A bill that would extend the biodiesel tax incentive by five years, as well as changing the way the program is administered, has been introduced. SustainableBusiness.com reports it is a bi-partisan measure from Democrat U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington state and Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa: The Biodiesel Tax Incentive Reform and Extension Act is expected to provide …
DOE Announces New $30 Billion In Loan Guarantees
More good news for ethanol. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced up to $30 billion in new load guarantees funded in part, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and in part through 2009 appropriations. Once again, next generation biofuels projects get an additional boost as the lending authority includes up to $500 million in subsidy costs to support …
NAEDA Endorses Green Jobs Waiver
The North American Equipment Dealers Association has come out in support of the Green Jobs Waiver. Mike Williams, VP of Government Relations for NAEDA along with Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, held a media conference call today to discuss the endorsement. In June, NAEDA endorsed the waiver through comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “We believe …
5 Reasons Why the Climate Bill Will Ruin Your Life
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42 percent of Americans oppose the climate bill that passed the House last week because respondents believe the bill will hurt the economy. Well, the more I dig into the nuances of the proposed climate bill, the more I realize that this bill will do more damage than good. Here are …
Wind Energy Industry Lobbies for Higher Mandate
Last year was a big year for growth in the American wind energy field, as the U.S. added more than 8,300 megawatts of capacity in 2008… a record year! This article in the Des Moines (IA) Register says officials with the industry, along with a governor from a state that is really making headways in wind energy, were on Capitol …
New Fuel Economy Rules Applauded by Industry
A new National Fuel Efficiency Policy was passed today adding to recent efforts to curb America’s dependence on foreign oil while spurring development in new clean transportation technologies that will help curb greenhouse gas emissions. This new policy, which sets the toughest fuel economy requirements in the country’s history, speeds up, by four years, the fuel economy standards that were …
Bill Could Renew Biodiesel Credit
The $1-a-gallon tax credit that biodiesel now enjoys… but is set to expire at the end of this year… could have new life if a new piece of legislation makes it through Congress this year. According to the Northwest Arkansas News, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) has introduced legislation that will promote several renewable energy options, including the biodiesel credit: Lincoln …
NREL Recipient of Recovery Act Funding
“The goal is to set America on a course for a secure and sustainable energy future.” DOE Energy Secretary Steven Chu The alternative energy industry is already receiving the monies set aside to help spur the economy and reduce America’s dependence on fossil-fuel based energy sources. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory was the recipient of $110 million in funding, announced …
U.S. Slow to Adopt E15 While Brazil Considers E30
While the United States government drags its feet on making a decision to offer American motorists the choice to use E15 at the pump, the Brazilian government is contemplating an ethanol blend increase from E25 to E30. Currently the EPA comment period to get feedback on the increase to E12 or E15 is open, and the U.S. ethanol industry is …
New Study: Evaluating Options for GHG Mitigation
There is a lot of dialogue surrounding the best way to create energy and environmental policies, specifically around greenhouse gas emissions. The RAND Corporation recently released a study, “Evaluating Options for U.S. Greenhouse-Gas Mitigation Using Multiple Criteria,” that evaluates three past attempts to develop energy policy. The study notes that the majority of current policy focuses on cost-effectiveness but policy …