B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

On April 28, 2015, the European Parliament approved a draft law restricting crop-based biofuels in order to encourage production of advanced biofuels with low-risk ILUC and cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The law, that was discussed in the April 23, 2015, Biobased and Renewable Products Update, applies to legislation requiring EU Member States ensure that at least 10 percent of energy used in transport by 2020 is renewable. Under the new law, no more than...

On April 29, 2015, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) released a draft standard titled "Low iLUC Risk Biomass Criteria and Compliance Indicators" that will allow producers to show that they generate biofuels crops with a low-risk of indirect land use change (ILUC). The standards take into account yield increase, unused or degraded land, use of waste or residues, and integrated sugarcane and cattle production. The RSB standard is intended to be used in conjunction...

Sofinnova Partners has announced an award for renewable chemistry start-up companies to be presented at the 2015 Bio World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. The winner will be able to pitch its project at the conference. Companies must have revenue below $5 million and be active in renewable chemistry, industrial biotechnology, or renewable fuels in order to be eligible for the award. There will be an online vote for the top five companies, and an industry...

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee published a notice in the April 30, 2015, Federal Register announcing an open meeting that will provide advice and guidance on promoting research and development leading to the production of biobased fuels and biobased products. The meeting will include updates on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and DOE biomass activities, updates on the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, an...

(BIO) released a new white paper on “Estimating Chilled Investment for Advanced Biofuels Due to RFS Uncertainty,” along with an accompanying press release. BIO examined the impact of EPA’s recent inability in administering the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on investment in advanced and cellulosic biofuels. It has found that EPA’s delay in issuing the final 2013 and 2014 RFS rules, among other delays in RFS administration, is responsible for most of the...

Biofuels Digest is running a "Thought Leadership" series of articles highlighting some of the ways the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) applies to biobased products. The articles, written by Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) Senior Policy Advisor and former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Chemistry program, Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., cover key points throughout the manufacturing and commercialization process at which...

Iowa Senate bill SF 350: the Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Program was introduced in March 2015, and is awaiting review in the Ways & Means Committee. If passed, the legislation will allow producers of renewable chemicals in Iowa to claim a five cent per pound tax credit, with a maximum credit of $1 million for businesses operating in Iowa for five years or less, and a maximum credit of $500,000 for businesses operating in...

On April 22, 2015, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack celebrated Earth Day by announcing that USDA "is providing more than $112 million in loans and grants to help rural communities build and upgrade their water and energy infrastructure systems." The funding for the energy infrastructure programs is provided through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), and funds a total of 25 renewable energy projects. The grants support government bodies, utilities,...

On April 24, 2015, EPA released a Federal Register notice inviting comment on analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced during the production and transport of Brassica carinata (carinata) oil feedstock for use in the production of biofuels. The plant is not used for food in the U.S., and has high concentrations of erucic acid, making it attractive for use in biolubricants and biopolymers, as well as biofuels. EPA anticipates that biofuels produced using...

On April 23, 2015, a bi-partisan group of 37 Senators led by Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), Al Franken (D-MN), and Mark Kirk (R-IL) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy urging a strong final 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The full list of 37 co-signors and text of the letter is available on Senator Grassley's website. The Senators urge EPA to reconsider...

On April 28, 2015, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW Committee) passed by a 15-5 vote a version of S. 697, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. This action by the EPW Committee paves the way for consideration of S. 697 — legislation to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) — by the full U.S. Senate. The authors of S. 697, Senators David...

? 3LB Media, "Arla Food Eko Brand Organic Milk Now in Tetra Rex® Bio-Based" ? Washington State University, "Researchers Use Plant Oils for Novel Bio-Based Plastics" ? The Hill, "Clinton Meets with Ethanol Representatives" ? The Hill, "Former Obama Advisor Suggests Changes to Ethanol Mandate" ? Business Wire, "NexSteppe Demonstrates Dedicated Biomass Crops at Commercial Scale" ? Phys.Org, "Tobacco Plants May Boost Biofuel and Biorefining...

