by Curtis Tate (NorthJersey.com) ... The flammable biofuel is transported in trains that look virtually identical to the oil trains that have
Transportation Policy
Back TO HOMERep. Upton Files Bill to ‘Harmonize’ MPG Rrules
by Keith Laing (Detroit News) U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, has introduced legislation that would allow automakers to apply credits
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Experts Urge Railroads to Improve Tracks, Tank Cars for Hazardous Fuel Shipments
by Bart Jansen (USA Today) Railroads need to repair tracks better and continue to upgrade tank cars as they haul more
October 12, 2017 Read Full Article
GM’s Barra Skeptical of Electric Car Mandates
by Keith Laing (Detroit News) General Motors Co. CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday that Chinese officials should consider whether there is
October 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups Testify at EPA Hearing on CAFE-GHG Standards
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy, the American Coalition for Ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Association are among
September 12, 2017 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Files NHTSA Comments in Support of Ethanol Blends
(Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy recently filed comments with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as it prepares an environmental impact
August 30, 2017 Read Full Article
EPA Public Hearing on the Reconsideration of the Midterm Evaluation Final Determination September 6, 2017 in Washington DC; Comment period DEADLINE: October 5, 2017
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) EPA will hold a public hearing on September 6, 2017 in Washington DC to hear public
August 21, 2017 Read Full Article
Project Aims to Turn Roads into Energy Source
(Advantage News) The Illinois Department of Transportation has approved implementation of a renewable energy demonstration project using grasses collected from
August 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump’s Withdrawal from Paris Is Bad News for the ICAO Emissions Deal
by Aaron Karp (Air Transport World) I expect to hear a lot of talk over the coming days, particularly at
June 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Calls for Indian Government to Lower Taxes on Biodiesel and Hybrid Cars
(Biofuels International) Indian union minister Nitin Gadkari will urge the country’s finance minister to reduce the goods and services tax
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Let's Not Rush with Diesel
by Seppo Mikkonen (Neste) According to recent estimates, there will be a stop to diesel-fueled traffic. The resistance to diesel
May 25, 2017 Read Full Article
Peters, Alexander & Stabenow Reintroduce Vehicle Innovation Act Bipartisan Bill Boosts R&D for Fuel Efficient Vehicle Technologies
(Office of Senator Gary Peters) U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced they
May 23, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Says He's Willing to Consider Raising Gas Tax
by Josh Boak and Jill Colvin (Associated Press/ABC News) President Donald Trump on Monday said he will explore the possibility
May 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Says He’d Consider Increasing the Gas Tax
by Damian Paletta (The Washington Post) President Trump on Monday said he was open to raising the federal tax on gasoline
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
California Gov. Approves Fuel Tax, Vehicle Fee Transportation Package
(NGT News) California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. has signed into law the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017,
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Automakers Hope to Reach U.S. Deal on 2025 Vehicle Emissions
by David Shepardson (Reuters) A trade group for automakers said on Tuesday it hopes to reach a deal with California and
April 13, 2017 Read Full Article
New, Safer U.S. Rail Cars Gather Dust even as Ethanol Trains Grow Longer
by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Prentice (Reuters) ... But the incident in Iowa underscores the growing risk of another serious
March 27, 2017 Read Full Article
ICAO Council Adopts New CO2 Emissions Standard for Aircraft
(International Civil Aviation Organization) The 36-State ICAO Council has adopted a new aircraft CO2 emissions standard which will reduce the impact
March 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Report: Six States Propose New Electric Vehicle Fees
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) The Sierra Club says six states have proposed legislation this year that would add to
February 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Auto Dealers Want Trump to Weaken Car Emissions Rules
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) Auto dealers are joining the call from carmakers for President Trump to roll back his
February 05, 2017 Read Full Article
U.S. Energy Department Publishes "The Transforming Mobility Ecosystem: Enabling an Energy-Efficient Future"
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department published a report titled, “The Transforming Mobility Ecosystem: Enabling an Energy-Efficient Future.” Over the
January 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Proposed Determination: Midterm Evaluation of Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Standards for Model Years 2022-2025 --- Comments due December 30, 2016
(Environmental Protection Agency) On November 30, 2016, the Administrator proposed to determine that the MY 2022-2025 standards remain appropriate and that a
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
NATSO Asks DOT to Work with Existing Business on Alternative Fuel Corridors
(The Trucker News Services) NATSO, the national association representing travel plazas and truck stops, has called on the Department of
August 31, 2016 Read Full Article
U.S. Rejects Automakers Request to Extend Fuel Comment Deadline
by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. regulators late on Monday denied a request by major automakers to extend the comment period
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA and DOT Finalize Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles
(Environmental Protection Agency) Standards address second-largest segment of U.S. transportation in terms of emissions and energy use -- The U.S.
