RNG NEWS
Republicans Initiate 31 day Tax Reform Campaign During August Recess
By Connor Wolf, Inside Sources.
In preparation for what is likely to be a challenging debate, Republicans are dedicating each day during the August recess to a different reason why the country needs tax reform.
Republicans have identified tax reform as a major policy focus since securing the presidency, and it is now set to be the top focus after the ill-fated heath care debate. The GOP wants its tax reform plan to be big and ambitious in a way that hasn’t been done since the last major reform in 1986. Some have begun laying the groundwork knowing the debate is likely to be intense after the recess break.
By Connor Wolf, Inside Sources.
In preparation for what is likely to be a challenging debate, Republicans are dedicating each day during the August recess to a different reason why the country needs tax reform.
Republicans have identified tax reform as a major policy focus since securing the presidency, and it is now set to be the top focus after the ill-fated heath care debate. The GOP wants its tax reform plan to be big and ambitious in a way that hasn’t been done since the last major reform in 1986. Some have begun laying the groundwork knowing the debate is likely to be intense after the recess break.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady is one of the lawmakers preparing for the upcoming fight. He has been providing other lawmakers with talking points and has been a vocal advocate on television. Brady is also dedicating each of the 31 days during the recess break to a different reason tax reform is needed.
“Chairman Brady and members of the Ways and Means Committee will be making the case for bold, pro-growth tax reform throughout the month of August to Americans of all walks of life,” Emily Schillinger, communications director of the House of the Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement to InsideSources.
Biofuel stakeholders speak out at hearing on 2018 RFS proposal
By Erin Voegele, Ethanol Producer Magazine.
The U.S. EPA held a hearing Aug. 1 on its proposed rule to set 2018 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard, along with the 2019 RVO for biomass-based diesel. Those representing the biofuel industry commended the agency for issuing an on-time proposal and maintaining the statutory 15 billion RVO for conventional biofuels, but criticized reduced RVOs for advanced and cellulosic fuels.
Prior to the hearing, Fuels America hosted press call during which Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and several others shared their opinions of the EPA’s 2018 RFS proposal.
By Erin Voegele, Ethanol Producer Magazine.
The U.S. EPA held a hearing Aug. 1 on its proposed rule to set 2018 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard, along with the 2019 RVO for biomass-based diesel. Those representing the biofuel industry commended the agency for issuing an on-time proposal and maintaining the statutory 15 billion RVO for conventional biofuels, but criticized reduced RVOs for advanced and cellulosic fuels.
Prior to the hearing, Fuels America hosted press call during which Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and several others shared their opinions of the EPA’s 2018 RFS proposal.
Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council, opened the call by noting it’s never been more important for the biofuels industry to makes is voices heard on the RFS. “EPA is proposing to hold strong on the conventional biofuel standard, but it appears to be less committed on the advanced biofuel side,” he said.
According to Coleman, cellulosic biofuels are poised to drive the next great wave of manufacturing investments across the heartland of the U.S. “For the administration to succeed in rebuilding the rural economy, the EPA must set forward-looking targets for cellulosic production,” he said. “Any retreat sends an unmistakable signal to investors that the U.S. is no longer fertile ground for innovation.”
Ricketts stressed how important ethanol is to the U.S, noting that it provides a less expensive, cleaner, safer alternative to fossil fuels. He also commended the EPA for its on-time proposal. “The importance of creating certainty and stability in the marketplace can’t be overstated,” he said. “The worst thing for business is uncertainty.” By releasing the volume proposals in a timely manner, the EPA is allowing businesses to plan and creating stability in the marketplace, he added.
While he offered support for the EPA’s 15 billion gallon target for conventional biofuels, he stressed it is a mistake to go backwards with regard to the advanced biofuel targets. When you set the targets high, he said, the industry will meet those goals.
Kirschner of Northwest Gas Assoc.: Oregon should promote natural gas vehicles
By Dan Kirschner, via East Oregonian.