On April 14, 2015, Members of the European Parliament and certain ministers agreed to limit how biofuels derived from agricultural crops would be accounted for in the European Union's (EU) goal to increase the use of renewable energy. The new law caps the use of first generation biofuels to seven percent of the total energy use being counted towards the EU's renewable energy goal of ten percent. Member States will have the opportunity to reduce...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, has announced the recipients of the 2015 Wood Innovations Grants. More than 40 projects were awarded over $9 million to expand and accelerate wood energy and wood product markets. The $9 million will leverage private investments from partners, resulting in a total of $31 million distributed to grant winners across 23 different states. The projects range from "Composting Forest Biomass to Reduce...

As referenced in last week's Biobased and Renewable Products Update, EPA published a Proposed Consent Decree along with a request for comment in response to the Clean Air Act (CAA) lawsuit filed by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and the American Petroleum Institute (API). The decree will establish deadlines for EPA to propose and issue in final the 2015 RFS. Comments are being accepted until May 20, 2015....

On April 21, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the initial installment of its Quadrennial Energy Review (QER). This first installment focuses on ways to modernize the U.S. energy infrastructure to increase the country's energy competitiveness and security. In its QER, DOE points out that while U.S. biofuel production has increased significantly over the past decade — due largely to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) –"[c]ontinued growth in ethanol use...

Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. (Elevance) was named a 2015 New Energy Pioneer award winner by Bloomberg New Energy Finance on April 13, 2015. Elevance CEO K'Lynne Johnson accepted the award on behalf of the company. Bloomberg New Energy Finance recognized Elevance and nine other companies as revolutionizing the energy sector in potential scale, innovation, and momentum. Elevance's recent introductions include the...

On April 1, 2015, the Governor of Ohio, John Kasich (R), signed the 2016-2017 Transportation Budget Bill (Sub. H.B. 53). The state transportation budget does not include a requirement on alternative fuel use in the state vehicle fleet, a requirement that had been in place since 2006. Ohio Department of Transportation's Matt Bruning stated that the requirement mandated the state increase the amount of alternative fuels each year with no cap in place, resulting in...

On April 9, 2015, the Pentagon released the Rocky Mountain/West Coast/Offshore Bulk Fuels Annual Buy (RMW) solicitation for biofuels on the FedBizOpps website. This purchase program supports the goal set by the Secretary of the Navy to have half of the Department of the Navy's energy come from alternative sources by 2020. Funding to defray additional biofuel costs for the RMW program is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Commodity Credit Corporation....

On April 14, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy & Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy held a hearing on the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015 discussion draft (TMA-DD). An analysis of the April 7, 2015, TMA-DD is available on the Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) website. The April 14, 2015, witnesses’ testimonies are posted on the Energy & Commerce Committee website....

On April 10, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lodged with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia a proposed consent decree to resolve litigation challenging the delay in issuing Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) for 2014 and 2015 brought by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) against EPA. The consent decree would establish EPA’s schedule for issuing a RFS for 2014 and 2015. In its...

On April 3, 2015, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) held a Public Workshop to discuss updates to the California-Modified Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (CA-GREET) Model, version 2.0, under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The update includes improved formulas to calculate Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC), and an updated model for calculating lifecycle Carbon Intensity (CI) values that is based on Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET model....

On March 26, 2015, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced S. 899, the Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act of 2015, a bill to provide regulatory relief to alternative fuel producers and consumers. The bill would require EPA to provide a volatility waiver to E15, allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold year round. Fuels have volatility limits in the summer to prevent excess evaporation that results in smog. Some areas cannot...

On March 26, 2015, Representative Todd Young (R-IN) introduced H.R. 1665, the Alternative Fuel Tax Parity Act, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to equalize the excise tax on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (propane). This legislation would attach federal tax parities for LNG and propane to the Alternative Fuel Tax Credit (AFTC) that currently covers alternative fuel mixtures, alcohol fuel, and biodiesel. The AFTC has expired and is awaiting...

