Lawmakers on the U.S. Senate’s Finance Committee will take up a bill that’s supposed to close a loophole that has allowed importers to get millions of dollars in biodiesel subsidies designed to help U.S producers but for biodiesel that doesn’t end up helping American drivers. This article from TheHill.com has more: Known as “splash and dash,” the loophole allows 100 …
RFA Praises Proposed Energy Bill
As I reported earlier, there’s a lot of contention over the current energy bill being debated in the U.S. Senate as different factions try to get federal dollars, incentives, and requirements that will help their renewable (and, of course, non-renewable) energy industries. But one group that is pleased is the Renewable Fuels Association. In a statement e-mailed to energy.agwired.com, the …
Contentious Energy Bill Stalls in U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate has hit an impasse over a proposed energy bill that makes larger allowances for alternative energy, in particular, wind power, than previous energy bills. This AP story from Forbes.com says Democrats had hopes for an early vote on the measure, but Republicans were against many of the measures in the omnibus bill: The impasse over renewable fuels …
Riders on Udall Bus Tour Give Thoughts
The other day, I told you about about how the Morris K. Udall Foundation was making its annual cross-country trip promoting environmental and Native American issues and how this year it is doing under biodiesel power (see my post from June 12th). The Philadelphia Enquirer caught up with the group at one of its first stops after leaving Washington, DC: …
Hydrogen-Powered BMW to London Deputy Mayor
A BMW Hydrogen 7 car… which, of course, runs on hydrogen with its only exhaust being water… was given to Deputy Mayor of London and London Hydrogen Partnership Chair, Nicky Gavron, to raise awareness to what a great alternative energy source hydrogen is. This article (and the picture shown above) are from a web site called Fuel Cell Works.com. The …
County on Long Island Going to Biodiesel
Suffolk County, New York is switching all of its 439 public works trucks to run on biodiesel. The move comes as neighboring Nassau, switched its 270 trucks to the biofuel as of the first of this year. According to this story in Newsday, officials unanimously approved the move for the end of next year. The switch comes after both counties …
First Ethanol Co-product Report Due Soon
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set June 29th as the date for its first-ever report on how livestock producers are using ethanol co-products for cattle and hog feeds. This from the USDA’s web site: The report, entitled Ethanol Co-Products Used for Livestock Feed, will highlight results of a survey conducted by NASS with the support of the Nebraska Corn …
Biodiesel Promotion and Quality Assurance Act Introduced
U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) is the sponsor of a new measure designed to ensure that a portion of America’s future diesel fuel supply is renewable. In a release from the National Biodiesel Board (of course, the NBB heartily endorses this bill), the Biodiesel Promotion and Quality Assurance Act would up the amount of biodiesel and “bio-based replacement diesel” that …
Ford E85 Escape Hybrids
The first E85 Escape Hybrids are hitting the streets this week, as Ford Motor Company delivered three of 20 new vehicles Wednesday to the Department of Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition. RFA president Bob Dinneen was all smiles as he climbed into the driver’s seat of the new vehicle which combines hybrid and flex-fuel …
Udall Bus Running on Biodiesel
A B20 blend of biodiesel will be what fuels the Morris K. Udall Foundation’s bus tour this year. The tour that highlights public service, environmental, and Native American issues launched today in Washington, D.C. According to this National Biodiesel Board news release, members of Congress and federal government agency leaders kicked off the coast-to-coast Udall Legacy Bus Tour near the …