Luckily, natural gas powered vehicles are a ready-made solution to reduce harmful emissions from the heavy-duty vehicles we need for commerce, commuting and getting our kids to school.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon, producing nearly 40 percent of the total. Diesel-powered trucks and buses contribute significantly to bad air days. Natural gas vehicles are much cleaner than diesel vehicles and capable of doing the same work. They feature significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in harmful air pollutants including fine particulates, nitrous oxides and sulfur oxides.
By Dan Kirschner, via East Oregonian.
Luckily, natural gas powered vehicles are a ready-made solution to reduce harmful emissions from the heavy-duty vehicles we need for commerce, commuting and getting our kids to school.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon, producing nearly 40 percent of the total. Diesel-powered trucks and buses contribute significantly to bad air days. Natural gas vehicles are much cleaner than diesel vehicles and capable of doing the same work. They feature significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in harmful air pollutants including fine particulates, nitrous oxides and sulfur oxides.
For instance, the newest diesel motors emit up to twenty times more nitrous oxides than the latest natural gas engines. We are all affected by diesel pollution, but especially the most vulnerable populations: children, elderly and the sick.
Vehicle emissions are a problem we need to address right now. That’s one reason why companies like Waste Management, UPS, Frito Lay and Fred Meyer currently operate natural gas vehicles as part of their local fleets.
U.S. DOE Announces Additional MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Award
Via U.S. Department of Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) selected three projects for an initial round of funding. The total funding for the four MEGA-BIO awards is $13.1 million.
DOE selected Michigan State University to manage the fourth project, which will work in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and MBI International to optimize a two-stage process for deconstruction of biomass into two clean intermediate streams: sugars for the production of hydrocarbon fuels and lignins for the production of multiple value-added chemicals. Lignin can be utilized as a renewable source for creating valuable aromatic chemicals, which have various industrial applications and can be used as the building blocks for fragrances, flavors, and novel bio-based foams and adhesives. The project will work to overcome several existing challenges, such as lignin's low susceptibility to depolymerization, to help capture its full potential as an economically viable feedstock for renewable chemicals.
Via U.S. Department of Energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will award a fourth project—up to $1.8 million—under the MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels Funding Opportunity. In August 2016, DOE's Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) selected three projects for an initial round of funding. The total funding for the four MEGA-BIO awards is $13.1 million.
DOE selected Michigan State University to manage the fourth project, which will work in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and MBI International to optimize a two-stage process for deconstruction of biomass into two clean intermediate streams: sugars for the production of hydrocarbon fuels and lignins for the production of multiple value-added chemicals. Lignin can be utilized as a renewable source for creating valuable aromatic chemicals, which have various industrial applications and can be used as the building blocks for fragrances, flavors, and novel bio-based foams and adhesives. The project will work to overcome several existing challenges, such as lignin's low susceptibility to depolymerization, to help capture its full potential as an economically viable feedstock for renewable chemicals.
All four projects are supporting the development of biomass-to-hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and/or products based on external factors, such as market demand. Producing high-value bioproducts alongside cost-competitive biofuels has the potential to support a positive return on investment for a biorefinery through converting biomass to where it is most impactful. Producing value-added co-products is an approach to achieving DOE's strategic goal of producing hydrocarbon fuels at $3/gasoline gallon equivalent.
The Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates research and development of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and innovative solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security and economic vitality, while preserving our natural resources. Learn more about how the BETO supports the development of a sustainable, domestic bioenergy industry.
Court Ruling On RFS RVOs A Win For Biofuels Industry
Aug. 2 - By Express NewsLine.
A hearing is set to begin Tuesday morning to discuss how much biofuel will be blended into the nation's gasoline supply for the next two years.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says in a statement she is pleased the court rejected the EPA's methodology, "Supplying enough renewable fuels has not been a problem for our farmers and biofuels producers, and the EPA's use of "inadequate domestic supply" waiver authority created needless uncertainty for the industry".
