California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to terminate greenhouse gas emissions in his state. In his State of the State address Tuesday, Governor Schwarzenegger called for the establishment of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard in California, a “first-of-its kind standard” that will reduce the carbon intensity of California’s passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent by the year 2020. According …
New Ag Committee Chairs Disagree About Ethanol Tariffs
According to a report from Truth About Trade & Technology, soon-to-be Agriculture Committee chairmen Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Collin Peterson are in disagreement over the lifting of tariffs on imported ethanol.
USDA Raises Crop Price Forecast
The latest global supply/demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture increases the forecast for corn and soybean prices this year due in part to stronger demand for ethanol and biodiesel.
North Dakota Considers Blender Pumps
Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota hosted a meeting Monday with government and ethanol industry leaders to discuss new ways to market ethanol in the state. According to an AP report from Fargo, some are suggesting the approval of blender pumps. Many drivers have been scared away by lower fuel efficiency and reports that cars with E-85 start poorly in …
GA Farm Bureau Supports Biofuels Tax Cut
A Georgia Farm Bureau committee adopted a proposal to cut the sales tax on the sale and production of ethanol and biodiesel (see previous post) to present to the membership in its December meeting. Seventeen states have reduction or elimination of sales and use motor fuel taxes for ethanol and/or biodiesel, according to information from the U.S. Department of Energy’s …
Alternative Fuel Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $8.6 million for 16 projects to expand the use of alternative transportation fuels. According to a DOE release, combined with funding from the participants, more than $25 million will be invested in the nation’s alternative fuel infrastructure. The grants are part of the Clean Cities program and were selected under three topic areas …
Secretaries Stump for Cellulosic
The US Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture each talked about the need for cellulosic ethanol in two different venues this week. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman speaking at the Chicagoland Innovation Summit on Tuesday said ethanol is America’s best alternative energy source for the future, but researchers must develop a material other than corn to make it from. According to a …
Political Ethanol
Ethanol has become a campaign issue in many areas, with political candidates often trying to outdo each other in proving how supportive they are of domestic fuels. Take Missouri, for example. This story from the Columbia Missourian reports: There’s consensus on ethanol among the candidates for state representative seats in two rural Missouri districts: It’s good for farmers, good for …
Support for Biofuels Investment
A new survey from the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) shows strong support for government investment in biofuels research. According to a press release: Four in five U.S. adults (80%) strongly or somewhat agree that national and state governments are not doing enough to promote production of biofuels. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®, also found that 82% of adults say …