New York and other cities across the U.S. and around the world are grappling with the imperative to cut greenhouse gas emissions and implement low-carbon energy and fuel systems. Whether the emission reduction goals are 30% by 2020, 50% by 2030, or 80% by 2050, leaders and climate experts agree: the time to act on climate… Keep reading →
Few things are as institutionalized in the US economy as the way we use energy. Decisions made decades, even centuries ago, impact our daily lives – the way we fuel our cars, how we warm our homes and cool our offices are largely legacies from prior generations. As the world meets in Lima, Peru to… Keep reading →
The always-ugly battle between US oil refiners and the biofuels industry over EPA’s renewable fuel standards heated up again today when 31 oil executives sent a letter to President Obama urging EPA to stick with fuel blending volumes proposed last November. The proposal aims to find a balance between encouraging the continued growth of the… Keep reading →
EPA’s finalized Tier 3 vehicle emissions and fuel standards will lower gasoline sulfur content by more than 60 percent in 2017. On March 3, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its Tier 3 Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Standards program, reducing gasoline sulfur levels by more than 60 percent – from 30 to 10… Keep reading →
More problems with the Renewable Fuel Standard – an ethanol and biodiesel US transportation fuel supply blending requirement – have arisen with fraud allegations against an Indiana company that sold 33.5 million renewable-fuel credits for biofuel it never produced. This is not the first time fraudulent renewable-fuel credits have disrupted the RIN market and the EPA has been… Keep reading →
The US military’s efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels may help to advance emerging energy technologies by providing them with coveted assets, such as financial backing and testing opportunities. But there is no guarantee that these technologies, as applied to military-specific conditions, will be commercial successes in a civilian context. The Department of Defense holds an… 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 →
