The Department of Energy has released a report on the expansion of wind energy in the U.S. and the U.S. manufacturing that is supporting the surge. The nation was one of the world’s largest and fastest growing wind markets in the world in 2011. Wind power represented 32-percent of all new electric capacity added in the U.S. last year. The …
Vilsack Announces 106 Renewable Energy Projects
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced 106 projects in 29 states, Guam and Puerto Rico have been selected for funding to make renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. Money for the projects comes from the USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. “The Obama Administration is helping agricultural producers and rural small …
Ethanol Industry Urges EPA to Deny RFS Waiver
Two state governors have reportedly made an official request to the EPA to waive the RFS for corn ethanol, and the ethanol industry is wasting no time saying it should be denied. According to this Reuters article, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue and Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe have asked the EPA for a waiver to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), …
RFA: RFS Waiver Brings No Lower Prices for Anyone
Officials with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) say if the EPA grants a waiver to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), it would not bring the hoped-for reduction in feed prices for livestock producers and lower prices for consumers at the grocery stores. The calls for the waiver grew louder after last Friday’s USDA crop report showed a 13 percent reduction …
Senate Candidate Urges Ethanol Industry to Fight
Former Nebraska governor and senator and candidate for the Senate once again, Bob Kerrey, urged the crowd at the American Coalition for Ethanol conference Friday to fight for the industry. “The only way you beat these guys is by fighting,” Kerrey said about the opponents of ethanol. “With the RFS, you cannot win this thing by being kind and gentle.” …
ACE Gives Sen. Nelson Highest Honor
During its 25th annual conference in Omaha Friday, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) presented U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) with the Merle Anderson Award for his leadership in supporting the renewable fuels industry while serving as Governor and Senator of Nebraska. Nelson established the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition in 1991, helped create the first energy title in a farm bill, …
Biofuel Industry Responds to Big Oil’s Call to End RFS
The American Petroleum Institute today said the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is not working and needs to be changed. In a statement, API says the eventual goal of 36 billion gallons in 2022 would raise ethanol concentrations in gasoline to more than 20 percent… while many vehicles will be hard-pressed to deal with more than a 15 percent blend. Growth …
Iowa 2012 Champions of Renewable Fuels
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) PAC is honoring 20 Iowa state legislators with “Champion of Renewable Fuels” awards. The IRFA PAC Board established the awards for state legislators with a clear voting record supporting renewable fuels and who also provided leadership for renewable fuels in the Iowa Legislature. This is the second election cycle that the IRFA PAC has …
Ethanol Groups Oppose Calls for RFS Waiver
A group of more than 150 members of Congress today asked the U.S. Environmental Protection agency to waive the ethanol requirements of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) ethanol to help livestock and poultry producers weather the worst drought in more than 50 years. Led by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the group asked EPA administrator Lisa Jackson to make a “fair …
DF Cast: House’s Turn at Biofuels in Farm Bill
During the last Domestic Fuel Cast, we talked about the U.S. Senate’s work on the renewable energy provisions of the Farm Bill. In this edition, we follow the debate over to the House, where not much funding in the energy title of the bill moved out of the Agriculture Committee. Listen to what some key lawmakers, as well as leaders …