At the hearing, RNG stakeholders advocated that EPA's cellulosic biofuel calculation methodology in the final rule account for both increased cellulosic biofuel generation from projects now producing fuel, and the projected production from 24 additional RNG projects nearing completion of construction that are planned to begin generating RIN credits under the RFS program later this year and throughout 2018. The next step is the comment period, which kicks off Tuesday morning and coincides with a hearing on the volume levels for 2018-and 2019. "Whether in a reset discussion or in setting biodiesel and ethanol levels, the EPA must act according to the clear directive from the court". Past RFS levels were highly disputed by renewable fuels groups, with RFS proponents claiming EPA's levels missed the mark.
JPMorgan Chase Commits To 100% Renewable Energy By 2020 & Facilitating $200 Billion In Clean Energy Financing By 2025
By Joshua S. Hill, Clean Technica.
Multinational banking giant JPMorgan Chase has announced it is committing to sourcing 100% of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2020 and a promise to facilitate $200 billion in clean financing through 2025.
By Joshua S. Hill, Clean Technica.
Multinational banking giant JPMorgan Chase has announced it is committing to sourcing 100% of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2020 and a promise to facilitate $200 billion in clean financing through 2025.
For those of us who have been covering global warming science and clean technology for a while now — for me, it’s been over a decade — the role that big business and big banking has stepped into in taking a leading role in advocating for sustainable business and banking, and a transition to a low-carbon economy, has been incredibly heartening. It would be naive to imagine that these moves have been made entirely on altruistic terms — they most certainly haven’t, but more so, they don’t need to be, considering the economic value in such moves — but it has been rewarding regardless, to see big money so actively engage in sustainable business.
JPMorgan Chase, one of the oldest financial institutions in the United States with assets of $2.6 trillion, and working in over 60 countries with more than 240,000 employees, announced this week that they “have gradually and thoughtfully been increasing our commitment to sustainability for over a decade.” Over a year ago, JPMorgan Chase announced that it was backing away from investing in new coal mining projects, adding such investments to a list of “Prohibited Transactions” alongside Forced or Child Labor and Illegal Logging. Further, and vitally important when we look to see beyond the altruistic motivations for such decisions, JPMorgan Chase explained that:
Corporate power purchase agreements are rapidly growing
By EUCI Energize Weekly.
Corporate power purchase agreements, initially the domain of high-visibility, multi-billion-dollar enterprises, are increasingly being used by smaller companies, as well as municipalities and non-profit institutions.
The use of the agreements, or PPAs, has soared in the last two years and is on pace for another robust year, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center (BRC) Deal Tracker.
To be sure, there are some financial and operational risks with PPAs, but they haven’t deterred the growth of the market, which is composed largely of companies seeking to meet sustainability or renewable energy targets or cut greenhouse gas emissions.
By EUCI Energize Weekly.
Corporate power purchase agreements, initially the domain of high-visibility, multi-billion-dollar enterprises, are increasingly being used by smaller companies, as well as municipalities and non-profit institutions.
The use of the agreements, or PPAs, has soared in the last two years and is on pace for another robust year, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Business Renewables Center (BRC) Deal Tracker.
To be sure, there are some financial and operational risks with PPAs, but they haven’t deterred the growth of the market, which is composed largely of companies seeking to meet sustainability or renewable energy targets or cut greenhouse gas emissions.
PPAs have long been used by utilities to purchase power on long-term contracts from independent generators. Selling clean power to companies with renewable energy or sustainability goals began around 2008.
Among the first high-profile corporate PPAs were those signed by Apple, Google and Microsoft. In the last two years, old-line manufactures such as 3M, Dow Chemical and General Motors have signed agreements.
Last Friday, JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced it is seeking to be 100 percent reliant on renewable energy by 2020 through a series of initiatives, including installing onsite renewable energy facilities, improving energy efficiency and PPAs.
JPMorgan signed its first PPA in 2016, a 20-year agreement with NRG Energy for a 100-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Texas. In its announcement, the bank said it plans to sign more PPAs.
