Railroads, Truckers Join the Fight Against Changing the Renewable Fuel Standard

Via NACS Online.

WASHINGTON – The Association of American Railroads, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, the American Trucking Associations, and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have entered their opposition to changing the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS). This week, the associations sent a letter to Gina McCarthy, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking her to not move the point of obligation under the RFS. 

The letter said that the EPA “has acted responsibly in denying previous petitions for a rulemaking to change the point of obligation and support EPA’s current regulatory action to deny similar petitions. The current petitions are proposing to move the point of obligation to entities that have never been obligated previously and that are not equipped to comply. Granting these petitions would disrupt the fuels markets, raise consumer fuel prices, and do so with no added benefit to the consumer or the program. We represent diverse interests but we are in agreement about this point.”

Read more...

What to Expect in Environmental Regulation for 2017

By McGuire Woods.

The inauguration of President Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20 began a period of change expected to include the rollback of programs, withdrawal of regulations, and changes to policy that will affect all aspects of environmental regulation. While many questions linger regarding the priorities of the new administration, certain issues like the Clean Power Plan and “waters of the United States” definition are sure to rank high on the list. 

Expect certain states, like California, to continue implementing a comprehensive environmental regulatory agenda, although federal action could threaten clean air programs in those states if the Trump administration withdraws the Clean Air Act waivers supporting them. There may also be an increase in lawsuits filed by nongovernmental organizations against both governmental and private actors in response to dissatisfaction with how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces the laws. 

The following are some of the more material areas to track in 2017.

Clean Power Plan (CPP)

CPP was promulgated by EPA on Aug. 3, 2015, as part of the Obama administration’s effort to address climate change through the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing fossil-fired (coal and natural gas) energy generating units (EGUs). First proposed in June 2014, CPP arose from EPA’s determination that greenhouse gases were a pollutant subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and that U.S. emissions of CO2 as the predominant greenhouse gas should be reduced, by 2030, to a level 32 percent below their 2005 levels. 

To meet this ultimate goal and interim goals in 2022-2029, EPA applied what it called the best system of emission reduction and the three “building blocks” of efficiency, shifting from coal to gas and increased renewables to determine emission performance rates for all EGUs, dividing the country into three regions based on the nation’s electric grid. EPA then applied those standards to come up with CO2 reduction goals for each state, with each state having the option to meet its goals through an emission standards plan or a state measures plan, as well as emissions trading among sources and states. 

Read more...

Renewable biogas proposal continues greening of GM powertrain plant

By Paul Forsyth, Niagara This Week.

ST. CATHARINES — It’s a sleek, state-of-the-art facility with gleaming robotics whirring about in rooms that are almost surgically clean, but in addition to cutting-edge technology the General Motors powertrain plant in St. Catharines is also being touted as a model of environmental sustainability.

The latest investment in greening being proposed at the massive plant along the Welland Canal will be a renewable biogas cogeneration project that would utilize landfill gas to make the 2.08-million square-foot facility more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 5,000 tonnes a year.

The project, which could be up and running as early as 2018 if approvals are obtained in time and GM decides to forge ahead with it, is part of a major push by GM to dramatically reduce energy consumption, waste production and chemicals at its Canadian plants.

Politicians at the Region on Jan. 11 supported the biogas project in principle and agreed to urge the province to expedite the application process. City of St. Catharines politicians recently did the same.

Tammy Giroux, manager of government relations for GM of Canada, said the biogas project would involve piping treated gas underground from the Walker Environmental Group landfill near Thorold Stone Road to the cogeneration plant. 

The use of landfill gas from the breakdown of materials such as green bin organics, paper and wood may be the first such industrial cogeneration project in Ontario, said Giroux.

Read more...

Pruitt's political operation becomes a weapon for Dems

By Elana Schor, Politico.

As Democrats look for an opening to derail Scott Pruitt's nomination to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, they're zeroing in on his leadership of a group of Republican attorneys general with close ties to fossil-fuel companies he'd have to regulate for Donald Trump. 

