Most of the rest of the country was asleep Friday night when the California Air Resources Board (CARB) wrapped up a 12 hour public meeting at midnight local time on amendments to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The updates include increasing the target to reduce carbon emissions of transportation fuels 30%, instead of 20, by the year 2030, …
Summit Carbon Vows to Move Forward Despite SD Loss
South Dakota voters said no to Referred Law 21, which was a referendum on a law passed by the state legislature that would have helped the state’s carbon pipeline construction project headed by Summit Carbon Solutions. RL 21 would have implemented a list of protections for landowners and counties impacted by the construction of the pipeline but would not have …
Western Plains Energy Adds Whitefox ICE XL Solution
In its effort to become a net-zero emissions producer, Kansas-based Western Plains Energy has upgraded their bioethanol facility with a fully integrated Whitefox® membrane solution. According to Whitefox, this is the first installation in the United States of the new ICE® XL membrane solution, which will enable Western Plains to achieve 50% reduction in natural gas and steam, 25% increase …
RFA Calls New California LCFS Updates Fundamentally Flawed
The Renewable Fuels Association says proposed regulations updating California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard are “fundamentally flawed” and could significantly restrict the future use of low-carbon ethanol in the state. In comments submitted last week to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman asserts that renewable fuel producers and California consumers will both suffer if CARB moves …
Congress Proposes Extension of Clean Fuels Tax Credit
Bipartisan and bicameral legislation has been introduced in Congress that would require the Treasury Department to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Tax Credit to renewable fuels made only from domestically sourced feedstocks and extending the tax credit to make it a full ten-year credit. Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH)introduced the Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act in …
USDA Working on Tracking Carbon Intensity
USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie is confident that sustainable aviation fuels hold great promise for American agriculture if we can get the rules right. “This is a real opportunity for American agriculture to create a marketplace that will reward them from the for the stewardship they have been doing and the stewardship they are and …
Gevo to Acquire Red Trail Energy Assets in North Dakota
Net-zero hydrocarbon fuels leader Gevo this week announced the acquisition of the ethanol production plant and carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) assets of Red Trail Energy in North Dakota for $210 million. In a conference call announcing the acquisition, Gevo CEO Dr. Patrick Gruber said it will provide an ideal Net-Zero site for future sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) production that …
Summit Carbon Evaluating SD Supreme Court Ruling
The South Dakota Supreme Court dealt a blow to Summit Carbon Solutions Thursday in a ruling that sends its claim to be a common carrier back to the lower court. The designation as a common carrier is necessary to use eminent domain to survey on private property. Summit Carbon said in a statement it is “evaluating the South Dakota Supreme …
Summit Carbon Continues to Make Progress
Summit Carbon Solutions continues to make progress on the pipeline project that has a footprint in five states. Summit Carbon CEO Lee Blank told attendees at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual meeting this week that he believes the project will get to completion. “I know what this pipeline means to the ethanol industry today, and I know what …
Farmers Touting Tech to Lower Carbon Score
Farmers discussed the potential for technology to help lower their carbon intensity (CI) scores at the recent Tech Hub LIVE conference in Des Moines. Brad McDonald, an Iowa farmer and Chief Operating Officer of Continuum Ag, talked about how incentives for adopting regenerative agriculture practices such as cover crops and no till to lower CI scores could generate a new …