstad & RFS Coalition Defend RFS
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Senator Chuck Grassley, Representative Steve King, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey joined the Iowa RFS Coalition and more than 300 Iowans to urge the Obama Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore strong blending levels for 2014 under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The “Defend the RFS” …
Argentine, Indonesian Biodiesel Hit with EU Duties
Biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia are now subject to punitive duties imposed by the European Union. Reuters reports they were hit with the measures after the EU ruled that producers there were selling into the bloc at unfairly low prices. The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, said in a statement on Thursday the duties would be set at an …
Opinion: Biodiesel’s Biggest Foe? US Government
So if you’re considering biodiesel opponents, you might think of the usual suspects led by Big Oil. But according to this piece by Ron Kotrba from Biodiesel Magazine, if you look at the history of the opposition, especially what has happened in the past week, the biggest roadblock to biodiesel could be the current U.S. government. Then [Environmental Protection Agency]’s …
Questions About EPA Authority for RFS Waiver
Even before the Environmental Protection Agency officially released its proposed 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), questions arose about whether the EPA is overstepping its authority. University of Illinois Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and Policy Jonathan Coppess, former counsel to the Senate Ag Committee and former administrator for USDA, says there is a legal …