Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Al Franken (D-MN) introduced legislation this week that would reauthorize and fund the primary energy programs included in the current Farm Bill. The Rural Energy Investment Act would include a mandatory total of $1.275 billion over 5 years to strengthen the biobased markets program, fund the Biorefinery Assistance Program, …
Senators Introduce Domestic Fuels Act of 2012
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roy Blunt (R-MO), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) this week introduced bipartisan legislation that would “help produce more energy, increase competition, promote alternative fuels, provide more consumer choice and lower the cost of fuels at the pump.” Sen. Klobuchar says the Domestic Fuels Act of 2012 would make it easier to market all fuels …
Senate Rejects Obama Push to End Oil Subsidies
Despite a last minute plea by President Obama, the Senate today rejected a plan to end oil company subsidies. “Right now, the biggest oil companies are raking in record profits –- profits that go up every time folks pull up into a gas station,” said Obama in a Rose Garden speech this morning. “But on top of these record profits, …
GROWMARK Tracking Biofuels Legislative Issues
Legislative issues related to biofuels on both the Illinois state level and the national level are priorities for the GROWMARK agricultural cooperative system this year, according to government affairs director Chuck Spencer. On the state level, Spencer says Illinois will be looking at updating sales tax incentives this year with the pending introduction of 15% ethanol blends in the consumer …
Novozymes CEO Named BIO 2012 George Washington Carver Award Winner
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has named Novozymes President and CEO Steen Riisgaard as the recipient of its 2012 George Washington Carver Award for innovation in industrial biotechnology. A panel selected Riisgaard as this year’s winner “to recognize his significant contributions to the industrial biotechnology field.” Under Riisgaard’s leadership, Novozymes is creating tomorrow’s industrial biotechnology solutions and improving the use …
Record Attendance at Ethanol Safety Seminar
Nearly 160 emergency personnel, first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committee members attended an ethanol safety seminar in Forsyth, Georgia this week. The free seminar was co-hosted by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Norfolk Southern Corp., and Motiva Enterprises to provide in-depth information on proper training techniques for responding to ethanol-related emergencies. Several more are planned …
Virent and Virdia Make Jet Fuel From Trees
Under a joint energy project, Virent and Virdia (formerly HCL CleanTech) this week announced the successful conversion of cellulosic pine tree sugars to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels. The development is part of the BIRD Energy project, a joint program started in January 2011 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructure and the BIRD Foundation. …
Ethanol Supporters Flock to DC for Biofuels Fly-in
More than 60 grassroots members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) are on Capitol Hill this week for the “Biofuels Beltway March” annual fly-in. The ethanol advocates were greeted on Tuesday by U.S. Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and John Thune (R-SD) and they have nearly 200 meetings scheduled with Congressional representatives and staff over the course of two days …
Ethanol Advocates Unite for RFS
Eight ethanol-advocating organizations joined together to champion the success of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) in a letter to Congressional leaders this week. The letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Speaker John Boehner(R-OH) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) highlighted “ethanol’s proven ability to lower gas prices and reduce …
Senators Urged to Extend Advanced Ethanol Initiatives
Advanced ethanol producers are urging a Senate subcommittee to extend key cellulosic ethanol tax provisions set to expire at the end of 2012. With the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure holding a hearing this week on expired and expiring energy tax incentives, the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) sent a letter to Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and …