Posted on January 22, 2010 by sugarcaneblog
News surface today that the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has been working behind the scenes in Brasilia, the country’s capital, to scrap the 20% import tariff Brazil imposes on ethanol.
Filed under: Biofuels, Climate Change, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, FFV, Lobby, RFS, Sustainability, Tariff | Tagged: Biofuels, Brazil, Brazil Energy, Climate Change, corn ethanol, Energy Independence, Ethanol, Ethanol Tariff, subsidies, sugar, Sugarcane, Tariff, Trade Policy, UNICA | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 11, 2010 by sugarcaneblog
According to a report in Brazilian newswires, government sources says that the price of gasoline at the pumps could rise 2% to 2.5% because of the reduced anhydrous ethanol admixture. Agencia Estado says that “although the price of ethanol has risen lately because of the sugarcane inter-harvest, causing the admixture reduction, it is still cheaper than gasoline. The mixture is made by the distributors, who will now have to buy more gasoline. They buy the gasoline from (Brazilian oil company) Petrobras refineries and ethanol from distillers.”
Filed under: Blends, E15, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, Government, Sugarcane, sugar | Tagged: Biofuels, Brazil, Brazil Energy, corn ethanol, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol Tariff, FFV, Flex Fuel, Food vs. Fuel, UNICA | Leave a Comment »
Posted on January 11, 2010 by sugarcaneblog
The Brazilian government announced today that the amount of anhydrous ethanol blended with gasoline would be lowered from 25% to 20% for 90 days, effective on February 1, but the industry is brushing it off as much ado about nothing.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Climate Change, E15, Enviroment, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, RFS, Sugarcane, Tariff, sugar | Tagged: Biofuels, Brazil, corn ethanol, E15, Ethanol, FFV, Flex Fuel, Food vs. Fuel, Higher Blends, sugar, Sugarcane, Tariff, Trade Policy, UNICA | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 7, 2010 by sugarcaneblog
A coalition of oil companies, car and engine manufacturers and fuel sellers told the Obama administration on Thursday not to increase the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline based on inadequate test data. The Environmental Protection Agency said last month it needs more time to decide on a industry request to boost the level of ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent from 10 percent, but indicated it would likely approve the higher fuel blend for new American cars.
Filed under: Blends, E15, Ethanol | Tagged: Ethanol, Flex Fuel, E85, Growth Energy, Renewable Fuels Association, EPA, Biofuels, corn ethanol, E15, Big Oil | Leave a Comment »
Posted on January 5, 2010 by sugarcaneblog
Ethanol producers’ bid to expand the fuel’s use faces several major hurdles in the coming year, including obtaining EPA’s approval to increase the amount of ethanol that can be blended in gasoline from its current 10 percent to as much as 15 percent (E15), and to allow higher blends to be used in the entire vehicle fleet, not just the newer models that EPA has indicated are likely to be eligible, according to ethanol industry sources.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Cellulosic, Climate Change, Corn, E15, Enviroment, Ethanol, FFV, ILUC, Lobby, RFS, Tariff | Tagged: Biofuels, Climate Change, corn ethanol, E15, Energy Independence, EPA, Ethanol, Growth Energy, ILUC, indirect land use changes, LCFS, Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Renewable Fuel Standard, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA | Leave a Comment »
Posted on January 4, 2010 by sugarcaneblog
Environmentally minded retailers that sell gas may want to offer E85 — if they can manage its legal, political and commercial complexities.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Clean Tech, E15, Enviroment, Ethanol, FFV, RFS | Tagged: Ethanol, E85, FFV, gasoline | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 26, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
The American Petroleum Institute (API) is urging EPA to release the engineering data behind its recent announcement that the agency is considering allowing the use of ethanol blends up to 15 percent (E15) in model year 2001 and newer vehicles. The group also asks the agency to delay its decision, which EPA said it would make in mid-2010, until after API completes its own research on the issue in 2011.
Filed under: Blends, E15, Ethanol, RFS | Tagged: API, E15, EPA | Leave a Comment »
Posted on December 9, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
Two prominent House Republicans asked the Government Accountability Office today to investigate whether the federal government could be held responsible if higher ethanol blends harm engines or vehicle equipment.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Climate Change, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, FFV, Government | Tagged: E15, Ethanol, GAO, Higher Blends | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 4, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
According to a press released, the 36-member Governors’ Biofuels Coalition said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement that it will likely allow higher ethanol blends, such as E15, and is a step in the right direction. At the same time, they urged the agency to move forward with the waiver as quickly as possible.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Cellulosic, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, RFS | Tagged: Biofuels, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Governors' Biofuels Coalition, Growth Energy, Renewable Fuel | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 4, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
An ethanol industry group and a broad coalition of pro-biofuels governors are criticizing EPA’s unexpected decision to consider possible increases in allowable ethanol blends only for vehicles manufactured in 2001 or later, a cutoff that critics say is arbitrary and likely to cause confusion among motorists.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Cellulosic, Climate Change, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, RFS | Tagged: E15, Ethanol, Governors, Growth Energy, Higher Blends, Renewable Fuels Association | 1 Comment »
Posted on December 2, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
According to E&E News (subscription required) as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “considers whether to allow more ethanol to be mixed into gasoline, critics of the fuel are concerned Congress might step in to set its own mandates for higherethanol usage.”
