Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group has had to lay off 45 percent of its workforce in the company’s home state, due to the failure of Congress to renew the $1-a-gallon federal biodiesel tax credit. REG is expected to meet with two key members of Congress, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), at REG facilities in each of the …
Berkeley Lab Awarded Funds for Biofuels Research
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi announced today that Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will receive almost $18 million from the Recovery Act to build an advanced biofuels process development facility from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This grant will assist researchers with studies of next generation biofuels by …
Ethanol Bob Tweeting President’s Energy Speech
Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen is on location at the site of President Obama’s speech this morning on energy initiatives for the United States. The event is being held in a hanger at Andrews Air Force Base with the backdrop of a Navy Green Hornet jet that will fly on biofuels on Earth Day. The president is …
Bipartisan Bill Would Save Jobs and Help Ethanol Grow
Bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday will help preserve jobs in the renewable energy industry and accelerate the development of cellulosic ethanol, according to its sponsors. The Renewable Fuels Reinvestment Act sponsored by Reps. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and John Shimkus (R-IL) unveiled legislation would extend the current Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), the Small Ethanol Producers Tax Credit and tariff on …
RFA Pleased with Bill to Extend Ethanol Incentives
The Renewable Fuels Association today praised the Renewable Fuels Reinvestment Act (RFRA) introduced by Representatives Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and John Shimkus (R-IL). The bill would extend the $0.45 Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), commonly called the blenders’ credit, and the secondary tariff on imported ethanol until December 31, 2015. It would also extend the Small Producers Tax Credit and …
Warthog to be First Jet to Test Biomass Jet Fuel
It’s officially called the A-10 Thunderbolt II, but to the men and women who wear the blue of the U.S. Air Force, it is affectionately called the Warthog … and it’s real beauty will come in its upcoming test of biomass-based jet fuel. Air Force News Service says a test pilot will attempt to fly an A-10 on a blend …
Pennsylvania Biodiesel Heating Oil Mandate Considered
Pennsylvania residents might soon take the chill off their cold winter nights (and cool spring, summer and fall days and nights) with a dose of biodiesel. This post from Heatingoil.com says a new bill introduced in the state legislature by Sen. Ted Erickson would require heating oil to be blended with biodiesel, as well as lowering the sulfur content in …
Biodiesel Incentive to Wait At Least Until Mid-April
Although it has a broad base of support across the country (unlike a certain health care measure that 60+ percent of Americans don’t favor), renewal of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive seems that it will have to wait at least a month at the earliest before Congress will get to it. This article from Reuters says with Congressional recesses …
NY Senator Supports Biodiesel Not Ethanol
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (NY-D) visited New York’s only commercial biodiesel producer last month to assure them of his support for the federal tax incentive for biodiesel. “The dollar tax incentive assures us that we are competitive with regular diesel fuel right now. The federal government subsidizes the petroleum industry as well, so if we lose our incentive, we lose …