Ethanol Week - July 3, 2018

Senate passes 2018 Farm Bill On June 28, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill with a strong bipartisan 86-11 vote. The legislation, titled “The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018,” includes mandatory funding for Energy Title programs. READ MORE SHARE
EPA schedules hearing on proposed RFS rule for July 18 The U.S. EPA has announced it will hold a public hearing in Ypsilanti, Michigan, July 18 to gather public input on its proposed rule to set 2019 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the RFS, along with the 2020 RVO for biomass-based diesel. READ MORE SHARE
	Biofuel industry criticizes EPA’s triennial report On June 29, the U.S. EPA released its second report to Congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard program, as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act. READ MORE SHARE
Lawmakers ask EPA to approve RFS pathway for biomass power A bipartisan delegation of California lawmakers is urging the U.S. EPA to resolve any issues that prevent biomass and waste-to-energy pathways from receiving the same level of support as other forms of energy under the Renewable Fuel Standard. READ MORE SHARE
EPA ignores DOE recommendations on RFS hardship waivers Members of the biofuels industry are speaking out to criticize the EPA following news that the agency consistently ignored recommendations from the Department of Energy to reject or limit waivers to oil refiners seeking exemptions from the RFS. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: April corn use for ethanol up year-over-year The USDA recently released its Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report for June, reporting that corn consumed for fuel alcohol reached 445 million bushels in April, down 6 percent from March but up 3 percent from April 2017. READ MORE SHARE
USGC: Market development takes center stage Despite dizzying headlines and potential trade disruptions caused by the threats of tariffs and retaliations between the U.S. and its trading partners, the U.S. Grains Council remains unwavering in its commitment to enabling trade across the globe. READ MORE SHARE
NREL: Novel genetic method improves efficiency of enzyme Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the University of Georgia developed a new genetic engineering technique to dramatically improve an enzyme’s ability to break down biomass. READ MORE SHARE
New catalyst upgrades carbon dioxide to fuels found by USTC A research team has uncovered a catalysis strategy intermediates during CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction, which sheds new lights on upgrading CO2 to engine fuels, such as ethanol and n-propanol. READ MORE SHARE
European ethanol sets new high level for greenhouse gas savings European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 70 percent greenhouse-gas savings compared to fossil fuels in 2017, according to new certified data from European ethanol producers. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo adopts DSM’s eBOOST yeast for ethanol Gevo Inc. announced June 27 that it has adopted Royal DSM’s new eBOOST yeast at its production facility in Luverne, Minnesota, for the enhanced production of ethanol. eBOOST offers improved yields and enhanced profitability. READ MORE SHARE
Forest Concepts wins DOE funding to improve biomass handling Forest Concepts LLC has been awarded a $1.8 million cooperative agreement from the Department of Energy to address the critical issues of poor flowability, high friction, and highly variable physical properties that have plagued the biomass industry. READ MORE SHARE