WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, seeking to tamp down political fallout in U.S. farm states essential to his re-election, has ordered federal agencies to shift course on relieving some oil refineries of requirements to use biofuel such as corn-based ethanol.

Continue reading “Trump Orders Biofuel Boost in Bid to Temper Farm State Anger”

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a method to insert genes into a variety of microorganisms that previously would not accept foreign DNA, with the goal of creating custom microbes to break down plants for bioenergy. Microbes are the most abundant life forms on earth. They influence the growth of plants, digest food in the human gut, transform … Continue reading Method to Customize Microbes for Better Biofuel Production

US agricultural trade groups on Friday told the Trump administration a proposed biofuel reform package falls short of expectations, four sources familiar with discussions said, complicating plans the administration had for presenting the proposal to President Donald Trump. Trump was expected to meet with Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture officials on Friday afternoon to discuss the proposal meant to assuage farmers angry about … Continue reading Biofuel Plan Faces Fresh Backlash From US Agriculture

It is a truth (almost) universally acknowledged that the world needs to stop consuming so many fossil fuels–and to do so in a big hurry–if we are to have any hope lowering global carbon emissions in time to curb catastrophic climate change and to meet the goals set by the Paris climate agreement. In fact, according to an alarming 2018 study by the Intergovernmental Panel … Continue reading The Ugly Truth About Biofuels

DECATUR, Ill. (Reuters) – President Donald Trump is likely to announce a plan that aims to mitigate the impact of waivers granted to oil refineries on biofuel demand in the next couple of weeks, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Wednesday. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the Illinois Farm Progress Show, Perdue said Trump would like to deliver the news himself … Continue reading Trump To Unveil Biofuel Plan Soon

BRUSSELS/PARIS/JAKARTA, July 24 (Reuters) – The European Commission has proposed duties ranging from 8% to 18% on imports of biodiesel from Indonesia to counter what it says are unfair subsidies, the latest twist in a case that has lasted seven years. The subsidies would be a double blow for Indonesian biodiesel after the European Union decided in March that palm oil should no longer be … Continue reading EU To Impose Import Duties on Indonesia Biodiesel

A team of researchers from South Korea has developed a new strategy to efficiently produce fatty acids and biofuels from glucose. In a study published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, researchers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have shown how glucose and oleaginous microorganisms can be transformed into microbial diesel fuel, through direct fermentative production. Developed by Professor Sang Yup Lee and … Continue reading New Way to Produce Biodiesel from Glucose

Boeing today announced a USD 1 million investment in Brazil’s efforts to establish a sustainable aviation fuel industry. The investment will focus on initiatives that maximize social, economic and environmental benefits to local communities engaged in the development of feedstock that can be used to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In 2018, the company provided an additional USD 1 million to the industry’s efforts in … Continue reading Boeing to Expand Investment in Brazil Biofuel