Ethanol & Biofuels Legislation

6/12/2013 - A California Appeals Court on June 3 told the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that the agency cannot defer regulatory action to fix the problem of excess nitrogen-oxide (NOX) emissions from diesel engine combustion of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel blends.

6/12/2013 - The California Air Resources Board (CARB) on May 23 unveiled a “discussion paper” outlining five additional “cost-containment” options for its low-carbon fuel standard regulation.

6/12/2013 - Florida Gov. Rick Scott on May 31 signed a bill into law that repeals the state’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The law was originally signed into law by former governor Charlie Crist in 2008 as part of the state’s new energy and climate change policies.

6/5/2013 - Multiple amendments to reform or repeal the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS-2) have been filed as part of the U.S. Senate’s version of the 2013 Farm Bill – dubbed The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 – which includes US$800 million in mandatory funding for energy-title programs aimed to stimulate advanced-biofuel, bioenergy and bio-based manufacturing.

6/5/2013 - The Maine Legislature on May 31 amended and approved proposed legislation, LD 115, which originally prohibited the sale and distribution of corn-based ethanol if at least two other New England states pass a similar prohibition.

6/5/2013 - The Iowa House and Senate on May 22 passed legislation allowing in-state fuel retailers to offer mid- to high-level blends of ethanol, such as E15 and/or E85, and biodiesel, such as B20.

6/5/2013 - U.S. lawmakers could increase federal revenues and encourage reductions in carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions by establishing a nationwide carbon tax, which would either tax those emissions directly or tax fuels (coal, oil and/or natural gas) that release CO2 when they are burned, according to an analysis released May 22 by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

5/29/2013 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 20 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking “to amend certain elements of the Renewable Fuels Standard [RFS-2] program regulations” in order “to facilitate the introduction of new renewable fuels, as well as improve implementation of the program,” according to a summary statement of the amendments issued by the agency.

5/29/2013 - Maine Gov. Paul LePage on May 7 signed into law a legislation that prohibits a person from selling or offering for-sale gasoline that contains corn-based ethanol as an additive at a level greater than 10% by volume (E10).

5/29/2013 - U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) on May 20 introduced an amendment to the Senate’s version of the Farm Bill – dubbed The Sugar Reform Act – “to roll back unnecessary provisions that unfairly benefit wealthy sugar farmers at the expense of consumers,” according to a statement issued by Shaheen’s office.

5/29/2013 - U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on May 17 asked the Justice Department to investigate whether alleged price manipulation by three major oil companies in Europe is impacting U.S. consumers, and if similar activity is taking place in domestic markets.

5/29/2013 - California Assembly member Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto) on May 20 introduced Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 21, which aims to urge Congress to enact H.R. 1462, the Renewable Fuels Standard Reform Act of 2013, to eliminate corn-ethanol requirements under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS-2).

5/22/2013 - The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA), in consultation with the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (ENMNRD), issued on May 2 a temporary suspension of the state’s 5% biodiesel (B5) mandate through October 31.

5/22/2013 - U.S. Reps. Pete Olson (R-Texas) and Jim Costa (D-Calif.) on May 15 introduced the Domestic Alternative Fuels Act, or H.R. 1959, which would allow ethanol produced from domestic natural gas to be included under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS-2) and compete with corn-based ethanol under the “Renewable Fuel” category.

5/22/2013 - U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on May 16 introduced The Foreign Fuels Reduction Act – legislation that, if enacted, would help ensure only domestically sourced fuels are used to meet the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS-2).

5/22/2013 - The Maine House of Representatives on May 8 gave initial approval to two bills designed to restrict the amount of ethanol in gasoline sold in the state. Both were sponsored by Rep. Jeffrey Timberlake (R-Turner).

5/15/2013 - The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) sent a letter on May 9 to the White House expressing concern about ongoing delays in the approval process for advanced-biofuel pathways pursuant to the implementation of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2).

5/15/2013 - The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on May 9 released the initial draft of the 2013 Farm Bill – dubbed The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act – which includes US$800 million in mandatory funding for energy-title programs aimed to stimulate advanced-biofuel, bioenergy and bio-based manufacturing.

5/8/2013 - Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) lawmakers in the Minnesota House of Representatives on April 18 passed an Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture omnibus bill by a vote of 69 to 61 that would expand the state’s ethanol mandate to include other biofuels, such as biobutanol, to satisfy its current 10% renewable content requirement in gasoline.