Back on January 12, 2016, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM) filed antidumping and countervailing duty cases against the U.S. distiller’s dried grains industry (DDG). This was not the first time the MOFCOM has filed antidumping charges against the U.S.; however, all earlier cases were dropped. Yesterday the ethanol industry including Growth Energy and the …
Become a Next Generation Biodiesel Leader
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is calling for the next crop of biodiesel leaders to join the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel program. NGSB is seeking additional co-chairs to help take this student professional organization to the next level. Working with NBB staff, the volunteer co-chairs help establish direction, assist with planning educational content, recruitment efforts and producing webinars and …
Veteran Reporter Rachel Gantz Joins RFA Team
Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) Journalist Rachel Gantz is joining the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) team on March 7, 2016. She will serve as RFA’s new communications director and spokesperson and in her role will communicate the organization’s key messages to reporters as well as assist in growing RFA’s media footprint. “I am excited to join the RFA staff and …
Berkeley Lab’s Enzyme Reduces Plant Lignin
One of the barriers to efficient second generation biofuels is creating a better way to break down the lignin in plants that is then converted to the sugars that create the building blocks of biobased products such as cellulosic ethanol, biomaterials and biochemicals. But this hurdle may be getting lower with research out of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Scientists have …
US Grains Releases New Portal, App
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has released a grains conversion calculator app and a U.S. grains-in-all-forms exports portal to help members of the global grain trade access critical information more easily. The U.S. grains-in-all-forms exports portal is an online calculator that converts volumes of exported U.S. commodities including ethanol and dried distillers grains (DDGs) into corn equivalents. This offers a …
Poll Show Iowans Support RFS
According to a new poll from the Des Moines Register, 71 percent of Iowans favor the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), 21 percent oppose it and eight percent are unsure. The issue was a hot button for candidates leading up to the Iowa Caucus where Sen. Ted Cruz received the state’s nomination, despite voters being unsure as to what his stance …
New Report: On-Farm Biodiesel Production in Vermont
All you need to know about biodiesel in Vermont is now in a new report, “On-Farm Biodiesel Production in Vermont: Legal and Regulatory Overview.” The report was conducted by the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Vermont Law School and reviews all Vermont state and federal regulations related to on-farm biodiesel production. The goal of the report is …
Sumitomo Invests in Cosan Biomassa
Sumitomo Corporation has signed a contract to acquire up to 20 percent of Cosan Biomassa, a producer of sugarcane pellets for power generation. With an eye on Asia’s need to reduce fossil fuel use and meet goals as set forth in the Climate Treaty last December, the partnership between Sumitomo and Cosan will focus on increasing exports to Japan and …
US Ethanol Production Sets Records
New records were set in 2015 for U.S. ethanol production and blending according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Last year ethanol production hit a record high of 14.81 billion gallons while refiners and blenders integrated a record 13.69 billion gallons into the U.S. gasoline supply. The industry’s monthly average output in December 2015 also crested the 1 …
University of Illinois Identifies Ideal Bioenergy Crops
New research from the University of Illinois has identified what bioenergy crops are best for certain regions while minimizing effects on water quantity and quality. The study was based on replacing current vegetation with crops for ethanol production and looked at how each crop would impact water quantity and quality in soils. “We expect the outcome of this study to …