It’s an old adage in the energy business that forecasts are always wrong and miscalculations regarding US gasoline demand growth and advanced biofuel supply growth led to a regulatory regime that is increasingly becoming untenable. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week issued its 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) final rule. This year’s volumetric requirement… Keep reading →
The EPA released its finalized 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard yesterday, which laid out modified volumetric requirements for renewable fuels blended into the fuel supply, as well as more flexibility in meeting the standard. This year’s volumetric requirement is unchanged from a previous proposal, at 16.55 billion gallons this year. Of that volume, 1.28 billion gallons must be… Keep reading →
Congressional hearings this week focusing on the EPA Renewable Fuel Standard bring together impassioned speakers representing the US biofuel constituency, traditional fossil fuel interests, major food companies and other stakeholders. With so many business interests involved, there is clearly a lot at stake – thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for starters – but… Keep reading →
As the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard is discussed at hearings on Capital Hill this week, the two sides of the debate are taking to the airwaves to promote their agendas. The refiners and oil companies want RFS repealed because they say it’s broken and dangerous, while the renewable fuels folks say Big Oil is just… Keep reading →
A U.S. Court of Appeals vacated a 2011 EPA rule that delayed GHG regulations for biomass facilities for three years, finding that EPA’s decision was groundless. On July 12, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of conservationist groups that challenged a 2011 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)… Keep reading →
The U.S. military has said time and again that moving away from a reliance on fossil fuels is in its best interest, for energy security reasons and as a matter of keeping troops safe. Despite this, such efforts – particularly on the biofuels front – have caught flak from Republicans in Congress. But President Obama isn’t backing off, or so it… Keep reading →
UK oil major BP made a big splash in 2000 when it changed its name to “Beyond Petroleum” (originally British Petroleum) and changed its logo to a sunburst design that was supposed to represent the company’s greater renewable energy focus. BP has since scaled back some of those efforts, but other firms are pushing ahead… Keep reading →
As West Texas Intermediate crude prices surge on US fundamentals, geopolitical considerations and infrastructure bottleneck alleviation, the Brent-WTI spread is now razor thin. The US benchmark’s discount to Brent fell to less than $2 per barrel for the first time since 2010 – WTI’s price climbed to 15-month highs – as crude for August delivery… Keep reading →
If turning that corner within a decade is acceptable, then the answer is yes. At least according to a major study released today that includes input from a wide range of stakeholders including the investment community, regulators, government and academia. The study, completed by Midwest Aviation Sustainable Biofuels Initiative (MASBI), seeks to develop an “actionable… Keep reading →
With the Solar Impulse plane on a flight path now headed toward New York, it seemed only natural to focus on the quiet transformation happening in the airline fuel business which refiners should be taking very seriously. The idea of using sustainable, cleaner burning fuels for aircrafts has been around for a while. However, considering… Keep reading →