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, RFS | Tagged: corn lobby, E15 Ethanol, EPA, Higher Blends, RFS | Leave a Comment »
Posted on December 1, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced that it has postponed to mid-2010 the decision whether to increase the allowable ethanol content in fuel.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Cellulosic, Climate Change, Enviroment, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, Lobby, RFS | Tagged: clean air act, EPA, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Higher Blends, Renewable Fuel Standard, RFA, RFS | 2 Comments »
Posted on November 30, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
According to the Des Moines Register, “The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to rule this week whether more ethanol can go into the gasoline used for everything from automobiles to boats and snowblowers.“ But that doesn’t mean higher-proof gasoline is headed for service stations any time soon.
Filed under: Corn, Ethanol, Lobby, RFS, Uncategorized | Tagged: Biofuels, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Flex Fuel, Food vs. Fuel, Fuel Distribution, Growth Energy, Higher Blends, Renewable Fuel Standard, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 29, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
Dr. Russell Harding, a former director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, is an environmental policy analyst with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, published an opinion piece in The New York Times criticizing the possible increase in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s looming decision on higher ethanol blends in gasoline (E15). While the article is full of untruths, he does point out that sugarcane ethanol’s benefits — both in terms of costs and environmental benefits — are held hostage by a protectionist trade policy.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Enviroment, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, Lobby, RFS, Sugarcane | Tagged: Corn, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, Higher Blends, RFS, Tariff | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 24, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
The “Washington Insider” section of DTN (link requires subscription) reported yesterday that, “The Environmental Protection Agency continues to work against a Dec. 1 deadline for making a decision about whether to increase the maximum ethanol blend rate for non-flex-fuel vehicles from the current 10 percent level to as much as 15 percent, as requested by Growth Energy. EPA over the past few months has indicated that it would like additional time for studies to be completed regarding this issue, notably how a blend increase would affect cars with over 120,000 miles on their odometers.
Filed under: Biofuels, Ethanol, FFV, Food vs. Fuel, RFS | Tagged: Automakers, Corn, E15, EPA, Ethanol | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 18, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should permit 11% or 12% ethanol in gasoline if it cannot rule on an industry proposal to increase the blend wall to 15% by Dec. 1, said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Ethanol | Tagged: Biofuels, E15, Ethanol, Grassley, RFS | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 9, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
In an interview with Reuters’ Tom Doggett, the heaf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that the agency may not meet a December 1 deadline to decide whether to approve an industry request to boost the amount of ethanol that can be blended into gasoline.
Filed under: Blends, Climate Change, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, FFV, RFS | Tagged: Blend Wall, E15, EPA, Ethanol, FFV, Growth Energy, Higher Blends, Lisa Jackson | 3 Comments »
Posted on October 30, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to review opportunities and challenges facing the development of next generation biofuels.
Filed under: Biofuels, Cellulosic, Climate Change, Corn, Deforestation, Enviroment, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, Government, ILUC, Investors, Lobby, RFS | Tagged: Biofuels, Congress, Corn, corn ethanol, Holden, Peterson | Leave a Comment »
Posted on October 29, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
A coalition of environmental and food groups are taking up arms plans to raise the ethanol content of gasoline to 15%. The site, Follow the Science, “marshals the overwhelming scientific evidence to deliver a focused message to the Obama Administration and Congress to not raise the corn ethanol blend limit by 50%,” says the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which is part of the effort.
Filed under: Blends, Corn, Ethanol, Uncategorized | Tagged: E15, Enviros, Ethanol, EWG, NGOs | Leave a Comment »
Posted on October 19, 2009 by sugarcaneblog
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he supports the biofuel industry’s push to boost the amount of ethanol that should be blended into gasoline from 10.2% to 15%. In an interview with Bloomberg, Vilsack said scientific studies have shown that an increased ethanol “blend wall” will not endanger car engines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to decide on the request by December 1st.
Filed under: Biofuels, Blends, Cellulosic, Corn, Enviroment, Ethanol, RFS | Tagged: Bioufels, clean air act, E15, EPA, Ethanol, FFV, Growth Energy, RFA, Vilsack | Leave a Comment »
