New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants energy companies to blend 18.1 billion gallons (68.5 billion litres) of biofuels into the nation’s fuel supply next year, more than in a proposal laid out in May, it said in announcing final rules on renewables use for 2014-16 on Monday. The EPA’s long-awaited […] Read more
U.S. EPA finalizes 2016 renewables target at 18.1B gallons
U.S. ethanol output rising as industry awaits new mandates
Reuters — U.S. ethanol production topped one million barrels per day for the first time last week, data showed Wednesday, ahead of a government deadline to issue a plan for the country’s hotly debated biofuels program. The largest boost in production rates since May showed U.S. ethanol makers capitalizing on a recent uptick in profit […] Read more
Reactions mixed on U.S. biofuel policy role in Canadian market
CNS Canada — The climate of the Canadian renewable fuel market could shift when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalizes its new targets, some industry professionals say. Revised biofuel targets recently proposed by the EPA would reduce standards put in place in 2007. The changes would adjust Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) regulations by reducing volume […] Read more
Expansion in U.S. ethanol on hold after blending targets slashed
Chicago | Reuters –– Expansion in the U.S. ethanol industry, stuck in neutral for more than a year as the government debated biofuel blending requirements, is now likely to come to a screeching halt. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week essentially maintaining the so-called blend wall that mandates nearly every gallon of gasoline […] Read more
U.S. seeks middle ground on biofuel targets, pleasing few
New York | Reuters — U.S. regulators on Friday unveiled much-delayed biofuel targets that sought to strike a middle ground for the nation’s contentious renewable fuels policy but still met with threats of legal action from two of the biggest industries, oil and corn. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decided to raise its previous target […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn rebounds on short-covering, bullish ethanol data
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures on Thursday rebounded from a seven-month low after three days of declines in a short-covering bounce and following a government report showing higher ethanol output and lower stocks of the corn-based biofuel. Wheat futures were mixed as a weaker dollar and concerns about the outlook for crops in […] Read more
Ont. co-op swaps corn supply line for ethanol plant
Corrected, April 30, 2015 — Farmer co-operative IGPC plans to switch to Thompsons from Cargill as the main corn supplier for its southwestern Ontario ethanol processing plant, starting this fall. Thompsons Ltd. will start buying corn immediately for deliveries from Oct. 1 onward to the Aylmer, Ont. ethanol plant, IGPC (Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative) said in a […] Read more
U.S. EPA to propose biofuels standards this spring
Grapevine, Tex. | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to put out a proposal that will address Renewable Fuels Standards for 2014, 2015 and 2016 this spring, an agency official at an industry conference in Grapevine, Tex., said Thursday. The agency will address all three years at once and plans to look at […] Read more
Refiners urge EU to rethink renewables policy after oil collapse
Antwerp | Reuters –– European oil refiners urged the European Union on Monday to review laws calling for increased biodiesel content in road fuel because the cost of such renewables will counter the recent plunge in crude prices and weigh on the refining sector. “Governments should not inflict extra burden on the public by increasing […] Read more
The environmental pros and cons of feeding dried distillers grains
Cattle fed DDGs produce less methane and more nitrogen, Lethbridge Research Station scientists have found
Reading Time: 2 minutes In beef production, finding a balance between feed costs and environmental health takes continuous navigation. Feed is one of the highest on-farm costs and when the price of barley, corn and wheat rises, producers often turn to using dried distillers grains (DDGs) in their rations. While this ethanol co-product lowers methane production in cattle by […] Read more
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