Considering the fact that Iowa leads the nation in biofuels production, being a major player in the biodiesel and ethanol industries, it only makes sense the state’s governor launches an effort to protect the green fuels. This post from the Des Moines Register blog says Gov. Terry Branstad launched a new website to oppose the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal …
Biodiesel Backers Make Case on RFS to Congress
Biodiesel backers are not quite ready to throw in the towel when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Backed by the National Biodiesel Board, they took to Washington, D.C. to voice their disappointment with the Obama Administration’s recent proposal for next year’s renewable fuels volumes. “If the EPA freezes the biomass-based diesel target, it would put our company …
DOE Grant Funds Mechanics’ Biodiesel Training
Diesel mechanics in the Midwest are getting some valuable training on how to work on engines using biodiesel. The Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) points out the training was held at the group’s headquarters thanks to a U.S. Department of Energy grant for the Biodiesel for Diesel Technicians program, a long-term investment in ensuring consumer confidence in domestically produced biodiesel. “Educating …
Vilsack Defends EPA’s Slashing of RFS
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is defending the Obama Administration’s proposal to cut the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for the amount of renewable fuels to be blended into gasoline and diesel. But some of the people he spoke to, along with several biofuel advocates, are questioning the legality of the cuts. …
Repub. & Dem. Senators Call for Biodiesel Support
Nearly a third of the U.S. Senate, with lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle, calls for support from the Obama Administration regarding biodiesel and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The National Biodiesel Board says the group represents people from Washington state to Minnesota to Maine and calls for a volume requirement of at least 1.7 billion gallons next …
Boston Parks & Rec Gets Biodiesel Heating Oil Tank
The City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department recently installed new oil tanks that will hold biodiesel heating oil, more commonly known as Bioheat. Biodiesel Magazine reports the change was made possible through CBS EcoMedia’s innovative EcoAd program. With Bioheat’s support, an aging, 1,000 gallon oil tank located in the maintenance building was replaced. The decades-old tank needed an upgrade …
DF Cast: Is EPA Overstepping RFS Authority?
A leaked document from the Environmental Protection Agency regarding the Renewable Fuels Standard is causing some real consternation among advocates for ethanol. While it’s just a draft and has not even been officially released, there is already plenty of debate over the possible proposal, including whether the EPA is overstepping its authority granted under the RFS. In this edition of …
Blenders’ Credit Helps Biodiesel’s Bottom Line
Another biodiesel producer is showing a pretty good bottom line compared to last year’s figures. On the heels of last week’s report from Renewable Energy Group (REG) of its record-setting third quarter, FutureFuel Corp. shows a similarly strong period as well. The St. Louis Business Journal reports FutureFuel has third-quarter net income of $15.3 million, up 22 percent from the …
Alt Fuel Finder? Yep, There’s an App for That
Finding the right place to fill up on alternative fuels might be as close as your iPhone. The Energy Department’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed a new, free mobile application for DOE’s Clean Cities program that helps users find a place to top off their tanks, whether it’s electricity, natural gas, biodiesel, e85 Ethanol, propane or hydrogen. The …
Missouri Governor Voices Support for Ethanol
With the harvest nearing completion in Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon last week joined the Missouri Corn Growers Association at a grain elevator in the northeast part of the state to support the state’s corn growers and ethanol industry. “Each year about 20% of Missouri’s corn crop is turned into about 300 million gallons of ethanol – a renewable, domestic energy …