The case for keeping the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as-is is being made today at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing in Arlington, Va. Our friends from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) have shown up in force, making sure biofuels’ voices are being heard. Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the RFA, told the EPA that they need to keep …
Live From EPA Hearing on RFS
We are live from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard in Arlington, Va., just across the Potomac River from the Nation’s capital! In less than an hour, we’ll start hearing from advocates and friends of the biofuels industry, in particular, our friends from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), who have come from across the country …
Biodiesel Voices to be Heard at EPA Hearing
We will be at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), ready to kick off in just a couple of hours in Arlington, Va., just across the river from the nation’s capital. Advocates and friends of biofuels are expected to turn out en masse, including our friends from the National Biodiesel Board, who plan to …
Big Turnout Expected for EPA RFS Hearing
A huge turnout is expected Thursday at a public hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations for 2014. Literally busloads of stakeholders, both opposed to and in favor of cutting the requirements, are attending the hearing at the Hyatt in Crystal City, Virginia. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad will be attending with several Iowa livestock producers, …
Biodiesel Production Still at Record Pace; Imports Up
The latest numbers from the government show that biodiesel production is still on a record pace for the year. Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says America is importing more of the green fuel while exporting less of it to other countries. September’s figures put biodiesel production at 127 million gallons in September 2013, down just slightly fromm August’s …
EPA Opens Comment Period for RFS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially published the proposed 2014 renewable fuel standard in the Federal Register that starts a 60-day public comment period that runs until January 28, 2014. EPA’s proposal significantly lowers the levels of ethanol and biodiesel that must be blended in the nation’s fuel supply. “It is unfortunate that the Obama administration has caved in …
Navy Looks to Vets for Alt Energy Future
Veterans might be the next tool in the U.S. Navy’s quest to find alternative energy. This Office of Naval Research (ONR) news release says the service is highlighting the Energy Systems Technology Evaluation Program, or ESTEP, providing student veterans with internships in Navy organizations using advanced technologies. “Finding reliable, alternative sources of energy is an essential component of naval strategy …
Ethanol By-Product as Biodegradable Kitty Litter
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found a way to turn a by-product of ethanol production into a biodegradable form of kitty litter. This news release from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) says USDA plant physiologist Steven Vaughn and his colleagues are using dried distiller’s grains, DDGs, as a starting material for a more environmentally friendly alternative …
EPA to Hold Hearing on RFS Proposal
The Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled a public hearing on its proposal to lower the volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014. According to a notice in the Federal Register, the hearing will be held December 5 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. The event will begin at 9:00 in the morning and “end …
Opinion: Biodiesel’s Biggest Foe? US Government
So if you’re considering biodiesel opponents, you might think of the usual suspects led by Big Oil. But according to this piece by Ron Kotrba from Biodiesel Magazine, if you look at the history of the opposition, especially what has happened in the past week, the biggest roadblock to biodiesel could be the current U.S. government. Then [Environmental Protection Agency]’s …