The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 21, 2025, the availability of a final document entitled “Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress” (Third Report). 90 Fed. Reg. 7135. The document was prepared by EPA’s Offices of Research and Development (ORD) and Air and Radiation (OAR), in consultation with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE). The Third Report builds on the first and second triennial reports, released in...
Regulatory, legal, policy, and business developments in renewable chemicals, biofuels, and other biobased products
February 5, 2025
Biden USDA Issues Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks
On January 17, 2025, the Biden U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an interim final rule with a request for comment that establishes technical guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with agricultural production of biofuel feedstock commodity crops grown in the United States in the context of environmental service markets. 90 Fed. Reg. 5497. The rule establishes guidelines for the reporting and verification of practices and...
February 3, 2025
House Committee Will Hold Hearing on “The State of U.S. Science and Technology: Ensuring U.S. Global Leadership”
The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will hold a hearing on February 5, 2025, on “The State of U.S. Science and Technology: Ensuring U.S. Global Leadership.” According to the Hearing Charter, the purpose of the hearing is “to assess the current condition of the United States’s science and technology enterprise and its vital role in the global innovation race.” By examining public and private investments in the United States, the Committee will also...
The European Commission (EC) announced on January 29, 2025, that it launched a Biotech and Biomanufacturing Hub to support companies — particularly start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) — in bringing innovative products to the European Union (EU) market and increase their competitiveness. According to the EC, the Hub will also help companies identify available support at the EU level and how to access this support to help them expand and grow. The EC...
January 27, 2025
ChemCatBio Will Hold January 29 Webinar on Programmable Catalysis for Chemical Energy Innovation
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO) Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio) will hold a webinar on January 29, 2025, on programmable catalysis for chemical energy technology. ChemCatBio states that catalysis enables new frontiers in energy, such as converting biomass to high-value products and storing energy from abundant renewable energy. Challenges remain, however, when catalysts are slow, expensive, or produce too many side...
On January 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6 million in funding for three projects that will advance biofuel development and support U.S. leadership in energy and emissions innovation. According to BETO, the projects will support research to improve performance and reduce costs of high-impact biofuel production technologies; scale up production systems with industry; and support...
January 8, 2025
EPA Proposes Partial Waiver of 2024 Cellulosic Biofuel Volume Requirement and Extension of 2024 Compliance Deadline
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rule on December 12, 2024, that would partially waive the 2024 cellulosic biofuel volume requirement and revise the associated percentage standard under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program due to a shortfall in cellulosic biofuel production. 89 Fed. Reg. 100442. As a result of this proposed change, EPA proposes to extend the RFS compliance reporting deadline for the 2024 compliance year. According to the proposed rule,...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on December 20, 2024, that the United States prevailed in its dispute under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) challenging certain Mexican biotechnology measures concerning genetically engineered (GE) corn. Under a February 2023 presidential decree, Mexico banned immediately the use of GE corn in dough and tortillas and instructed government agencies to eliminate gradually the use of GE corn for other food uses and in animal...
January 6, 2025
FY 2025 NDAA Includes Biotechnology Provisions
The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology announced on December 18, 2024, that the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act includes “a suite of recommendations designed to galvanize action on biotechnology” for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). According to the Commission, the bill includes new authorities and requirements — derived from its May 2024 proposals — that will position DOD and the intelligence community (IC) to maximize the benefits of...
January 3, 2025
White House OSTP Announces Availability of Federal Sustainable Chemistry Strategic Plan
On December 19, 2024, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) announced the availability of the Federal Sustainable Chemistry Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan). As reported in our January 19, 2021, memorandum, Subtitle E of TII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA for FY2021) includes the text of the bipartisan Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019. Subtitle E establishes an interagency working group led by OSTP...