EPA denies oil's request to waive cellulosic RFS, lawsuit pending

Ethanol Producer Magazine
by Kris Bevill
May 30, 2012

The U.S. EPA officially denied the petroleum industry’s request to retroactively waive the 2011 cellulosic biofuel volume requirements under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) on May 22, noting that the issues raised in the group’s petitions had already been addressed in the EPA’s proposed rule and no new evidence has since been provided by the petroleum groups to justify a rule change.

Petroleum groups have been opposed to the cellulosic biofuels portion of the RFS since it took effect in 2010. The groups contend that without a history of production, obligated parties should not be expected to include the fuels in required RFS volumes.

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Vilsack urges oil companies to increase adoption of E15

Biorefining Magazine
By USDA
May 03, 2012

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack today called on petroleum companies to help increase the percentage of ethanol in America's gas tanks in order to reduce dependence on foreign oil, boost job creation and promote development of renewable energy from farm-produced feedstocks. Recent U.S. EPA action approved the use of E15, a fuel blend that is 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline, up from the current 10 percent blend level.

"The availability of E15 will increase America's energy security and spur additional job creation," Vilsack said. "The Obama Administration has an 'all-of-the-above' [strategy] to promoting domestic energy security, and increasing the percentage of ethanol to be blended with gasoline will help boost economic growth while lessening the nation's dependence on foreign oil."

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Lux Research Report Says...

Biofuels Journal
Date Posted: March 24, 2010

...Biofuels and Biochemicals Developers Need Corporate Partners to Compete at Scale With Petroleum Industry

Boston, MA—Biofuels have narrowed their cost and performance gap to petroleum with help from academic labs and venture partners.

But a final and significantly more daunting hurdle now confronts biofuel developers: Competing on scale with the multi-trillion dollar petroleum industry.

Clearing that hurdle will take enormous injections of cash, engineering support, and help in developing distribution channels -- all resources that corporate partners are better equipped to provide.

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