Sustainable Bioenergy, Farms, and Forests - April 17, 2015 | Newsletter

Senate and House Bills Seek to Remove Regulatory Barriers for E15

Two bills are making their way through the House and Senate related to E15 (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline). On March 31, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the ‘Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015’ which would remove some of the regulatory barriers for greater penetration of alternative fuels. Among other things, it would reform the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) requirements for E15 blends (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline), further removing regulatory hurdles for greater use of the fuel within the general gasoline supply. A separate bill in the House, introduced on April 13 by Reps. Smith (R-NE), Buck (R-CO), and Noem (R-SD) would simply increase the RVP waiver, allowing for year-round sale of E15.

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RFS Roundup: EPA Sets Timeline for Three-Year RFS Release, But Still Evokes “Blend Wall”

On April 3, the EPA settled a lawsuit brought against the agency by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) in March. The suit argued that the regulatory delays of the 2014, 2015 and now 2016 renewable fuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) creates uncertainty for refiners who are obligated to blend ethanol fuel into the transportation fuel supply. The EPA will set the blending requirements for 2014 by June 1; the 2015 and 2016 standards will be set by November 30.

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Headlines:

1. EU Parliament to Vote on Limiting 1st Gen. Biofuels to 7% of Fuel Mix

2. Advanced Ethanol Council’s Brooke Coleman, “If We Go Back to Congress, We’re Not Going to Get a Better RFS”

3. Nebraska Reports that Ethanol Industry Adds $5 billion to State Economy Per Year

4. Biobased Chemicals Poised for Major Breakout in US, According to New Report

5. 'Pump’ The Movie, The Documentary About Fuel and Fuel Choice, Now Available on Netflix

Event:

2015 ACORE Renewable Energy Policy Forum
EESI is a supporting organization

April 22 - 23
The Westin, Washington D.C. City Center
WASHINGTON, D.C.

ACORE’s Policy Forum champions the progress of the industry in reducing costs and deploying at scale, and will feature policymakers, industry leaders and other perspectives to outline challenges and highlight opportunities facing the sector. The Forum will drive bipartisan renewable energy policy priorities and strategy for the next two years, setting up a successful long-term outlook for the industry. The outcome of the Forum – the policy agenda for renewable energy policy – will be shared with the President and Congress, as well as governors, legislators, and regulators in the states.

Use 20% discount code SPT20EE and REGISTER TODAY at www.acorepolicyforum.com!

To Contact the Editor: Jessie Stolark at [email protected]

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