Reuters — U.S. environmental regulators quietly changed the way they assess applications from refineries for waivers from the nation’s biofuels law, making it possible for highly profitable plants to secure lucrative exemptions, according to court documents filed by a biofuels trade group on Thursday. The new documents, part of a lawsuit that began last year, […] Read more
U.S. EPA changed rules to help refiners get biofuel waivers, suit alleges
Biofuels group suing U.S. EPA over small refinery exemptions
Washington | Reuters — Biofuels group Growth Energy filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, challenging the agency’s renewable fuel mandate for 2019 as failing to address rising waived biofuel volumes. “EPA’s inaction on addressing lost gallons due to small refinery exemptions in this rulemaking is a clear violation of […] Read more
U.S. EPA lifts 2019 biofuels mandate
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday lifted its annual blending mandate for advanced biofuels, drawing praise from the U.S. biofuels industry, but disappointment that the government had not done more to protect the agricultural market. Under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, oil refiners must blend increasing amounts of biofuels into […] Read more
U.S. EPA scraps plan to force refiners to blend more biofuels
New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ditched a detailed plan that would have forced refiners to blend more biofuels into their gasoline and diesel in 2019 to compensate for volumes likely to be exempted under the agency’s small refinery hardship waiver program, according to newly released EPA documents. The plan would […] Read more
U.S. EPA won’t force refiners to make up waived biofuels volumes
New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it cannot make large oil refineries blend additional biofuels into their gasoline to make up for volumes waived under the small refinery hardship waiver program, unless Congress authorizes it. The agency’s decision was certain to anger the powerful U.S. corn lobby and […] Read more
Rising diesel could surge with U.S. infrastructure plan
CNS Canada — Diesel costs in Western Canada are roughly eight to 10 cents higher on average than anytime in 2017, and an industry expert warns that gap could grow even more with a potential surge of U.S. construction. “I think we’re already seeing more evidence of a robust, consumption-driven U.S. as more disposable income […] Read more
Trump open to biofuel policy reform, senators say
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump is open to reforming the country’s biofuels policy if it can be done in a way that protects jobs in both the refining and agriculture industries, senators said on Thursday after a meeting with Trump on the issue. Nine lawmakers had requested the meeting to argue that […] Read more
Diesel prices poised to rise in new year
CNS Canada — The lingering effects of two large hurricanes in the U.S. continue to be felt in the diesel market as harvest winds down throughout North America. In particular, Hurricane Harvey was a disruptive force on the U.S. energy market as it temporarily halted production at refineries. Both gas and diesel prices rose in […] Read more
Storms worsen summer slump in U.S. diesel supply
New York | Reuters — U.S. diesel stockpiles did something this year that has never happened in the summer before: They shrank. And that was even before Hurricane Harvey landed, knocking out a quarter of U.S. refining capacity, crippling production of fuel products. Thanks to surprising summer demand, particularly from exports, inventories of diesel, jet […] Read more
Harvey’s rains sending fuel prices higher
Houston | Reuters — U.S. fuel prices surged on Monday as two more Gulf Coast refiners cut output and a third considered reductions, leaving more than 13 per cent of the country’s refining capacity offline after Tropical Storm Harvey flooded plants and shut seaports. The storm swung back over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday […] Read more
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