Category: Policy

Congress: extend critical bioenergy tax credits during lame-duck session, asks BIO

Congress: extend critical bioenergy tax credits during lame-duck session, asks BIO

October 22, 2016 |

In Washington, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization called for the extension of renewable energy tax credits slated to expire at the end of 2016. In its letter, BIO urges Congress to advance a multi-year extension of the Second Generation Biofuel Producer Tax Credit, the Special Depreciation Allowance for Second Generation Biofuel Plant Property, the Biodiesel and […]

Read More

Urban Air Initiative says EPA relied heavily on oil industry for test fuels in EPAct Study

Urban Air Initiative says EPA relied heavily on oil industry for test fuels in EPAct Study

October 20, 2016 |

In Washington, the Urban Air Initiative has discovered that the U.S. EPA relied heavily on the oil industry to help design test fuels used for the EPAct Study. This is a critical development because the data in the EPAct Study erroneously shows that blending ethanol into gasoline increases pollution. The information was uncovered through a […]

Read More

BIO sends letter to Congress calling on extension of biofuel tax credits

BIO sends letter to Congress calling on extension of biofuel tax credits

October 19, 2016 |

In Washington, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) sent a letter to Congressional Leadership, the Senate Finance Committee Chairs, and the House Ways and Means Committee Chairs calling for the extension of renewable energy tax credits slated to expire at the end of 2016. In its letter, BIO urges Congress to advance a multi-year extension of […]

Read More

EU farmers unions strongly urge EU to rethink phase out of conventional biofuels

EU farmers unions strongly urge EU to rethink phase out of conventional biofuels

October 18, 2016 |

In Belgium, Copa & Cogeca sent a letter to Vice-President of the EU Commission Maros Sefcovic to strongly oppose plans to phase out conventional biofuels post-2020, saying that a long term and stable EU policy is needed to meet EU climate goals, decarbonise the transport sector and ensure food security. The move comes just before […]

Read More

UK promises to support advanced biofuels and use in aviation and freight

UK promises to support advanced biofuels and use in aviation and freight

October 17, 2016 |

In the UK, in advance of the forthcoming emissions reduction plan, the Government response set out the Government’s commitment to its domestic climate change targets and provides background to our current policy approach in response to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC)’s eighth Progress report on Government’s mitigation activity published in June. The CCC called […]

Read More

Copa & Cogeca warn against EU plans to phase out conventional biofuels post-2020

Copa & Cogeca warn against EU plans to phase out conventional biofuels post-2020

October 16, 2016 |

In the EU, Copa & Cogeca warned against EU Commission plans to phase out conventional biofuels post-2020 at a high-level dinner debate organized by the European Oilseed Alliance in European Parliament this week. Speaking at the debate, Chairman of Copa & Cogecas Oilseeds working party Arnaud Rousseau said “We are very concerned about the EU […]

Read More

Australian convenience stores to seek compensation if blending mandate fails

Australian convenience stores to seek compensation if blending mandate fails

October 13, 2016 |

In Australia, the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores will encourage filling stations to seek compensation from the Queensland government to cover the costs required to comply with the upcoming E3 and B0.5 mandates if they fail. Because the mandate still allows for choice at the pump, drivers may choose to not fill up with biofuel […]

Read More

Advanced biofuels producers heartened by EPA’s proposed rule change

Advanced biofuels producers heartened by EPA’s proposed rule change

October 12, 2016 |

In Washington, advanced biofuel producers are encouraged by the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule change to allow biointermediates from feedstocks such as algae and biomass to be produced at separate facilities from the final processing. The Advanced Biofuels Association sees the current rule as a key barrier to scaling up to commercial production, saying the […]

Read More

Biogenic CO2 Coalition seeks support for emerging bioeconomy

Biogenic CO2 Coalition seeks support for emerging bioeconomy

October 11, 2016 |

In Washington, a coalition of major agricultural groups launched a grassroots campaign to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to remove its regulatory roadblock to development of the emerging bioeconomy. The Biogenic CO2 Coalition is a working group of leading trade associations and companies that support American farmers and the national “bioeconomy” that a new USDA economic […]

Read More

Argentina lowers ethanol prices for October but still high year-on-year

Argentina lowers ethanol prices for October but still high year-on-year

October 10, 2016 |

In Argentina, the oil industry has gotten a slight reprieve after the government cut sugarcane-based ethanol prices to 87 cents/liter for October, down 0.8% from September but up nearly 36% on the year. Corn-based ethanol saw a nearly 70% year-on-year price increase to 82 cents/liter, but the drop from September was the same as for […]

Read More