Seizing on last week’s CBO report and a proposal by Growth Energy to phase out and redirect the blenders tax credit for ethanol (VEETC), several long-time opponents of ethanol renewed their call for an end to all tax incentives for the home-grown fuel. In a press conference this morning, representatives from the American Meat Institute (AMI), Environmental Working Group (EWG), …
Biodiesel Willing to Make Up Cellulosic Biofuels Shortfall
While the cellulosic ethanol industry is worried that it won’t be able to meet the U.S. EPA’s proposed advanced biofuels production volumes for the new Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2), the folks who make biodiesel believe they could pick up any slack. This article from Biodiesel Magazine points out that biodiesel plants in the U.S. have the ability to produce 2.2 …
Biodiesel Could Be Key to Winning War in Afghanistan
I know the name of this blog is Domestic Fuel, but I wanted to point out a story I found that makes the case how biodiesel might just help the U.S. win the war in Afghanistan. A new white paper from Wayne Arden, an expert in the financial technology field, and John Fox, a former CEO of a biodiesel company, …
ADM Opens Nebraska Ethanol Plant
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) opened a new 300 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Columbus, Nebraska on Friday. The grand opening ceremony featured ADM President Patricia Woertz, U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Nebraska Lieutenant Gov. Rick Sheehy and other honored guests. “We at ADM are proud to harness the power and ingenuity of American agriculture to help …
GAO Urges Changes to Energy Department Loan Program
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report urging the Department of Energy (DOE) to make changes to its current loan guarantee program to make it more effective. This program is intended to support “early commercial production and use of new or significantly improved technologies in energy projects that abate emissions of air pollutants or of greenhouse gases” including …
NBB Pleased to See EPA’s Biodiesel Requirement
Today’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement to require the domestic use of 800 million gallons of biodiesel in 2011 is being welcomed by the National Biodiesel Board. The group says the number, established under the new Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2), shows that biodiesel is the only widely accepted, commercial scale Advanced Biofuel produced in the U.S. that meets the definition …
EIA Looks at Ethanol Blend Wall
The July 8 Energy Information Administration (EIA) “This Week in Petroleum” report takes a look at the fast approaching ethanol blend wall, predicting ethanol’s share of the gasoline market will reach the 10% saturation point by the beginning of 2011. During April 2010 an estimated 834,000 bbl/d (12.8 billion gallons per year [BGY]) of fuel ethanol was blended into gasoline, …
EPA Proposes 2011 Renewable Fuel Standard
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a proposal for comment that sets the 2011 percentage standards under the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program, known as RFS2. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established the annual renewable fuel volume targets, reaching an overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA calculates …
Loss of Biodiesel Incentive Killings Plants, Mandates
It’s been more than six months since the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive was allowed to expire, and more refineries … and even some mandates … are in serious trouble. This story from News14 in Charlotte, North Carolina says Patriot Biodiesel in Greensboro is in danger of closing because of the loss of the credit: “People aren’t buying biodiesel, not …
Obama Announces $2 Billion for Solar
The solar industry in this country could be getting quite a boost, as Pres. Barack Obama announced over the weekend $2 billion in conditional commitments The President says the money for two companies will come from the Stimulus Bill: The first is Abengoa Solar, a company that has agreed to build one of the largest solar plants in the world …