The U.S. biofuels industry sent a message to Congress today asking them not to mess with the RFS. Specifically, the industry encouraged lawmakers “to stand firm in the face of calls to waive or repeal the groundbreaking biofuels provisions included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), including the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).” Several biofuel organizations came …
DuPont’s Bid for Danisco Successful
It’s official. DuPont is now the owner of Danisco. The successful completion of the purchase occurred on May 15, 2011 with the tender offer for all outstanding shares of common stock for Danisco for DKK 700 cash per share. The tender offer expired on May 13, 2011, at 11 p.m. CEST (5 p.m. EDT) and DuPont estimates that at that …
AEC Supports Domestic Energy Promotion Act
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley along with a bipartisan group of senators, announced a proposed piece of legislation to promote the development of biofuel infrastructure. The Domestic Energy Promotion Act of 2011 would transition the current blender’s credit to a variable tax credit based on the price of oil, improve tax incentives for blender pumps and ethanol refueling infrastructure, and extend …
Ethanol Report on Domestic Energy Bill
A bill was introduced today in the Senate that would modify the current ethanol blender’s tax credit set to expire at the end of this year. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen says the bipartisan Domestic Energy Promotion Act of 2011 introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) already has a number of co-sponsors. “Senators Conrad, Johanns, Klobuchar, Franken, …
Ethanol Leader Challenges EIA Reporting
The Energy Information Administration predicts only very modest production of cellulosic ethanol by the year 2022, but the industry is more optimistic. Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen challenged some of the reporting and assumptions the EIA made in the latest energy outlook, which administrator Richard Newell presented at the 4th International Biomass Conference in St. Louis this week. EIA …
USDA & EPA Tour REG Biodiesel Plant in Newton, IA
Renewable Energy Group (REG) executives hosted USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson as well as leaders from the ethanol industry at their REG Newton biorefinery to discuss the role of advanced biofuels in meeting the President’s energy independence goals. Also on hand for the event were representatives from Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) and POET. Both …
Abengoa Secures Biomass for Cellulosic Plant
Build the plant and the biomass will come. Abengoa has announced that they have signed contracts with several biomass producers farming in and around Hugoton, Kansas, to provide 315,000 tons of cellulosic biomass by the end of 2011. Construction of the biorefinery is scheduled for this summer and expected to be fully operational sometime in 2013. Once in production, the …
USDA Tours ICM Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
USDA Administrator for Rural Business Cooperative Services Judith Canales is on a tour of Kansas and Missouri to promote the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) along with the development of renewable energy technologies. She was joined by several USDA state directors, and along the tour they stopped in St. Joseph, Missouri to tour ICM’s cellulosic ethanol pilot plant Lifeline …
Mossi & Ghisolfi Break Ground on Cellulosic Plant
Italy is soon to be the home of one of the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol biorefineries. Yesterday, Mossi & Ghisolfi Group (M&G) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 13 million gallon per year plant located in northwestern Italy. The company believes its plant will be 10 times larger than the largest demonstration facilities in operation today and is scheduled to …
Senate Hearing Focuses on Ethanol
In the face of increasing unrest in the Middle East and higher gas prices, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met this morning to review Department of Energy (DOE) biofuel programs and biofuel infrastructure issues. In testimony before the committee, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen stressed the importance of expanding the marketing for ethanol-blended fuels …