On April 7, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce announced that the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy will hold a legislative hearing on a new discussion draft of the TSCA [Toxic Substances Control Act] Modernization Act, released by Committee Chair John Shimkus (R-IL) the same day — April 7, 2015. The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2015, at 10:15 a.m. (EDT) in Room 2322 of the Rayburn...

On March 26, 2015, a group of ethanol and agricultural groups sent a letter (the industry letter) to the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies to express their strong opposition to including certain language harmful to the ethanol industry in the Fiscal Year 2016 Agriculture, Rural Development, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Programs Appropriations bill....

On March 25, 2015, EPA announced the direct final rule, Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Cellulosic Waiver Credit Price and Minor Amendments to Renewable Fuel Standard Regulations, that would result in cellulosic waiver credit prices being posted on the EPA website rather than as a result of the rulemaking process. This would allow the credit prices to be announced as soon as the needed data for the wholesale price of gasoline is available, which...

On March 30, 2015, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) submitted a petition to EPA seeking reconsideration and a request for stay of EPA’s approval of the Argentinian Camara Argentina de Biocombustibles (CARBIO) Alternative Biomass Tracking Program. According to the NBB press release, EPA failed to provide an opportunity for public comment on the EPA decision and a lack of transparency as to how the Argentinian biodiesel producers will demonstrate compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard...

On March 30, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew a Direct Final Rule for Partial Exemption of Certain Chemical Substances from Reporting Additional Chemical Data. The direct final rule, issued in January 2015, would have exempted manufacturers of six biobased diesel chemicals from reporting processing and use information for the compounds under the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule. It resulted from a regulatory petition filed by the Biobased and Renewable Advocacy...

On March 26, 2015, Mr. David Saltman, Chairman of Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) member company Malama Composites, spoke at NPE2015: The International Plastics Showcase on “Designing the Future: How Materials Can Change the World.”  ...

On March 18, 2015, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced S. 791, “The American Energy Renaissance Act of 2015.” Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 1487. The legislation would phase out the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), approve the Keystone XL pipeline, open Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas exploration, and stop EPA from regulating GHG emissions. Under the bill, the RFS would start to be phased out in 2016 with a...

On March 20, 2015, the Notice of Opportunity to Comment on an Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Attributable to Production and Transport of Pennycress (Thlaspi Arvense) Oil for Use in Biofuel Production that was discussed in the March 19, 2015, Biobased and Renewable Products Update was published in the Federal Register. The docket number is EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0091 and comments on the notice close on April 20, 2015.  ...

EPA is accepting public comments through May 26, 2015, on two proposed information collection requests (ICR) published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. The proposed ICRs concern projected cellulosic biofuels volumes and gasoline containing greater than 10 volume percent ethanol up to 15 volume percent ethanol (E15). Comments received will assist EPA as the agency prepares to submit the final ICRs to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its official...

On March 19, 2015, the White House published an Executive Order signed by President Obama that would further a preference for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred products. Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade sets new greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets for federal agencies to reach by 2025 and increases renewable energy use and building efficiency, while reducing fleet emissions in the federal government. The new targets would reduce total GHG emissions by...

On March 18, 2015, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing on the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (S. 697). Supporters of S. 697 maintain that it significantly improves the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by providing more authority and funding to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate new and existing chemicals. Critics of the bill argue that while the perfect may...

DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Clean Energy Research and Educational Foundation (CEREF) are co-hosting Bioenergy 2015: Opportunities in a Changing Energy Landscape, scheduled for June 23-24, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This year’s conference will focus on opportunities and challenges in our current highly dynamic energy ecosystem.  ...

The Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota is advocating strongly for two bills in the state that if passed would result in a two-year, $5 million production incentive for producers, and a capital loan equipment program. The bills, HF 536 and SF 517, would benefit companies that develop biochemicals, advanced biofuels, and anaerobic digestion projects. There is concern, however, that the legislation would increase the production of corn rather than encourage the production of crops that do...

On March 12, 2015, Christopher Grundler, Director of EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, signed the Notice Of Opportunity to Comment on an Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Attributable to Production and Transport of Pennycress (Thlaspi Avense) Oil for Use in Biofuel Production. This notice states that biofuels produced from pennycress oil could qualify as biomass-based diesel or advanced biofuel when they are produced using typical fuel production process technologies....

