U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), together with 15 other senators, today sent a letter to the Senate leadership expressing their “lack of support for extending the current 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on ethanol imports and the 45-cent-per-gallon subsidy for blending ethanol into gasoline.” Calling the incentives for domestic ethanol production “fiscally indefensible,” the senators wrote that ending them …
CHS Energy Remains Bullish on Ethanol
CHS Energy is bullish on ethanol. That’s according to CHS Energy Director of Sales Mark Fenner, who was giving interviews at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Kansas City. “We don’t know about the tax incentives, but even without it, I think we’re going to see strong use for ethanol because it is less expensive than traditional …
Brazil Starts Ethanol Pipeline Construction
Brazilian energy company Petrobras officially began work this week on a $3.3 billion ethanol pipeline that will be able to transport 21 million cubic meters of ethanol per year from north central Brazil’s Goias state to the Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo states. Once complete, the pipeline will replace daily delivery runs by 1,500 tanker trucks. At present, 95 percent …
Guidance on Ethanol, Biodiesel in Underground Tanks
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is putting out a draft copy of its guidance for the storage of ethanol- and biodiesel-blended fuels in underground storage tanks (USTs). This article from Biodiesel Magazine says that while the agency seems to have a handle on gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol, there’s a bit more gray area when it comes to …
Gore Ethanol Comments Generate Industry Response
A Reuters report out of Athens today on former Vice President Al Gore’s comments about corn ethanol has generated responses from the U.S. ethanol industry. According to the article, Gore said, “It is not a good policy to have these massive subsidies for (U.S.) first generation ethanol,” while speaking at a green energy business conference in Athens. He blamed his …
Gene Find Could Boost Cellulosic Ethanol Production
The discovery of a new gene could help in the production of cellulosic ethanol. Purdue University scientists have found the last undiscovered gene responsible for the production of the amino acid phenylalanine, a discovery that could lead to processes to control the amino acid to boost plants’ nutritional values and produce better biofuel feedstocks. The researchers have determined that the …
AFBF: Lame Ducks Could be Pretty Lame for Ethanol, Biodiesel
The American Farm Bureau Federation isn’t expecting too much from the lame duck session of Congress, particularly when it comes to renewal of the federal biodiesel and ethanol tax credits. “I think the lame duck session will be pretty lame,” said Mary Kay Thatcher, Director of Policy at AFBF, during an interview with our own Cindy Zimmerman during the recent …
Ethanol Report on California LCFS
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided to use the latest research on indirect land use change (ILUC) for implementing the state’s Low Carbon Fuels Standard (LCFS), meaning the current ILUC penalty for corn ethanol likely will be cut by at least half by the spring of 2011. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says the resolution is good news …
EPA Decision on E15 for Later Models Delayed
The Environmental Protection Agency says it will now be the end of the year before testing of 15 percent ethanol blended fuel in vehicles older than 2007 model year is complete. According to a very brief statement issued by the EPA, the Department of Energy has informed EPA that “lab testing of E15 in model year 2001-2006 vehicles will now …