In a last ditch effort to drum up support from lawmakers in light of the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal that would decrease the amount of biofuels required by the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in the nation’s fuel supply from 18.15 billion gallons to 15.21 billion gallons[1] , representatives from biofuels companies recently flocked to the Hill to lobby Congress. Anne Steckel, Vice President of Federal Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) cited the recent...
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The unlikely trio Michael Bloomberg, Hank Paulson, and Thomas Steyer are the co-chairs of a new study, “Risky Business.” It purports to quantify the economic risks of climate change threatening the United States, if the government fails to take action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The choice of three titans from the financial world as chairs of the report serves rhetorically to reach out to the business community and get them on board with the climate policy intervention agenda. As...
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Last week the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produced a report on the feasibility of complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), a federal mandate that requires minimum volumes of renewable fuels to be blended into transportation fuels.  The original volume mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) for 2014 is 18.15 billion gallons, which continues to increase annually.[i] However, after recognizing severe challenges in meeting the EISA target, primarily...
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The EPA is proposing to lower the 2014 RFS biofuel blending mandate by 1.4 billion gallons, from the statutory mandate of 18.21 billion gallons to 15.21 billion gallons.  While a study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) concluded that reducing the biofuel target would reduce emissions by the equivalent of taking 580,000 cars off the road,[i] a study conducted by Biotechnology Industry Corporation found that reducing the target would add greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to placing...
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The EPA is planning to set an unrealistic target for cellulosic biofuel production for the 5th year in a row, although the final rule will be postponed until late summer due to an extension of the 2013 deadline for refiners to meet renewable fuel blending requirements from June 30 to September 30. Last year, EPA proposed adjusting the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) cellulosic target to 17 million gallons (15.21 billion gallons of total renewable), down from the original 1.75 billion...
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WASHINGTON – American Energy Alliance President Thomas Pyle sent a letter today to House Leadership congratulating the newly elected Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise. The letter also urges them to remain opposed to an extension of the recently expired Wind Production Tax Credit (PTC). AEA also ran a full page ad in today's edition of Politico as part of a broader paid initiative that includes digital and social media. Excerpts from the letter:

The...

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The U.S. oil boom is helping U.S. manufacturers, including refiners, by producing low-cost energy to help American companies compete in a global economy. The latest example of this is a recent report by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) that compares the profitability of American and European refiners over the past 10 years. EIA’s analysis shows that over the last three years American refiners have reported considerably higher profits than their European counterparts due to lower...
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