Biomass Week - March 20, 2019

EPA schedules hearing on E15/RIN reform rule for March 29 The U.S. EPA has announced it will hold a public hearing on its proposed E15/RIN reform rule on March 29 in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The event will begin at 9:00 a.m. and end when all parties present who wish to speak have had an opportunity to do so. READ MORE SHARE
Report: Maine can benefit by encouraging switch to pellet heat FutureMetrics has released a new white paper that states Maine could dramatically improve its economy by enacting a policy that helps reduce dependence on heating oil by supporting the use of locally produced wood pellets as heating fuel. READ MORE SHARE
	EPA grants more RFS waivers, undercuts add’l demand for biofuels U.S. EPA retroactively granted five new small refinery exemptions for 2017, releasing them from their obligations under the RFS. The five new small refinery exemptions reduced the 2017 RVO for biomass-based diesel by an additional 48 million gallons. READ MORE SHARE
5-track technical agenda announced for Int’l FEW in Indianapolis The 2019 Int’l Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, the ethanol industry’s largest conference, has released its highly anticipated agenda featuring more than 150 speakers and five comprehensive tracks. The event takes place June 10-12 in Indianapolis. READ MORE SHARE
Washington House passes bill to establish Clean Fuels Program The state of Washington is one step closer to mandating the use of cleaner transportation fuels. The state’s House recently passed legislation to establish a Clean Fuels Program that aims to increase the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: 800,000 tons of densified biomass fuel sold in November The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing that 82 operating U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 730,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in November, with sales reaching 800,000 metric tons. READ MORE SHARE
Dutch biomass consumption to reach 2.3 million tons by 2020 Biomass consumption in the Netherlands is expected to grow from 1.8 million metric tons in 2018 to about 2.3 million tons in 2020, according to a report filed by the Dutch government with the USDA FAS Global Agricultural Information Network. READ MORE SHARE
UK renewable energy production reaches record high in 2018 A U.K. government agency has released provisional 2018 energy data that shows renewable energy production increased by 8.7 percent last year, with bioenergy output up by 7.2 percent. Low carbon generation approached 50 percent of supply. READ MORE SHARE
EIA updates bioenergy forecasts, predicts capacity increase The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the March edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting that nonhydropower renewables will provide 11 percent of U.S. electricity generation this year, increasing to 13 percent next year. READ MORE SHARE
Xebec to deliver biogas upgrading plant for RNG project in Italy Xebec Adsorption Inc. has signed a contract to supply a landfill biogas upgrading plant in Italy. Once fully operational, the plant will produce approximately 5 million cubic meters of renewable natural gas (RNG) annually. READ MORE SHARE