One of the big winners in the recent passage of the $1 trillion Farm Bill was the reauthorization of the National Oilheat Research Alliance (NORA) and the biodiesel-based heating fuel, Bioheat. This article from Biodiesel Magazine says the five-year extension of the program will boost Bioheat in this country. The new bill encourages greater research on Bioheat with the goal …
Changes in the Law Drive U.S. Biodiesel Trends
While the proposal to cut the amount of biodiesel and ethanol to be blended into the Nation’s fuel supply has green fuel makers nervous, a new report shows that turmoil at the end of 2013 actually helped biodiesel spike. Financial services provider for agricultural producers and agribusinesses Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research (FAR) says the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal …
EPA Director Addresses Ethanol Conference
The Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency addressed the National Ethanol Conference on Wednesday morning on issues related to the Renewable Fuel Standard and EPA’s proposal for the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO). Chris Grundler was scheduled to be on a panel at the NEC Tuesday but had a conflict and …
Biofuels’ Feedstock Growers to Host Ag Secretary
The growers of the two biggest biofuels feedstocks, corn for ethanol and soybeans for biodiesel, will once again host the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for their biggest meeting of the year. For the fifth time in a row, Tom Vilsack will deliver the keynote address to Commodity Classic, the annual convention and trade show for corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum …
DF Cast: Hearing in the Heartland Talks EPA & RFS
Unable to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to come to the heart of where biodiesel and ethanol are produced, leaders in the Midwest decided to hold their own “field hearing” to let the Obama Administration know they are unhappy with what proposed cuts to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The comment period for this proposal has recently ended, but …
President Signs Farm Bill
President Barack Obama traveled to Michigan State University to sign the Agricultural Act of 2014 at the alma mater of Senate Agriculture Committee chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). “Despite its name, the farm bill is not just about helping farmers,” President Obama told the small crowd invited for the signing. “Secretary Vilsack calls it a jobs bill, an innovation bill, an …
Biofuel Groups React to SOTU
Corn farmers and biofuels producers are questioning President Obama’s commitment to an “all of the above” energy strategy mentioned in the State of the Union address, considering the administration’s proposal to cut the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) this year. The address Tuesday evening came just hours before the comment period on the EPA proposal ended. “It was great to hear …
Farm Bill Compromise Includes $881 Mil for Energy
A compromise Farm Bill agreed upon by U.S. Senate and House negotiators will set aside about $881 million in its Energy Title portion. The deal on the $500 billion Agricultural Act of 2014 gained praise from the Agriculture Energy Coalition (AgEC), a consortium of organizations and companies representing a broad spectrum of renewable energy, energy efficiency and bioproducts stakeholders. Lloyd …
Views on the Biodiesel Policy Climate
Two former members of Congress talked about attacks on the Renewable Fuel Standard at the National Biodiesel Conference this week in San Diego. Former Democrat Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, now a DC policy advisory, says the EPA proposal to lower RFS volume obligations this year is inexplicable. “The Obama Administration has always supported renewable fuels,” he said during …
CARB Receives Eye on Biodiesel Award
Receiving the National Biodiesel Board’s Eye on Biodiesel Impact Award for the California Clean Air Resources Board was Richard Corey, Executive Officer. The State of California continues to serve as a national and world leader in regulations related to environmental sustainability, and the California Air Resources Board is at the heart of those efforts. In January of 2010, Air Resources …