Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday made it easier for small oil refineries to win exemptions from a federal law requiring increasing levels of ethanol and other renewable fuels to be blended into their products, a major setback for biofuel producers. The justices overturned a lower court decision that had faulted the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. Supreme Court backs refineries in biofuel waiver dispute
Top court overturns ruling against EPA granting waivers
CP files objection with U.S. regulator over CN’s Kansas City Southern bid
Reuters — Canadian Pacific Railway said on Saturday it filed a formal objection with a U.S. regulator, stating Canadian National Railway’s near US$30 billion rival bid for Kansas City Southern does not qualify to be exempted from tougher merger rules. Last week, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) granted a waiver to CP’s $25 billion […] Read more
U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear biofuel waiver case
Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a lower court ruling that severely limited the government’s powers to exempt small refineries from the nation’s biofuels law, rekindling a long-running dispute between the oil and corn industries. The decision came after appeals by refining companies that argued the 10th Circuit Court’s decision […] Read more
U.S. EPA waives fuel requirements, extends biofuels deadline
Deadline extended to help refineries
Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday unveiled measures to help oil refineries cope with fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, including waiving anti-smog requirements for gasoline and extending the deadline for small facilities to show compliance with the nation’s biofuels law. The outbreak has touched off a massive global decline in demand for […] Read more
U.S. biofuel group says ethanol industry sharply cutting production
Reuters — Many U.S. ethanol plants have slashed production over the past week or idled entirely as the coronavirus outbreak cut into fuel consumption and cratered margins to refine the corn-based fuel, the head of a biofuel trade group said on Thursday. Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper said on a conference call he expects […] Read more
Trump administration proposes plan to raise biofuels use, EPA says
New York | Reuters — The Trump administration, in an effort to mend fences with the powerful U.S. corn lobby, proposed a new formula on Tuesday to boost biofuels demand — but the proposal instead only provoked more consternation from the industry. Corn and soybean farmers have been angered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s […] Read more
Trump promises ethanol-related ‘giant package’ to please farmers
Washington/South Sioux City | Reuters — President Donald Trump said on Thursday his administration is planning a “giant package” related to ethanol that would please U.S. farmers angry that many more oil refiners have been freed from obligations to use the corn-based fuel. Clashes between farmers and the oil industry over biofuel policy have posed […] Read more
Ag-state senator says Trump EPA ‘screwed us’ with biofuel waivers
Washington | Reuters — Iowa’s Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency has “screwed” the U.S. ethanol industry and farmers by granting waivers to 31 small petroleum refineries, effectively exempting them from an obligation to use more ethanol in their products. The powerful senator, who represents the largest ethanol-producing state in […] Read more
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 proposes higher 2019 biofuels mandate
Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed setting a blending mandate of 19.88 billion gallons for 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), three per cent higher from this year’s and in line with expectations. The agency also said it is considering a number of measures to bring some transparency to the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
