In Canada, a new report from the George Morris Centre funded by the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the Canadian Meat Council shows that ethanol production and policies have contributed to increased feed grain prices in both eastern Canada—by C$15 to C$20 per ton—and western Canada up to C$10 per ton, […]
In Brazil, the government plans to keep the 20% ethanol blend rather than boost it back to its previous level of 25% when production re-starts in April despite complaints by producers that ethanol prices have gotten too low. The government believes that despite increased production expected in the coming season, demand will also increase so […]
In Brazil, the Sao Paolo state government is planning to reinstate the tariff on intrastate anhydrous trade on March 1 rather than June 1 as originally planned as 95% of ethanol imports are coming in from Santos port rather than from producers in other parts of the country.
In Washington, the EPA has shut down palm oil as a qualifying feedstock for renewable fuels, as predicted in Friday’s Digest. This comes as a blow to Southeast Asian markets as the Malaysian Palm Oil Board formulates its own calculations on carbon emissions. If the EPA findings are finalized, palm oil producers would be unable […]
In Washington, Friends of the Earth relates that the EPA is expected to announce tomorrow that diesel produced from palm oil releases too many greenhouse gas emissions to qualify as a renewable fuel. “EPA gets it right: Palm Oil is not “renewable”, said FOE’s Michal Rosenoer, adding, “Friends of the Earth applauds the EPA for […]
In Washington, The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a new energy website to provide quick access to the agency’s renewable energy and energy efficiency data. The website, usda.gov/energy, provides access to all USDA energy resources, including: agricultural, forestry, economic and social data. This is done in part through a set of new complementary web-based […]
In France, the government’s auditor has released a new report showing the environmental benefit of the country’s ethanol policy was hard to determine, while fossil fuel use was only down by 5%. The big winner in the policy are farmers who have more outlets for their crop production. The auditor is recommending that tax breaks […]
In California, Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill denied the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) motion to stay the decision he issued on December 29, 2011 that had halted the enforcement of the California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation because that regulation is unconstitutional. Last Friday, CARB filed papers asking the Court to reverse its decision […]
In Washington, Capitol Hill observers are tipping the Digest that President Barack Obama will announce his Bioeconomy Blueprint on January 28th, with a significant mention of the initiative expected in tomorrow’s State of the Union address. However, in a recent poll from GEN revealed that 50 percent of respondents thought that suggestions made in support […]
In Washington, Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) introduced the Domestic Alternative Fuels Act, bill HR 3773. The bill would change the current Renewable Fuel Standard to include ethanol source from other sources such as domestic coal and natural gas, as a new independent fuel category called Domestic Alternative Fuel. At his website, Olson has written endorsements […]
