Ethanol organizations provided comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week on the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry (CSAF) program. According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), USDA should “prioritize projects that will help farmers and downstream processors -like ethanol biorefineries – measure, verify, and monetize carbon sequestration and emissions reductions that result from new technologies and more efficient practices.” …
Senators Request White House Meeting to Talk Biofuels
Sen. John Thune (R-SD), along with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and several Senate colleagues, are requesting a meeting with President Biden and representatives of his cabinet to discuss the Renewable Fuel Standard and promote biofuels as a key solution for America’s energy and climate agenda. The senators made a similar request in July and received no response. “Mr. President, biofuels …
Meet the New GREET
The U.S. Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has just released its latest update to the Greenhouse gas and Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model, the standard tool used to audit the energy and environmental effects of transportation fuels such as ethanol and gasoline. The 2021 GREET model includes a number of significant updates, especially for …
MN Working Toward Clean Fuel Standard
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz last week directed state agencies to explore ways to reduce climate change impacts from transportation fuels through a Clean Fuel Standard (CFS) in the state. The state Departments of Agriculture and Transportation will lead the process to engage a broad cross-section of stakeholders statewide to identify shared goals and opportunities. The agencies will provide a report …
Ethanol Blended Gas Lowers Carbon Even More
New research was released this week showing that gasoline blended with ethanol lowers carbon intensity (CI) even more than what is currently believed. The research, conducted by Transport Energy Strategies (TES) and THiggins Energy Consulting, found that blending ethanol into gasoline enables a reduction of aromatics in the fuel, and since aromatics have a high CI, their reduction further decreases …
Groups Encourage Focus on Fuel in Emissions Standards
Biofuel stakeholder groups submitting comments on proposed rule for 2023-2026 light-duty GHG emissions standards are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to recognize the benefits of low-carbon fuels like ethanol as it seeks to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Renewable Fuels Association says EPA should lay out the roadmap for an orderly transition to high-octane, low-carbon liquid fuels. “Unfortunately, EPA’s proposal …
No RVO Proposal Yet
The biofuels industry was left hanging Friday when the rumored release of proposed blending obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) failed to happen. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said late Friday they remain hopeful the numbers that were reported would also prove incorrect. “We hope they’re wrong,” said Jennings. “If they are right, it just seems …
USDA Invests in Climate Smart Ag for Low Carbon Fuel
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest nearly $75 million for 15 partner-led projects to address natural resource concerns on private lands. The projects include a $7.5 million investment in the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE)-led Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project to secure farmers premier access to low carbon fuel standard (LCFS) markets based on their adoption of …
Groups Sound Alarm Over Proposed RFS Cuts
Farm and biofuel groups are sounding the alarm over detailed reports that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to announce major cuts to biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “While a formal proposal has not been released, the expected standards would destroy a decade of progress on low-carbon biofuels and brazenly violate the promises that President …
Biofuel Infrastructure in Build Back Better Bill
Biodiesel and ethanol producer organizations are pleased that both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees have included infrastructure funding for higher ethanol blends into their drafts for the Build Back Better Act budget reconciliation package. Specifically, the new bill language provides for $960 million to install, retrofit, or otherwise upgrade fuel dispensers or pumps and related equipment, storage tank system …