A broad group of companies supporting the renewable fuels industry sent a letter urging members of Congress to reject proposals that ‘amend, repeal, defund or otherwise modify or interfere with the Renewable Fuel Standard‘(RFS). This included the amendment from Rep. Barry Loudermilk that would defund the RFS. The letter compares renewable fuel favorably to gasoline on environmental measures and argues …
Biodiesel Industry Testimony on RFS
While ethanol got most of the attention at the recent EPA hearing on proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), biodiesel producers had their say as well. At least two dozen biodiesel representatives from across the country testified at the hearing to thank EPA for increasing volumes in the latest proposal while at the same time calling for …
Our Poll on RFS Changes Gets Mixed Results
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Will EPA change RFS volume proposal?” The EPA recently released a new proposal for biofuels volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard – one that has made no one happy but particularly corn farmers and ethanol producers who note that the agency is not implementing the law as intended. EPA held a public hearing …
Biodiesel to Power Swedish Train Line
A train line in Sweden has plans to convert its fleet to run on biodiesel. This article from Global Rail News says Inlandsbanan AB wants to make the conversion by the year by 2020. Inlandsbanan AB has received funding from the EU to assess the feasibility of converting its diesel trains to RME, a biodiesel produced from rapeseed. The initiative …
Ontario Refinery Gets New Life as Atlantic Biodiesel
In what’s been a roller coaster ride for a biodiesel refiner in Canada seems to be on the upswing now. This article from the Welland (Ontario) Tribune says the former Great Lakes Biodiesel plant, which closed last year after falling into receivership, has officially reopened as the 45-million-gallon-per-year Atlantic Biodiesel. “In a very short time, we’ve taken the assets and …
EPA Hearing Turnout to Show #RFSWorks
The public hearing in Kansas City, Kansas last week on EPA’s proposed volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard was a who’s who of the biofuels industry and then some. A total of 254 people on 43 panels testified in two different rooms for about seven and a half hours. It was over twice as many people who testified at …
Biodiesel Supports to Testify at EPA Hearing
In addition to corn farmers and ethanol producers, EPA officials will also hear from the biodiesel industry at the public hearing Thursday on the agency’s latest proposal establishing volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to the National Biodiesel Board, about two dozen biodiesel representatives from across the country are slated to testify at the hearing to thank the …
Iowa Biodiesel Users Soon to Save on Tax
Biodiesel users in Iowa will soon be saving some money on their gas tax. The Iowa Biodiesel Board says that as of July 1, diesel blended with at least 11 percent biodiesel (B11) will enjoy a tax exemption of 3 cents a gallon compared to regular diesel. “This state policy represents another link in the chain that secures Iowa’s energy …
Biodiesel Producers on Capitol Hill
Nearly 120 biodiesel industry leaders from California to Florida are in Washington DC this week calling on lawmakers to push for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) during the comment period for the recently released proposal from EPA. “We want to show Congress that the RFS is working and that thousands of jobs are at stake in this pending EPA …
Nebraska Governor Talks Biofuels in Europe
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is on an agricultural trade mission trip to the European Union with stops in Italy, Belgium, and Denmark. The trade mission, being coordinated jointly by the Nebraska Departments of Agriculture and Economic Development, includes a number of representatives from the state’s agriculture and biofuels industry. “As the number two ethanol producer in the country, we have …