Biodiesel producers and farmers who raise the feedstocks for the biodiesel industry took to Capitol Hill this week, joining a group of U.S. Senate Democrats in their calls to end policy uncertainty that is hurting their industry. “The uncertainty caused by these policy setbacks in Washington, with this proposed retreat on biodiesel volumes under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and …
Senate Dems Against Obama on Biodiesel Proposal
Normally, they would be considered pretty staunch allies of President Obama. But a group of Democratic U.S. Senators have taken the Administration to task for its handling of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to drastically reduce the amount of biodiesel required to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply. “The EPA’s preliminary November rule will be disastrous,” said Illinois Senator …
Rep Conaway Re-Introduces Anti-Biofuel Amendents
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) has reintroduced his anti-biofuels amendments and they have been passed. The amendments have been included in the House version of the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act. One amendment, H.R. 4435 prohibits the Department of Defense from purchasing biofuels unless the biofuels until certain date requirements are met: Except as provided in subsection 3 (b), none of …
DOE Announces Offshore Wind Energy Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced funding for three offshore wind demonstrations. The projects will receive up to $47 million each over the next four years to deploy innovative, grid- connected systems in federal and state waters by 2017. The projects are located off the coast of New Jersey, Virginia and Oregon. Fishermen’s Energy will install five 5-megawatt direct-drive …
EIA Report: Solar Making Large Gains
The latest Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that the growth of solar power will continue to make good gains. EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski made the following comments in the May report: Renewables:“U.S. solar-electric generation capacity has increased significantly in the last four years. EIA expects continued robust growth in solar electricity generation. EIA currently …
EPA Chief Explains RFS Proposal
The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency explained her agency’s proposal to lower the volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Washington DC this week. “Let me begin by reiterating that this administration sees renewable fuels as a big part of our way to adapt to climate change,” …
Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel Imports Hit Record
The U.S. is importing more biodiesel and renewable diesel than ever before. This report from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) says in 2013, the U.S. imported 525 million gallons of the green fuels, compared to just 61 million gallons in 2012. The strongest driver of the resurgence in U.S. biomass-based diesel demand was the increasing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) target. …
Ag Subcommittee Hears Pros and Cons of RFS
The food versus fuel debate arose once again in front of Congress. At last week’s U.S. House Ag Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., opponents and proponents of the Renewable Fuels Standard presented their arguments on the RFS and its impact on the livestock industry. One of the biggest opponents of the RFS is the poultry industry. Their members argued that …
2012 Ag Census Includes Renewable Energy
The 2012 Census of Agriculture shows a doubling of on-farm renewable energy production since 2007. According to the census data released by USDA today, there were 57,299 farms that produced on-farm renewable energy in 2012, more than double the 23,451 in 2007. By far the biggest was solar panels, used on over 36,000 farms. Geoexchange systems and wind turbines each …
EPA and USDA Dispute Corn Stover Study
Two federal agencies joined the biofuels industry last week in seriously questioning the results of a University of Nebraska study that claims negative greenhouse gas emissions impacts in using corn stover for ethanol production. A statement by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman Liz Purchia about the report noted problems with “hypothetical assumption that 100 percent of corn stover in a …