On March 13, 2015, the National Academies issued Industrialization Of Biology: A Roadmap To Accelerate The Advanced Manufacturing Of Chemicals, a 143-page report prepared in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to “develop a roadmap of necessary advances in basic science and engineering capabilities, including knowledge, tools and skills” to accelerate the advanced manufacturing of chemicals using biological systems....

On Wednesday, March 18, 2015, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) held a hearing on S. 697, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The following individuals testified during the hearing: James Jones, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Dr. Richard Denison, Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund; Dr. Edward McCabe, Senior Vice President and Chief...

The Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) is underway in Washington, and the discussions and presentations have been lively. At the opening “Policy Outlook” forum Wednesday morning, Biofuels Digest Editor Jim Lane welcomed the leaders gathered, including more than 130 C-level attendees, and introduced the heads of the “7 families” on the dais representing the key trade groups involved in biobased policy, one of which is the Biobased and Renewable Products...

On March 2, 2015, the winners of the 2015 Bio Business Awards were announced at the World Bio Markets (WBM) event in Amsterdam. The awards are designed to reward innovation and leadership in the development of sustainable and renewable fuel and chemical solutions. Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation was named the WBM Industry Champion 2015, DuPont’s Sorona Fiber won an award for Breakthrough Biobased Technology Platform, and Elevance Renewable Sciences won the Biobased Product Innovation...

Last week, EPA unveiled the new Safer Choice label. According to the EPA website, a product with the Safer Choice label means that EPA scientists have reviewed every ingredient in that product to ensure they meet the rigorous health and environmental criteria included in the Safer Choice Standard. Companies wishing to learn how to qualify for the Safer Choice label should visit EPA’s Resources for Safer Choice Product Manufacturers.  ...

On March 7, 2015, the 2015 Iowa Ag Summit brought together several Republican Presidential hopefuls to discuss agricultural issues, including the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), in the United States. The potential candidates present at the summit included former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL), Governor Scott Walker (R-WI), Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former Governor George Pataki (R-NY), former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR), former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), and former...

On March 10, 2015, Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and David Vitter (R-LA) introduced the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, a bipartisan bill that would reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The bill has 15 co-sponsors — seven Democrats and eight Republicans. The bill builds on the proposed Chemical Safety Improvement Act offered by Senator Vitter and the late Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) in 2013. According to the overview provided...

On February 24, 2015, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced $5.2 million in funding that would go to the design and construction of a pilot scale biofuel production facility in Perth. The company in charge of creating the facility is Renergi, a startup established in 2012 with the goal of commercializing a suite of energy technologies that were developed in Curtin University’s Fuels and Energy Technology Institute. The production facility will contain a 100...

On February 25, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the third round of Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Renewable Energy Project Development Assistance that provides tribal governments and entities with support to produce clean and renewable energy. The START program was launched in December 2011 and has helped 21 tribal communities advance solar, wind, biofuels, and energy efficiency projects. The program is open to Indian Tribes, Alaska Native regional...

On February 26, 2015, the Oregon State Senate passed Senate Bill 324 (SB 324), a measure that would require fuel producers to reduce the amount of carbon in car and truck fuels. If passed by the Oregon House of Representatives, SB 324 will implement a low-carbon standard in the state of Oregon. The measure is modeled on California’s fuel standard, and would require fuel importers to cut the carbon in fuels by 10 percent from...

On February 25, 2015, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittees on Energy and Power and Environment and the Economy held a joint hearing on “The Fiscal Year 2016 EPA Budget.” During the hearing, both supporters and opponents of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) criticized U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy on the Agency’s implementation of the program. RFS supporters pointed out...

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) is accepting research and education grant applications for projects to integrate science and engineering research in: (1) feedstock development; (2) biofuels and biobased products development; or (3) biofuels development analysis. A description of the solicitation, eligibility requirements, and application instructions for the BRDI program can be found at www.grants.gov under...