After initially focusing on Pruitt's resistance to climate change science, Democrats have pivoted to decrying his past chairmanship of the Republican Attorneys General Association, slamming him for raising money from the fossil-fuel industry while filing lawsuits against regulations that companies opposed. And Democrats point to Pruitt's history of litigation as Oklahoma's attorney general — 14 legal challenges against the agency he's now set to helm — to ask whether he'll be able to impartially handle many of those same cases as a defendant after taking over EPA.

“I think they have decided that the Republican Attorneys General Association is part of their farm team,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said. ”They’re funding it accordingly and are systematically trying to advance their agenda at the state level at the same time as identifying people who will do their bidding at the federal level.” 

“It’s a problem for the country that you have chief law enforcement officers of individual states who are now operating as partisans,” Schatz added.

Jessica Mackler, chief of the Democratic super PAC American Bridge, summed up the party's case against the Oklahoman. "The only explanation for Pruitt's eagerness to lead the EPA is that he hopes to continue his track record of taking fossil fuel money then using his influence to help polluters maximize their profit margins while the American people pay the price," she said in a statement.

RAGA’s ascendancy came with a boost from Pruitt, who helped the group come into its own as a political force during his chairmanship. RAGA fundraising leapt from $4.5 million in 2010 to $6.9 million in 2012, when Pruitt took over, to $16 million in 2014.

Read more...

Trump EPA pick says backs biofuels program, but open to tweaks

By Valerie Volcovici, Timothy Gardner, & Chris Prentice, Reuters.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, Present-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said on Wednesday he would honor the intent of the U.S. biofuels program, but remained open to tweaking it. 

The Renewable Fuel Standard requires the EPA set annual quotas for the use of ethanol and biodiesel in transportation fuels. More than a decade old, the standard is fiercely defended by the U.S. corn industry that provides most of the ethanol, but it has been a source of frustration for oil refiners. They say the goals are unrealistic without an overhaul in automobiles and infrastructure, and are calling for changes. 

Pruitt said during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that he was committed to Congress' plan, laid out in 2007, to annually increase the amount of ethanol and other renewables blended with petroleum fuels. He said the waivers that EPA has already used to set requirements below those targets to accommodate market conditions should be used "judiciously".

He explained his view that the EPA should not use those waivers to "undermine commitments" from Congress but that they are needed in some cases, including when there is lower-than-expected fuel demand.

The comments quelled some concerns from within the industry over the nominee, who as Oklahoma's attorney general had described the program as "flawed" and "unworkable."

Read more...

IKEA installs fourth biogas-powered fuel cell system at its San Diego store

By Bioenergy Insight.

Home furnishings giant IKEA has announced that it has completed installation of its fourth biogas-powered fuel cell system at its San Diego store.

Furthering the Swedish retailer’s investment in fuel cell technology, this project complements the company’s focus on other renewable energies such as solar and wind. IKEA already owns three fuel cell systems at stores in California, with one more planned.

With the San Diego fuel cell system installed, commissioned and operational, IKEA is on track to generate—in total—1.5 MW of energy via fuel cells, supplementing onsite solar arrays atop all these stores.

Read more...

Sioux City, Iowa, approves $9.3 million renewable natural gas project

By Justin Wan, Sioux City Journal.

SIOUX CITY | Sioux City Council members gave favorable reviews Monday to a $9.3 million project that will allow the city to capture, clean and compress gas at its wastewater treatment plant, then sell it as renewable fuel.

The council voted 4-0 Monday to enter into an agreement with a West Des Moines-based firm for engineering and planning services for the project.  

That vote followed approval of a similar agreement for planning on a project that will include about $16 million in other maintenance and upgrades that will eventually increase the capacity of the treatment facility. 

"This is a huge deal," Mayor Bob Scott said of the renewable fuel project. 

The project, which would take about two years to complete, will put in place a system to capture, clean and compress a gas created as a byproduct during the anaerobic digestion process the city uses to break down raw sludge to turn it into biosolids.  

