A record number of Americans are traveling this week for the July 4th holiday and as we celebrate our nation’s independence, we can also celebrate our independence from high gas prices thanks to ethanol. According to AAA, a record 39.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more by automobile for Independence Day, five percent more than a year ago. …
Summit Agricultural Group to expand FS Bioenergia
Summit Agricultural Group has announced a $100 million expansion of FS Bioenergia, its corn ethanol production facility in Brazil. The expansion of the plant is forecast for completion in the first quarter of 2019 and will more than double annual corn ethanol production from 60 million gallons to 140 million gallons. With this expansion, FS Bioenergia will annually process over …
Hearing Addresses #RFS Management
The Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management held a hearing yesterday examining two reports by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) released this week. The hearing included testimony from Frank Rusco, GAO Director Natural Resources and Environment and Janet McCabe, EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation …
BioEnergy Bytes
A new report, Motor Vehicle Biofuels: United States, looks at the U.S. market for motor vehicle biofuels. It is forecast to total 395 million barrels in 2020, representing annual increases of 0.7% from 382 million barrels in 2015. Advances will primarily stem from regulatory quotas for biofuel in the U.S. fuel supply. At the same time, rising crude oil prices …
REG Breaks Ground on Ralston Biorefinery
Renewable Energy Group (REG) has officially broken ground on its $24 million expansion project at its biorefinergy in Ralston, Iowa. Once complete, the biodiesel plant will expand from 12 million to 30 million gallons nameplate production capacity per year. Special guests at the event included Iowa Governor Terry Branstad along with Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds. ”REG Ralston has been an …
DC Water Taps Into #Biodiesel
DC Water has been tapping into the benefits of biodiesel. All of its 230 diesel fleet vehicles are powered by a B20 blend of biodiesel. According to the company, between October 1, 2015-August 31, 2016 – the use of biodiesel displaced nearly 15,000 gallons of petroleum diesel providing an estimated 15 percent reduction in CO2, a 12 percent reduction in …
California Reps Urge Congress to Fulfill #RFS Intent
On the day the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) celebrated its 11th anniversary – August 8, 2005 – California Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) along with five of his California colleagues, submitted a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging the agency to fulfill Congress’ intent when it passed the energy policy. Each year, the amount of renewable fuels blended into …
House #Biofuels Caucus To @EPA: Get #RFS Back on Track
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) remains under fire regarding its proposed rule for the 2017 renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This week, 17 members of the House Biofuels Caucus sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, urging the agency to complete its 2017 RFS “in a manner consistent with the Congressional intent to aggressively …
#Biofuels Industry Calls for Stronger Energy Policy
The biofuels industry came out in force in support of renewable fuels as the comment period came to a close for the proposed renewable fuel volumes obligations (RVO) for 2017 as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), an energy policy passed in 2007. The consensus of the biofuels industry is that all categories of renewable fuels must be increased …
High Octane, Low Carb #Biofuels Better for Fuel Economy
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, is leading an effort to ensure that high octane, low carbon fuels are part of EPA’s midterm evaluation of the progress of federal fuel economy standards. Daschle was the author of the reformulated and oxygenated fuel provisions of the Clean Air Act, and also the lead sponsor of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), …