Back in May, the EPA put out its proposal for the new Renewable Fuels Standard… aka RFS-2… that got a lot of people talking about what is in the new standard. Some of the biggest backers of some of the greenest fuels, ethanol and biodiesel, are worried RFS-2 will actually keep these mainstays of the renewables out of the program …
UNICA to EPA – Sugarcane Ethanol Reduces GHGs
In a 40 page letter submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), UNICA, the organization representing the Brazilian sugarcane industry, noted that even accounting for theoretical Indirect Land Use Changes, sugarcane ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by up to 85 percent. In addition, the organization cites that sugarcane ethanol is a viable way to help the U.S. meet the …
BIO Calls for EPA to be Fair on RFS2
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has joined the chorus of renewable fuel advocates who are calling on the EPA to give biodiesel and ethanol a fair shake in the proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2). BIO’s remarks come as a growing number of green fuels backers say the EPA has to acknowledge the full extent of the uncertainty in its estimation …
E85 Promotion in Sauke Center, MN
Event Supporters include the Stearns County Corn Growers, Kranz Super Stop (Holiday), Minnesota Corn Growers Association, American Lung Association in Minnesota and the Minnesota Clean Air Choice™. There are now 361 E85 fueling locations in the state of Minnesota; the most E85 stations of any state.
Department of Energy Awards POET $6.85 Million
The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded POET $6.85 million to help establish a market for corn cobs. This is the first portion of the funds which are expected to provide an additional $13.15 million next year. Cobs are the feedstock for POET’s effort to commercialize cellulosic ethanol which is officially dubbed Project LIBERTY and under construction in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The …
NBB, RFA Submit Biodiesel, Ethanol Comments to EPA
The comment period for the EPA’s proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) has come and gone, and the leaders in the biodiesel and ethanol industries have turned in the comments they’ve collected from their members and interested parties. The National Biodiesel Board’s main contention is that the proposal contains several significant flaws: • EPA’s GHG [Greenhouse Gas] methodology relies on outdated …
Subsidies Should Help Nearly Double Canadian Biofuels
Biodiesel and ethanol production in Canada is expected to rise more than 75 percent over the next two years, thanks to subsidies from that country. Reuters reports that total biofuel output north of the border will reach 660 million gallons each year by 2011, including about 500 million gallons of ethanol and about 160 million gallons of biodiesel: “We’re certainly …
Industrial Biotech To Save 2.5 Billion Tons of CO2?
A new WWF report, “Industrial biotechnology – more than green fuel in a dirty economy,” has concluded that industrial biotechnology could generate between 1 and 2.5 billion tons of greenhouse gas reductions per year by 2030, as well as build a new green economy that works with nature to meet human needs. As such, the WWF is calling for increased …
Oregon to ‘Save’ Garbage for Energy
Oregon is the latest state to look to garbage for energy. Waste Management and McMinnville Water & Light will soon use everyday garbage to power thousands of homes. The $10 million plant will be sited next the landfill west of McMinnville. This plant is the first for Yamhill County and is expected to be operational by mid-2010. Once completed, the …