Waste Dive: Organics diversion is here to stay in NYC. What's next?
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Reducing and diverting food waste is all the rage in cities these days, and New York is trying to become the organics diversion capital of the country. The city now has the largest curbside residential organics program in the country and recently announced plans to expand its commercial diversion requirements too. The results of this first phase culminated in many ways with the first-ever NYC Food Waste Fair hosted by the Foundation for New York’s Strongest and the city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) — at the Brooklyn Expo Center on July 25.
By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.
Reducing and diverting food waste is all the rage in cities these days, and New York is trying to become the organics diversion capital of the country. The city now has the largest curbside residential organics program in the country and recently announced plans to expand its commercial diversion requirements too. The results of this first phase culminated in many ways with the first-ever NYC Food Waste Fair hosted by the Foundation for New York’s Strongest and the city's Department of Sanitation (DSNY) — at the Brooklyn Expo Center on July 25.
In addition to a general feeling of excitement about how far this sector had come, there was also an undercurrent of discussion about the growing pains involved. Based on annual surveys of regional processing capacity, DSNY remains convinced that enough options are out there and the finances are working. Others in the industry see a more complex picture, with many facilities still located far from the city, and unable to accept the often contaminated material coming out of its businesses. DSNY moved to address this last summer by awarding an estimated $47 million in pre-processing contracts for residential material — with the added goal of improving commercial options — though more work remains.
Boise, Idaho, Anaerobic Digester to Process Multiple Streams to Increase Efficiency
By Arlene Karidis, Waste 360.
Idaho-based developer Boise Biogas is working with two tech companies to install an anaerobic digestion (AD) system that will be fed by various feedstocks to produce pipeline gas for local distributors and fertlizer for local farmers.
Boise Biogas, which will own and run the operation, is in the late stages of rezoning and finalizing the land purchase. It hopes to begin injecting into the pipeline by late 2018.
By Arlene Karidis, Waste 360.
Idaho-based developer Boise Biogas is working with two tech companies to install an anaerobic digestion (AD) system that will be fed by various feedstocks to produce pipeline gas for local distributors and fertlizer for local farmers.
Boise Biogas, which will own and run the operation, is in the late stages of rezoning and finalizing the land purchase. It hopes to begin injecting into the pipeline by late 2018.
The partners are shooting for a zero waste facility and materials with greater than five percent contamination will be rejected, says Will Charlton, president of Digester Doc, a Boise, Idaho-based lab services company that optimizes AD systems. Charlton was contracted for this project, which will process 1,500 wet tons a day.
Boise Biogas’ original plan was only to generate electricity to run its equipment.
“But our reach expanded because we found in the Treasure Valley area there is a surplus of organics that was ending up on local landfills or being trucked to remote sites,” says Chuck Anderson, president and director of engineering and operations for Boise Biogas. “They were starting to fill up. Plus, dairy farms were asking for help with manure management…. We thought anaerobic digestion was the best way to create a useable energy product from all this waste.”
City of Portland contracts with Community College to convert vehicles to natural gas
By USGasVehicles.com.
July 21, 2017. Portland has vehicles it wants to convert to running on compressed natural gas (CNG). Linn-Benton Community College has students learning how to do such conversions.
For officials at the community college's Advanced Transportation Technology Center (ATTC) in Lebanon, it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
By USGasVehicles.com.
July 21, 2017. Portland has vehicles it wants to convert to running on compressed natural gas (CNG). Linn-Benton Community College has students learning how to do such conversions.
For officials at the community college's Advanced Transportation Technology Center (ATTC) in Lebanon, it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Eight students with the ATTC's Gaseous Fuels Conversions class are finishing the first conversion to compressed natural gas for Portland city officials this week. They are working on a 2013 GMC pickup that will be used in Portland's environmental services division.
Five vehicles are currently contracted for conversion, with three more on the way and dozens more expected after that.