Biofuel Regulations Articles
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Final Rule For Renewable Fuel Standard Program Published In Federal Register
On December 14, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program: Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2017 in the Federal Register. The final rule will become effective on February 12, 2016, and establishes annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total ...
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Ethanol Mandates under RFS and EPA’s Lifecycle GHG Analysis
In a settlement with the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the American Petroleum Institute (API), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to set renewable fuel obligations for calendar years 2014 and 2015 by November 30, 2015, under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS requires annual increases in the amount of renewable fuel that must be blended into ...
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Biofuel CEOs Send Letter To President Obama Over EPA RFS Proposal
On September 16, 2015, 23 biofuel executives sent a letter to President Obama regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirement proposal. The revised RFS allows companies to challenge the distribution requirement of renewable fuel, potentially resulting in RFS requirements being waived on a year-to-year basis. The letter outlines the ...
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Case study - Pierce County, Washington: home of the first public transit fleet in the country to run on renewable natural gas
Summary: Li 1986 Pierce Transit was one of the first public transit agencies in the U.S. to trade in its diesel and gasoline-powered buses for buses fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG). 27 years later, this pioneering Agency has just finalized a new contract with the local utility, Puget Sound Energy, to buy an even better fuel: the renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG). This fuel is ...
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Case study - Grand Junction Sets the Pace with Colorado’s First Biogas-to-Vehicle Fuel Project at the Persigo Wastewater Plant
The first biogas-to-vehicle fuel project in Colorado converts wastewater-derived biogas mto renewable natural gas (RNG) to fuel city and county fleet vehicles Summary: The Per si go wastewater treatment plant in Grand Junction, Colorado, a city of about 60,000, processes upwards of 8.2 million gallons per day of wastewater in two anaerobic digestion tanks (primary and secondary). The facility ...
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New Study: Biofuel Use Saved 589.3 Million Tons of Carbon Emissions Over the Past Decade
Over its 10-year lifespan, the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) requirement to substitute biofuels for fossil fuels has displaced nearly 1.9 billion barrels of foreign oil and reduced U.S. transportation-related carbon emissions by 589.33 million metric tons, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) finds in an analysis released today. Brent Erickson, executive vice president of ...
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EPA issues draft GHG analysis for cottonseed oil feedstock in biofuels
EPA is inviting public comment on its analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the production and transport of cottonseed oil feedstock used in the production of biofuels. The Federal Register notice also provides an overview as to how EPA may apply its analysis in future determinations, as to whether biofuels from cottonseed oil will meet the criteria for renewable fuel under the ...
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EPA announces public hearing for 2014, 2015, and 2016 RFS
On June 4, 2015, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register for a Public Hearing on the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. As part of the hearing, EPA will consider amendments to the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biodiesel, and advanced biofuels that are added to fuel produced in the U.S. or imported for 2014, 2015, and 2016, ...
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ACORE releases white paper questioning EPA RFS
On May 18, 2015, the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) issued a white paper arguing that "Co-location Requirements under the RFS Impede Advanced Biofuels Development." The paper was sent to EPA. It requests that EPA clarify its definition of feedstock material under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) so that biofuels producers that pre-process their feedstocks away from final ...
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Progress toward renewable fuel standard blending mandates
The White House is reviewing EPA's proposed rules to set the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements. The proposals are not currently publicly available, but EPA has committed to propose them by June 1, 2015, and to promulgate the 2014 and 2015 rules by November 30, 2015. EPA is required by law to issue the following year's RFS requirements by November 30 of the previous ...
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Parliament finalizes EU biofuels reform rule
On April 28, 2015, the European Parliament approved a draft law restricting crop-based biofuels in order to encourage production of advanced biofuels with low-risk ILUC and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The law, that was discussed in the April 23, 2015, Biobased and Renewable Products Update, applies to legislation requiring EU Member States ensure that at least 10 percent of energy used in ...
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Group Of 37 senators call for EPA to issue a strong final 2014 RFS
On April 23, 2015, a bi-partisan group of 37 Senators led by Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mark Kirk (R-IL) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy urging a strong final 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The full list of 37 co-signors and text of the letter is available ...
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DOE releases first installment of its quadrennial energy review
On April 21, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the initial installment of its Quadrennial Energy Review (QER). This first installment focuses on ways to modernize the U.S. energy infrastructure to increase the country's energy competitiveness and security. In its QER, DOE points out that while U.S. biofuel production has increased significantly over the past decade -- due largely ...
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InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer for Biodiesel Blend Measurements
Synopsis: Simple, yet powerful, filter-based IR spectrometers are ideal for compliance to the new ASTM 7861 test method for accurately measuring biodiesel blend ratios. The Wilks InfraSpec analyzer was the instrument used to develop and validate this method and thus is the industry standard for field measurement of FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) blend percentages. Introduction: Biodiesel is a ...
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EPA announces timeline for renewable fuel standards
On April 10, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lodged with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia a proposed consent decree to resolve litigation challenging the delay in issuing Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) for 2014 and 2015 brought by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) against EPA. The consent ...
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EPA announces 2014/2015 Cellulosic Waiver credit prices, new direct final rule
On March 25, 2015, EPA announced the direct final rule, Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price and Minor Amendments to Renewable Fuel Standard Regulations, that would result in cellulosic waiver credit prices being posted on the EPA website rather than as a result of the rulemaking process. This would allow the credit prices to be announced as soon as the needed ...
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NBB petitions EPA for reconsideration and stay of CARBIO approval
On March 30, 2015, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) submitted a petition to EPA seeking reconsideration and a request for stay of EPA's approval of the Argentinian Camara Argentina de Biocombustibles (CARBIO) Alternative Biomass Tracking Program. According to the NBB press release, EPA failed to provide an opportunity for public comment on the EPA decision and a lack of transparency as to how ...
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Biofuel Legislation In Minnesota Criticized For Focus On Corn
The Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota is advocating strongly for two bills in the state that if passed would result in a two-year, $5 million production incentive for producers, and a capital loan equipment program. The bills, HF 536 and SF 517, would benefit companies that develop biochemicals, advanced biofuels, and anaerobic digestion projects. There is concern, however, that the legislation ...
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GOP presidential hopefuls discuss RFS at 2015 Iowa Ag Summit
On March 7, 2015, the 2015 Iowa Ag Summit brought together several Republican Presidential hopefuls to discuss agricultural issues, including the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), in the United States. The potential candidates present at the summit included former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL), Governor Scott Walker (R-WI), Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former Governor George ...
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RFS hearing and legislation
On February 25, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittees on Energy and Power and Environment and the Economy held a joint hearing on "The Fiscal Year 2016 EPA Budget." During the hearing, both supporters and opponents of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) criticized U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy on ...
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