In Washington, Operation Free co-founder Michael Breen responded to passage of a series of amendments to the House’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act that constrains the Department of Defense (DoD) from investing in energy security initiatives. The amendments from Rep. Conaway of Texas were: 1) A repeat of the Senate amendment from last […]
In Washington, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Health Care and Entitlements, held a hearing on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the blend wall. Witnesses were called from the Energy Policy Research Foundation, the Turkey Federation, the American Petroleum Institute, the EPA, and the Union of Concerned Scientists. […]
In Washington, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today said that the Federal government must increase collaboration with producers, researchers and industry to develop the next generation of solutions that will help agriculture mitigate and adapt to modern climate challenges. “Our farmers, ranchers and forest landowners are the most innovative on earth, and they’re up to the […]
In Massachusetts, activists have successfully added an amendment to the state budget proposal to block the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection plan to allow ethanol facilities to use rail transport in densely populated communities. The original plan was initiated by Global Partners LP who hoped to transport ethanol from its storage terminal in Revere using […]
In the UK, the House of Commons Select Committee on International Development is urging the government to revise its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) to exclude agriculturally-produced biofuels and push the European Union to limit the use of unsustainable food-based biofuels. The committee cited concerns over indirect land use change (ILUC) and first-generation biofuels such […]
In South Africa, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has agreed on a global approach to reduce carbon emissions in the airline industry. The breakthrough resolution was endorsed by the 240-member airlines at its annual general meeting, and will help governments establish procedures for a single market-based carbon-offsetting measure.
In Florida, Governor Rick Scott signed a HB 4001 into law, repealing the state’s 10 percent ethanol mandate. “I think the movement for freedom of choice at the pump just got a full tank of gas,” Gaetz told The Florida Current on Friday. The bill does not impact federal ethanol blending obligations stemming from the […]
In Washington, Senator Angus S. King, Jr. introduced legislation, cosponsored by Senator Susan Collins that would recognize and promote the economic and environmental benefits of biomass thermal energy. The Biomass Thermal Utilization Act of 2013, or BTU Act, would amend the federal tax code to incentivize biomass energy, as it already does for several other […]
In Iowa, the state’s biofuels industry is awaiting the governor’s signature on a law passed by both the state House and Senate protecting fuel retailers by ensuring their right to supply higher blends of both ethanol and biodiesel including E15, E85 and B20. The bill, nicknamed the retailer’s “bill of rights” prohibits restrictions on everything […]
In India, the expected mandatory E5 blend set to come in on June 1 may not in fact become mandatory because the high prices of imported ethanol versus would-be prices of domestic ethanol would lead to price increases of 4 rupees per liter at the pump compared to the 1 rupee per liter expected. General […]
