The Wall Street Journal published an article, “The Ethanol Mandate is Worse Than the Drought,” in which Smithfield Food CEO Larry Pope blasted the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). This is another example of the orchestrated campaign against the RFS. In the article, ethanol production is blamed for the rising cost of food. In response to the article, Brian Jennings, Executive …
Payments Made to Renewable Feedstocks Producers
Nearly $19.4 million in payments to 125 advanced biofuel producers growing non-food feedstocks for use in development for biofuels has been made by the UDSA. The funding is provided through USDA’s Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels that was established in the 2008 Farm Bill. The goal of the program is to support the research, investment and infrastructure needed to build …
Obama Officials Voice Support for RFS
The Obama administration has vocalized its continued support for the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) by rebuffing “alarmist calls” for its end. Last week, Renewable Fuels President (RFA) and CEO Bob Dinneen wrote a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson thanking them for acting responsibly in the wake of calls to modify …
Ethanol Production Declines
New data has been released from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) regarding ethanol production data that averaged 796,000 barrels per day (d/d) or 33.43 million gallons daily. This is down 6,000 b/d from the previous week. The four week average ethanol production is 819,000 b/d for an annualized rate of 12.55 billion gallons. Gasoline demand for last week averaged 363.7 million gallons …
Biodiesel, RINs and RFS2
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking into the fraudulent sale of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). These are generated when a gallon of biofuel is produced and most often “sold” with the gallon of biofuel. But is some cases RINs can be sold and bought without the biofuel attached. What’s the big deal? RINs are used by the EPA to track compliance …
CARD: Reducing RFS Would Not Achieve Goals
According to the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) located at Iowa State, calls to reduce, revise or repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) would not achieve the goals of the industries who are demanding the action. “The desire by livestock groups to see additional flexibility in ethanol mandates may not result in as large a drop in feed …
Raise Carbon Price
The European wind power industry is backing a proposal submitted by the European Commission to increase the price of carbon. This would be accomplished by delaying the auctioning of carbon allowances through the Emission Trading System (ETS). This action must be approved by Member States and the European Parliament. “The European Commission has finally taken the first step towards boosting …
KiOR Receives Approval to Sell Cellulosic Fuel
KiOR has been granted Part 79 registration by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its renewable gasoline blendstock 5, or cellulosic gasoline. This step is required before the sale of the fuel to be used in motor vehicles becomes legal. “Part 79 registration is a landmark for KiOR and the renewable sector, as KiOR’s gasoline is the first renewable cellulosic gasoline …
Ethanol Safety Seminars Stop in Idaho
Idaho is the next stop on the tracks for the Ethanol Safety Seminar series hosted by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), Federal Railroad Association TRANSCAER and Eastern Idaho Railroad. The first FREE seminar will take place on August 7, 2012 at the College of Southern Idaho in the Taylor Building located in Twin Falls. The second FREE seminar will be …
DHL Express Integrates Propane Into Fleet
DHL Express is adding 100 propane autogas vans into its fleet. The Ford E-250 cargo vans will be on the road by the end of August 2012 and were outfitted with ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane autogas fuel systems. The vans will be operating in California, Florida, Georgia, Missouri and Texas. “Customers in the U.S. and worldwide are increasingly demanding greener …