Once the proposed project is complete, the gas would either be used in the city's fleet of vehicles or be channeled into a nearby MidAmerican Energy or Northern Natural Gas pipeline to be sold as renewable fuel.

Mark Simms, Sioux City's utilities director, said the wastewater treatment plant in Des Moines, Iowa, also cleans its gas, along with about a dozen facilities around the nation.

"We’re not first in line for this, but we would be one of the few in Iowa or the region that would be doing this," Simms said. 

Simms told the council the gas would have about 10 times the market value of natural gas, and the project would pay for itself in about 2 years based on forecasts. 

Read more...

Report: Global Biogas Market to Reach $50 billion by 2026

By Ben Messenger, Waste Management World.

Due to mounting concerns over depleting fossil reserves and the environmental impact of conventional fuels, global biogas revenues are expected to grow at a steady 6.5% CAGR from nearly $24.5 Billion in 2015 to around $48.8 billion in 2026, according to a new report from Future Market Insights. 

During the forecast period 2016-2026, the authors stated that between 2016 and 2026, the global biogas revenues will double, with Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin America among key regions fuelling demand.

The APAC biogas market is predicted to grow relatively fast at 9.2% CAGR, while Latin America will account for over 50% of the global biogas revenues.

In North America, adoption of biogas plants was forecast to drop considerably, owing to rising preference for solar power in the US. By 2026-end, North America’s biogas plant was predicted to be valued over $9.6 billion.

GOP pushing 3 bills in Congress to restrain federal regulations

By Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle

WASHINGTON — Freed from the constraint of a presidential veto, Republicans are moving rapidly on industry-backed legislation that could paralyze the government’s ability to protect the environment, public health and virtually everything else federal agencies regulate. 

The onslaught began last week with a trio of House bills — two of them approved and sent to the Senate — that would gut the administrative process used for decades to implement the practical details of such landmark laws as the Food and Drug Act, the Clean Air Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

The centerpiece of the Republican action was the REINS Act, which cleared the House on Friday, with an amendment that extended its reach to include all regulations adopted by federal agencies within the past 10 years. Approved on a largely party-line vote, it swiftly drew companion Senate legislation.

The act would require any rule costing industry more than $100 million — a dollar figure that amounts to any significant regulation — to be submitted to Congress. If either chamber fails to approve the rule within 70 days, the rule would die.

The rules could affect everything from food labeling and nutrition requirements for restaurants to performance standards for residential wood stoves and energy efficiency standards in grocery store coolers to banking and public health. One major rule adopted after the financial crisis requires banks to hold larger cash reserves. A 2014 rule cleans up tailpipe emissions from cars. A 2009 rule for the first time allowed regulation of tobacco.

The regulations result from acts of Congress, which approve laws such as the Clean Air Act or the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul bill, but leave the regulations that serve to implement the laws to experts in the federal agencies. As a practical matter, the Republican bills would shift regulatory power from executive branch agencies bound by scientific and legal protocols to the political realm of Congress.

Read more...

Gov. Jerry Brown pushes to extend cap-and-trade program with new budget proposal

By Chris Megerian, The Los Angeles Times.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced Tuesday his plan to prod lawmakers to solidify California's emissions cap-and-trade program, the centerpiece of the state's climate change agenda. 

Pushing forward in California has only become more important with federal action on global warming less likely under President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration, the governor said. 

"Given the fact that the federal government is going in the opposite direction, I would think that Californians wants to strengthen their own commitment," he said during a Capitol news conference where he unveiled his budget plans. "We ought to continue and not fall back on our efforts." 

Cap-and-trade works by requiring companies to purchase permits in order to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, creating a financial incentive to reduce pollution. The program is currently mired in a legal battle over whether it's an unconstitutional tax, and a court date is scheduled for later this month. 

Brown wants to eliminate the uncertainty stemming from  the lawsuit and other legal questions  about whether the program can continue past 2020. His plan requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of the Legislature, the legal standard for approving taxes.

Read more...