In Washington, the Federal Trade Commission has agreed to investigate whether or not oil companies are pressuring gas stations to limit the amount of ethanol they sell by forcing them to sell premium gasoline. The investigation is in response to a request from Senators Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar.
In Massachusetts, the Wall Street Journal picked up a blazing editorial written by Brooke Coleman, Director of the Advanced Ethanol Council, in response to the journal’s article, “Put a Corn Cob in Your Tank,” which ran on August 17th. The opinion piece argues that ethanol blending “certainly doesn’t increase gas prices,” refuting arguments in the […]
In Colorado, Sen. Michael Bennet toured Gevo’s isobutanol plant on Friday, meeting with CEO Pat Gruber to discuss the importance of renewable fuels and chemicals for Colorado and the U.S.’s economies. “We applaud Senator Bennet’s support for the renewable energy industry and appreciate his visit to our headquarters to learn about the technology that makes […]
In Washington, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D, MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate possible anticompetitive practices by oil companies that limit consumers access to homegrown renewable fuels. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, Klobuchar, the Chair of […]
In Indiana, a Purdue economist says that US biofuel production could reach 15.85 billion gallons in 2014, about 2.3 billion gallons shy of what the EPA is expected to mandate for blending. Much of that reduced production will come for a lack of cellulosic ethanol availability, though some of those gallons are from corn ethanol […]
In Washington, The Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that purchase invitations have been extended to solicit bids to the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) through the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP). Congress created FFP in the 2008 Farm Bill which requires the purchase of sugar as a feedstock for producing fuel-grade […]
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz announced that the talks between the US and Brazil will focus on increased use of biofuels in the coming months. Moniz met with Brazilian authorities to discuss possible investment opportunities as the groundwork is laid for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to Washington in October. “We are […]
In Washington, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking applications for grants that will be awarded to organizations to help rural businesses create jobs and spur economic development. USDA is making $5.6 million available through the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI), a program that generates economic activity in […]
In Washington, the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers have requested EPA to reduce the total 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) below 10 percent of gasoline demand. Brian Jennings, EVP at the American Coalition for Ethanol, commented: “This request to waive the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) confirms that Big Oil lobbyists […]
In Washington, the EPA granted a single small refinery/small refiner waiver to the 2013 RFS blending mandate to Alon Energy’s Krotz Springs facility in Louisiana. According to the Wall Street Journal, four refineries applied for the waver because they were under 155,000 barrels per day, some of them far lower. But the Krotz Springs facility, […]
