Ethanol Week - December 19, 2017

December 19, 2017

Biofuels industry celebrates 10th anniversary of EISA Dec. 19 marks the 10th anniversary of former President George W. Bush signing the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law, establishing the current version of the Renewable Fuel Standard. READ MORE SHARE
Brazil’s Senate passes bill creating a national biofuels policy Brazil's Senate approved a bill Dec. 12 creating a national biofuels policy, RenovaBio, to increase use of biodiesel and ethanol, in addition to other biofuels, to improve the nation's energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. READ MORE SHARE
	Japan to accept US corn ethanol Japan is likely to finalize a determination in January 2018 that will allow the use of U.S. ethanol in the production of bio-ethyl tert-butyl ether. The final decision will be followed by a period of public comment. READ MORE SHARE
The biofuels industry reacts to White House RFS meetings President Trump has hosted two meetings with Sen.Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and others focused on the RFS and RINs. Members of the biofuels industry are speaking out against efforts to undermine the RFS and are offering solutions to help lower RIN prices. READ MORE SHARE
ACE asks conference committee to extend biofuel tax credits Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol, is asking the conference committee negotiating changes to House and Senate tax bills to extend the cellulosic biofuel tax credit and biodiesel tax credit as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: Corn use for ethanol production up in October The USDA recently released its December Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report, announcing 470 million bushels of corn was consumed for fuel alcohol production in October, up 6 percent from September and up 3 percent from October 2016. READ MORE SHARE
Canada releases Clean Fuel Standard framework Environment and Climate Change Canada released the preliminary Clean Fuel Standard regulatory framework Dec. 13, according to a press release from non-profit Renewable Industries Canada. READ MORE SHARE
Scotland biofuel company to build whisky residue biofuel plant A Scottish biofuel start-up, Celtic Renewables, plans to build a commercial demonstration plant in Grangemouth, which will produce over 500,000 liters (132,000 gallons) of biofuel annually, according to a press release. READ MORE SHARE
House Agriculture Committee launches Farm Bill webpage, videos On Dec. 13, the House Agriculture Committee launched a landing page for the 2018 Farm Bill that is designed to provide updates and information related to development of the legislation. The committee is also launching a Farm Bill video series. READ MORE SHARE
EIA revises 2018 ethanol production forecast in latest STEO The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released its Short-Term Energy Outlook for December, maintaining its 2017 ethanol production forecast, but slightly lowering its production forecast for 2018. READ MORE SHARE
EPA sets 2018 cellulosic waiver credit price at $1.96 The U.S. EPA has published a notice on its website setting the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price for 2018 at $1.96. The price is slightly lower than the CWC price for 2017, which was set at $2.00 in December 2016. READ MORE SHARE
Bacteria development marks new era in cellular design Scientists at the universities of Kent and Bristol have built a miniature scaffold inside bacteria that can be used to bolster cellular productivity, with implications for the next generation of biofuel production. READ MORE SHARE
NREL researchers engineer better cellulose-degrading enzymes Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have gained new insights into how glycosylation—the natural attachment of sugars to proteins—affects a key cellulase enzyme. READ MORE SHARE
Grant supports research to turn bacteria into biofuel producers Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have received a $3.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop bacteria that manufacture renewable biofuels—energy sources made from plants or microbes. READ MORE SHARE
UF/IFAS develops sorghum varieties for ethanol production University of Florida researchers have found three UF/IFAS-developed sorghum varieties could produce up to 1,000 gallons of ethanol per acre. The researchers also noted that ethanol produced from sweet sorghum can be used for auto and jet fuel. READ MORE SHARE
Biodiesel Magazine hosts free cold flow improver webinar Dec. 20 With more private and government fleets using biodiesel than ever before, it has never been more important to learn about the basics of cold flow improvers—why they are needed, how they work, and the various options for different applications. READ MORE SHARE
Growth Energy issues statement on CAFE, GHG standards hearing Growth Energy has released a statement regarding the Dec. 13 joint subcommittee hearing held by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittees on Environment and Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection on CAFE and GHG emissions standards. READ MORE SHARE
NREL develops novel method to produce renewable acrylonitrile A new study from the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory establishes a novel catalytic method to produce renewable acrylonitrile using 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), which can be biologically produced from sugars. READ MORE SHARE