President-elect Joe Biden has announced he will nominate Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture. Vilsack is a former two-term governor of Iowa who served as secretary of agriculture during all eight years of the Obama-Biden administration.
In a filing submitted on Dec. 8, the Department of Justice recommended against Supreme Court review of the Tenth Circuit Court's ruling earlier this year that invalidated several small refinery exemptions issued by U.S. EPA under the RFS.
The Asian Development Bank has approved a $2.5 million technical assistance (TA) to support advanced biofuel development in India. The TA will support the development of advanced bioethanol, bio-compressed natural gas, and biodiesel plants.
The RFA, Growth Energy, NCGA, NBB, ACE, and NFU on Dec. 8 filed a brief challenging EPA's August 2019 decision to exempt 31 small refineries from their obligations to comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2018.
The 45Q Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Tax Credit Amendments Act of 2020 was introduced in the U.S. Senate on Dec. 7. The bill makes targeted statutory changes to maximize the utility of the credit.
Enerkem and strategic partners Shell, Suncor, Proman and Hydro-Quebec on Dec. 8 announced plans to develop a CAD $875 biorefinery in Varennes, Quebec, that can produce 125 million liters of advanced biofuels, including methanol and ethanol.
The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency has introduced the EERE Program Information Center, EERE's new portal for funding opportunities. Several training opportunities on the new system are available in December and January.
Verbio North America Corp. has announced the formation of Verbio Farm Services LLC as the company progresses towards the successful startup of its renewable natural gas production facility located in Nevada, Iowa.
Several biofuel and bioenergy groups are among nearly 70 trade organizations that sent a letter to congressional leadership last month urging the passage of tax extenders legislation before the 116th Congress adjourns sine die.
Greenlane Renewables Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Greenlane Biogas North America Ltd., signed a $10 million (US$7.7 million) contract for a new RNG project in the United States owned by an international energy company.
The Quebec government on Nov. 30 announced it awards funding totaling CAD 5.94 million to the non-profit organization Bioénergie La Tuque to support a project develop and demonstrate the potential to produce advanced biofuels from forest waste.
The USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service is soliciting applications for FY 2021 funding under the Rural Energy for America Program. Biomass energy systems, including biogas and anaerobic digesters, are among those eligible for the program.
The U.S. EPA has missed its Nov. 30 statutory deadline to set the 2021 RVOs under the RFS, as well as the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel. While a COVID-19-related delay was not unexpected, the agency has yet to issue even an initial proposal.
CenterPoint Energy announced Nov. 19 it has received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to open its natural gas distribution system to made-in-Minnesota renewable natural gas (RNG).
The Biogenic CO2 Coalition on Nov. 19 commended a bipartisan group of six U.S. governors who are urging the U.S. EPA to take prompt, science-based action to keep the United States from falling behind its competitors in the international bioeconomy.
The European Biogas Association, Gas Infrastructure Europe, the Natural & Bio Gas Vehicle Association and SEA-LNG have published a joint paper that demonstrates the concrete benefits of using BioLNG to decarbonize the transportation sector.
Biofuel groups on Nov. 23 filed a motion in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia asking the court to enforce its 2017 decision requiring the U.S. EPA to address its improper waiver of 500 million gallons of biofuel in the 2016 RVO.
The U.S. EPA has released data showing nearly 1.56 billion renewable identification numbers (RINs) were generated under the Renewable Fuel Standard in October, down from 1.73 billion generated during the same month of last year.
Researchers at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture have been awarded a $250,000 grant from the FAA to evaluate regional biomass supply chains with regard to their potential for supplying feedstock for domestic fuel production.
On Nov. 16, the U.S. Department of Energy announced plans to provide up to $15 million for bioimaging research to develop new and improved instrumentation and approaches to visualizing metabolic processes in living cells.
The U.S. EPA released updated SRE data on Nov. 19, reporting that six additional SRE petitions have been filed with the agency, including one for RFS compliance year 2019 and five for compliance year 2020.
Rep. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., on Nov. 18 introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act, a bill that aims to incentivize the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and help the aviation sector reduce carbon emissions.
Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and Jim Hagedorn, R-Minn., on Nov. 18 introduced the Streamlining Advanced Biofuels Registration Act, which aims to force the U.S. EPA to act on outstanding RFS pathway and registration applications.
The U.K. government on Nov. 18 issued its 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution, which addresses sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and an accelerated phase-out of the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles.
Nodal Exchange and IncubEx on Nov. 17 announced the successful launch of eight new renewable identification number (RIN) futures and options contracts, plus seven new renewable energy certificate (REC) contracts.
Grön Fuels LLC is studying the feasibility of developing a $9.2 billion renewable fuel complex at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge that would produce renewable diesel and renewable jet fuel. A final investment decision is expected in 2021.
The DOE has released its Hydrogen Program Plan to provide a strategic framework for the agency's hydrogen RD&D activities. The plan addresses hydrogen sourced from biomass and waste sources, fossil resources and water-splitting technologies.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a directed funding opportunity (DFO) seeking proposals for advancing the aim of its Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative. Proposals are due Jan. 14.
CPS Energy and VIA Metropolitan Transit announce details about a new fuel supply partnership that will provide renewable natural gas (RNG) created by landfill biogas to VIA's fleet of over 500 buses, beginning in 2021.
Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis Inc. discussed company's business in the sanitizer market and provided an update of its renewable natural gas (RNG) and cellulosic ethanol projects during a third quarter earnings call, held Nov. 12.
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