Pruitt Responds to RFS Meetings with Letter: Point of Obligation Change to be Rejected, 2018 RFS Volumes at or Above Those in Draft Rule

On October 19, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt issued a letter to several Midwestern senators that reaffirms EPA’s commitment to uphold the laws passed by Congress, to finalize the 2018 Renewable Volume Obligations by November 30 at volumes equal to or greater than those proposed, and to officially reject a requested change in point of obligation from refiners to blenders within 30 days. 

The letter was addressed to Senators Joni Ernst (IA), Chuck Grassley (IA), Pat Roberts (KS), John Thune (SD), Deb Fischer (NE), Mike Rounds (SD), and Ben Sasse (NE), who met with Admin. Pruitt on October 17 on Capitol Hill to discuss their concerns over EPA's proposed changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard, and perceived wavering support from EPA for the biofuels industry in the program. 

Pruitt's letter comes after four state governors issued a letter to the President on October 16 expressing similar concerns and urging the Trump administration to follow through on campaign promises to support further development of U.S. biofuels. 

Read more about the October 17 meeting HERE. 

Read more about Trump's response to the October 16 letter HERE.

Rural governors tell Trump: 'Fulfill your promises' on biofuels, while biofuel state Senators meet with Pruitt

By Cody Boteler, Waste Dive. 

In a letter to President Trump, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, joined by the governors of Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota, expressed concern for how Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has acted regarding the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The governors said the EPA seeking comment on cuts to 2018-2019 RFS volumes, and signaling an intent to waive volumes for 2018, showed "a willingness to upend a decision producers and other stakeholders have already relied upon to make investments, contractual commitments and create jobs." In a press conference Wednesday, Reynolds said the administration was "feeling the pressure" and that biofuel supporters "can't let down."

Following a meeting with Pruitt, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said he will watch the RFS "closely" and "hold the administration accountable," while Iowa Senator Joni Ernst said, "Administrator Pruitt again claimed today that he will not do anything to undermine the program. However, we have heard this before. We now need to see it." Ernst said she could not back a nominee to head an EPA office that runs the RFS without further assurances from the agency to protect the program, according to Bloomberg.

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Michigan Tech Study Finds Biomethane is Means to Reduce GHG Footprint of Natural Gas

Via Newswise.

Methane is far more damaging as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide—25 times more so. The gas, which is produced by decomposing organic materials in the absence of air, not only traps heat efficiently but is also a health and safety hazard because it's so concentrated in landfills. About half of the landfills in the US collect and burn methane, mitigating the danger but still contributing to atmospheric methane and carbon dioxide levels. Animal manure decomposition on farms is the main contributor of methane emissions in agriculture.

Repurposing that wasted gas is the focus of a new study published in the journal Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy by chemical engineers from Michigan Technological University. Specifically, they examined the carbon footprint of anaerobic digestion—composting organics without air—which can be used to redirect methane into a usable energy source.

"We found that bio-methane produced through anaerobic digestion emits far less than its fossil natural gas equivalent," says Sharath Ankathi, the paper's lead author and a PhD student at Michigan Tech. Studying each product's carbon footprint is a way to assess its social, environmental and economic impact—in other words how sustainable it is—which Ankathi says is "defined as helping current generations without compromising their needs or the needs of future generations."

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Oregon Cap-and-Trade Bill Proposal Will Now be Easier for State Legislature to Pass

By Pete Danko, Portland Business Journal.

Republicans have taken to referring to it as a tax, but a proposal to limit greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon could pass the Legislature with simple majorities — not three-fifths supermajorities — in the opinion of the state's legislative counsel.

The counsel, responding to an inquiry from Republican Sen. Alan Olsen, said Senate Bill 1070 didn't qualify as a "bill for raising revenue." Under the state constitution, such bills require three-fifths margins.

Democrats intend to push for passage of the cap-and-trade measure, which has the support of Gov. Kate Brown, in the 2018 short session.

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Gov. Brown Signs Bill Extending Requirement for Funding of Clean HD Trucks

On October 10, Governor Brown signed AB1073, which extends the requirement for funding of early deployment of clean heavy-duty trucks as part of California’s Clean Truck, Bus and Off-Road Vehicle program. The bill was sponsored by Eduardo Garcia, whose actions in the legislature have shown his support for growth of the RNG industry. 

This bill was supported by the RNG Coalition, but opposed by some staff at the Air Resources Board because it mandates that funds go toward natural gas vehicle deployment. RNG Coalition staff interprets this as a positive signal to our industry from the Administration.

