Category: Policy

French farmers back off from blockade as agri minister makes promises

French farmers back off from blockade as agri minister makes promises

June 13, 2018 |

In France, farmers have begun to end their blockades as oil refineries and depots that led to more than 100 stations running dry of fuel after the agriculture minister agreed to some of their demands. The blockade was to force Total to boost its use of domestic oils, preferably from rapeseed but also from used […]

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EPA administrator believes he has statutory right to approve year-round E15

EPA administrator believes he has statutory right to approve year-round E15

June 12, 2018 |

In Iowa, Reuters reports that the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency said during a charm offensive in the Midwest that he believes his agency has the statutory authority to grant year-round E15 sales, a process that would require rulemaking along with a notice and comment period. The administrator has come under heavy fire for […]

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French agri minister says farmer blockades of oil refineries are illegal

French agri minister says farmer blockades of oil refineries are illegal

June 11, 2018 |

In France, the country’s agriculture minister has called the protest of 14 oil refineries and hundreds of fuel depots by French farmers in protest of Total’s planned imports of palm oil for much of its feedstock demand at the La Mede biorefinery “illegal”. The minister has called for negotiations to end the impasse and find […]

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Biofuels and biomass are big losers in Senate Ag Committee’s draft farm bill

Biofuels and biomass are big losers in Senate Ag Committee’s draft farm bill

June 10, 2018 |

In Washington, D.C., the Senate Agriculture Committee released their draft farm bill on Friday afternoon, The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which includes serious blows for biofuel and biomass funding, while offering positive changes and expansions for dairy producers, the Agriculture Risk Coverage program, Conservation Reserve Program and other programs. The Senate Agriculture Committee is […]

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President Trump under fire from refinery industry for backing farmers on RFS

President Trump under fire from refinery industry for backing farmers on RFS

June 7, 2018 |

In Washington, President Trump is feeling pushback from the main union representing oil refinery workers after taking the side of farmers and rejecting the generation of RINs from ethanol exports earlier this week. The union says that the president is putting thousands of refinery jobs along the East Coast and Northeast at risk in what […]

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Trump backs off of RFS reforms as farm states say “no way”

Trump backs off of RFS reforms as farm states say “no way”

June 6, 2018 |

In Washington, Reuters reports that President Trump has backed off his proposed reform of the Renewable Fuel Standard expected for this week following pressure from farm states like Iowa who saw RIN generation from ethanol exports as a way to collapse the farm economy. As a result of the pushback that sent Trump back to […]

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RICanada and Advanced Biofuels Canada demonstrate significant positive impacts from Clean Fuel Standard

RICanada and Advanced Biofuels Canada demonstrate significant positive impacts from Clean Fuel Standard

June 5, 2018 |

In Canada, the country’s two largest biofuels stakeholders—Renewable Industries Canada (RICanada) and Advanced Biofuels Canada (ABFC), together representing almost 50 member companies—have released the results of a new study on the economic impact of Canada’s upcoming Clean Fuel Standard. The study demonstrates that biofuels could be responsible for as much as 21.3 megatons (MT) per […]

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Biofuel and farmer groups demand EPA boost RVO to make up for waiver volumes

Biofuel and farmer groups demand EPA boost RVO to make up for waiver volumes

June 4, 2018 |

In Washington, a coalition of biofuel and agriculture groups petitioned the U.S. EPA to change its regulations to account for lost volumes of renewable fuel resulting from the unprecedented number of retroactive small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard obligations recently granted by EPA. The parties on the petition are the Renewable Fuels Association, American […]

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Farmers request block for French oil refineries using palm oil

Farmers request block for French oil refineries using palm oil

June 2, 2018 |

In France, the largest farmers’ union asked that French oil refineries be blocked in protest at a decision allowing Total to use imported palm oil at a new biofuel production site. Earlier in May, the French government gave Total permission to use palm oil as a feedstock at its La Mede biofuel refinery. Farmers who […]

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EPA grants free RINs to oil refiners denied hardship waivers in 2014 and 2015

EPA grants free RINs to oil refiners denied hardship waivers in 2014 and 2015

May 31, 2018 |

In Washington, Reuters reports that the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded HollyFrontier nearly $34 million worth of RINs to make up for a hardship waiver application denied in 2015 and an undisclosed amount of RINs for Sinclair to compensate for waivers denied in 2014 and 2015 for two of its refineries. All three refineries are […]

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