During a speech at a truck manufacturing plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina this week, President Obama outlined specifics for an energy plan that includes alternative-fueled vehicles and fueling stations. “We’ve got to develop every source of American energy — not just oil and gas, but wind power and solar power, nuclear power, biofuels,” Obama said, noting that he has …
Lawmakers Urge Administration to Support Biodiesel
Dozens of lawmakers have sent letters to the White House calling for an increase in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2013. A bipartisan group of 60 members of Congress on both the Senate side and the House signed letters urging the Obama Administration to follow through with the EPA’s proposal to increase the biodiesel volume requirement under the RFS …
President Stresses All of the Above Energy Policy
As the ethanol industry was meeting in Orlando last week, President Obama was talking energy just a few hundred miles to the south at the University of Miami. “If we’re going to take control of our energy future and can start avoiding these annual gas price spikes that happen every year — when the economy starts getting better, world demand …
Ethanol Conference Panel Includes Opposition
Scott Faber has never been known for his love of ethanol. In fact, Faber could be called the “architect of the food versus fuel campaign,” as he engineered much of the opposition to ethanol as lobbyist for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. Now he has joined the Environmental Working Group, an organization which also tends to position itself on the opposite …
Former Speaker of House on Energy Policy
The 59th Speaker of the House, who played an active role in the development of current energy policy, spoke about leadership and the importance of the nation’s energy security during an appearance at the GROWMARK, FS System “Gold Rush” event in East Peoria, Illinois to introduce re-formulated Dieselex Gold. Dennis Hastert, a native of Illinois, told the group that growing …
Biofuels in Focus at First Farm Bill Hearing
The importance of biofuels to rural development was a focus of the first Farm Bill hearing by the Senate Committee on Agriculture this week. “In the last Farm Bill, this Committee wisely focused on energy policy,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the panel. “Renewable energy – including biofuels, biomass, wind and solar – are an important source of jobs and …
EPA Approval Moves E15 Closer to the Market
Fifteen percent ethanol blended motor fuel has gotten one step closer to commercial availability with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval of health effects testing submitted by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy. EPA concluded, “Our evaluation therefore concludes that RFA/Growth Energy has submitted data and analysis that would satisfy the Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing requirements for …
Advanced Ethanol Group Asks for Tax Extensions
The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) this week urged Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking Member Pat Roberts (R-KS) to include two key tax extensions for advanced and cellulosic ethanol producers in the next farm bill. In a letter to the committee leaders, AEC Executive Director Brooke Coleman wrote, “The Cellulosic Biofuels Producer Tax Credit (PTC) — created …
Coalition for E85 Issues Call to Action
The Coalition for E85 is calling on members and other supporters to urge Congress to give E85 credit for being an alternative fuel. The coalition is asking members of Congress to support the inclusion of E85 in the Alternative Fuel Credit in the tax extenders package currently under review. In coordination with this effort, members of the Coalition for E85 …
Energy Tax Breaks Wiki
A new wiki was launched recently to provide information about tax breaks for different sectors of the energy industry – from coal, oil and gas to wind, solar and biofuels. The Energy Tax Breaks Wiki is designed to gather the collective knowledge of lawyers, economists and tax professionals to provide a more accurate picture of all energy-related subsidies, according to …