Energy Department Announces $4 Million for Medium/Heavy-Duty, On-Road Natural Gas Engine Research

On October 11, the U.S. Energy Department announced up to $4 million for research projects on medium- and heavy-duty natural gas engine technologies. The Department's Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) funds early-stage, high-risk research to generate knowledge upon which industry can develop and deploy innovative transportation energy technologies that improve efficiency, lower costs for families and businesses, and increase the use of secure, domestic energy sources.

Opportunities exist to improve performance, reliability, durability, cost effectiveness, and efficiency of natural gas vehicles through research. Cost-effectively achieving diesel-like efficiency in natural gas engines while meeting current and future emissions standards will improve the viability of natural gas-fueled medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

A public workshop on natural gas vehicles was held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on July 25, 2017 to identify early-stage research needs for natural gas engines. A summary of the key observations can be found here. VTO is seeking projects to address barriers to the adoption of natural gas vehicles through early-stage research. Projects competitively selected through this funding opportunity will complement additional early-stage research on medium- and heavy-duty natural gas engine technologies at DOE national laboratories.

For more information and application requirements, please visit the EERE Exchange website or Grants.gov.

DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy supports early-stage research of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that enhance energy affordability, reliability, and resilience and strengthen U.S. energy security, economic growth, and environmental quality. To learn more about VTO's work with industry, academia, and national laboratory partners on transportation technologies, please visit energy.gov/vehicles.

California Council on Science & Technology to Reassess Pipeline Access Requirements for RNG in California

On Friday, September 29, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) signed a contract with the California Council on Science & Technology (CCST) to conduct a reevaluation of pipeline access requirements for renewable gas in California.

Pursuant to SB 840 (2016), the CCST has nine months to perform a study focused on reassessing the current pipeline access requirements for biomethane in California, especially as it pertains to requirements for minimum heating value and siloxanes. Stanford University is a collaborating partner, and will be performing the research for CCST.

RNG Coalition staff is hopeful that Stanford will be able to complete and submit their findings to the CCST by the end of 2017. By law, once the study is completed and delivered to the CPUC, the CPUC has six (6) months to act on it. 

Gov. Brown Signs Food Recovery Bill Seen as Model for Other States

By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive. 

California Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 1219, the California Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, into law on Oct. 9. The act expands existing state liability protections to cover donations made directly to end users, whereas the previous law only covered donations made to food banks or non-profit groups. AB 1219 was co-sponsored by Californians Against Waste and the California Association of Food Banks.

Another key change made by AB 1219 is that donations of perishable or nonperishable food will now be protected if deemed "fit for human consumption," regardless of whether those items have exceeded their recommended date labels.

Californians Against Waste also sponsored AB 954, which is still awaiting Brown's signature. That bill would direct the California Department of Food & Agriculture, in coordination with the Department of Public Health, to publish information about date label standards by July 2018. Manufacturers, processors and retailers would be asked to voluntarily begin using "BEST if Used by” or “BEST if Used or Frozen by” to indicate quality dates, and “USE by” or “USE by or Freeze by” to indicate safety dates.

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States take initiative on energy policy while gridlock remains in Washington

By Energize Weekly.

Energy policy, legislation and initiatives are alive and bipartisan in the state houses across the country even as they are bogged down in the nation’s capital, according to the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University.

More than 12,500 energy bills were introduced in state legislatures between 2013 and 2016, with 1,926 passing, according to the center’s Advanced Energy Legislation Tracker. In 2017, 3,046 bills have already been introduced with 350 passing.

 “If you look at the combination of what is happening in blue and red and purple states, there is far more happening than is happening at the federal level,” Bill Ritter, the center’s director and former governor of Colorado, told Energize Weekly in a wide-ranging interview.

“We track every piece of legislation introduced at the state level until it dies or becomes law,” Ritter said. “What is so interesting, so different from what is happening in the United States Congress and the Trump administration is that there is a real bipartisan flavor to what is happening at the state level.”

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New SWANA President Jeff Murray takes over for FY18

By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) formally announced that Jeff Murray has taken over as president of the organization for FY18. Murray was elected at the ISWA World Congress & WASTECON in Baltimore on Sept. 26.

Murray is an associate and the solid waste section manager for HDR in Raleigh, NC. He is a registered professional engineer in North Carolina, Delaware and Virginia, and is certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. He also received that organization's Grand Prize Award for the development of a "Landfill Based Geothermal Heating System" in 2013.

In addition to Murray, SWANA's other officers now include Rich Allen as past president, Frank Caponi as vice president, Michael Greenberg as treasurer, and Brenda Haney as secretary.

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