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
The Pew Charitable Trusts Advocates for Strong Fuel Efficiency Standards
(The Pew Charitable Trusts) ... Federal agencies are evaluating the standards that apply to model year (MY) 2022-25 passenger vehicles and
August 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Future Freight Plan for California Depends on Clean Diesel Power to Achieve Environmental, Economic and Sustainability Goals
(Diesel Technology Forum) The major environmental, economic and efficiency goals sought in California’s proposed sustainable freight plan will be attainable
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
LaHood: Stick with Final 54.5 mpg Standards
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is optimistic that auto manufacturers can meet the Obama administration's
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
LaHood: Raise the Gas Tax or America’s ‘One Big Pothole’
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) Lawmakers must raise the gas tax and index it to inflation, or "America's going to
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Norton Says She'll Keep Fighting Against Ethanol Shipments Through D.C.
by Patrick Madden (WAMU) D.C.’s delegate to Congress says the government should ban ethanol and other flammable substances from being transported
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
You Can't Always Get What You Want: What the Rolling Stones and Emerging Technologies Have in Common
(Diesel Technology Forum) Efforts to develop and “commercialize” emerging technologies in the time horizons considered may not provide substantial air
May 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Completes the Puzzle
by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) We have a tremendous opportunity to make the case in the Midterm Review
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Industry Group Drops Low-Carbon Fuel Fight
by Hillary Borrud (Portland Tribune) An oil industry group announced Thursday it will abandon a bid to get voters to
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Centre to Have a New Transport Department Soon: Nitin Gadkari
by Elizabeth Roche (Live Mint) The government will set up a transport department, which will tie up with green funds and
March 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Are Low Diesel Prices Hurting Biofuels Companies?
by John O’Dell (Forbes/Trucks.com) With diesel fuel prices hovering at lows not seen in a decade, the smart money might bet
March 21, 2016 Read Full Article
What Are the CAFE Standards, and Why Do They Matter?
by Robin Vercruse (Fuel Freedom) ... Initially focused on reducing our nation’s petroleum use in the wake of the oil crisis
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
How Cheap Oil Is Undermining Obama's Fuel-Economy Rules
by Brad Plummer (VOX) ... Note that the CAFE standards come up for a midterm review in 2017. Some automakers have
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Cheap Gas Spurs SUV Sales and Puts U.S. Climate Goals at Risk
by David Shepardson and Paul Lienert (Reuters) Surging demand for trucks and SUVs fueled by cheap gasoline is holding back
December 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Ten States Impose EV Flat Fees; Georgia Is Highest
by Danny King (AutoBlog) Washington, Colorado, Virginia And Oregon Also On Growing List -- These fees were put into
December 03, 2015 Read Full Article
After Weeks of Negotiations, Congress Finalizes 5-year Transportation Bill
by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) ... The long-sought bill protects funding for transit from those who argued it should be
December 02, 2015 Read Full Article
How Michigan’s New Road Funding Plan Affects Alt-Fuel Vehicles
by Tony Antonelli (Next Gen Transportation News) ... Notably, three of the bills – H.B.4736, H.B.4738 and H.B.4614 (now P.A.174, P.A.176
November 19, 2015 Read Full Article
The President's Long Game on Fossil Fuels
by James P. Lenfestey (Star Tribune) ... Keystone would not, as Obama noted, have any noticeable economic benefit to
November 10, 2015 Read Full Article
Congress Misses a Chance to Improve the Transportation Bill
(The Washington Post) ... But the process apparently isn’t open enough to allow for a vote on the most obvious
November 05, 2015 Read Full Article
Oregon's Clean Fuels Law Ignites More Political Wrangling
by Ian K. Kullgren (The Oregonian/Oregon Live) ... One of the law's biggest advocates threatened to join forces with opponents this
September 21, 2015 Read Full Article
Survey: Americans Don't Want to Pay for Neighbor's EV
(American Energy Alliance) Today, the American Energy Alliance released a new survey examining voters’ attitudes toward transportation policy, specifically government
September 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Reading the Green Like a Pro—Heavy Duty Truck GHG Phase 2 Mandates Can Help You Ace It!
by Fran Flynn (Biofuels Digest/ Fleet Advantage) On the putting green, the golfer who putts last has the advantage of
August 27, 2015 Read Full Article
From Small Cars to Pickup Trucks, Automakers Aren’t Just Meeting Efficiency Standards, They’re Exceeding Them
(Union of Concerned Scientists) The emissions and efficiency standards for vehicles have been a big success, according to a new
May 29, 2015 Read Full Article
Transportation Dept. Gets Strict on Rules for Trains Carrying Flammable Oil
by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) Almost two years after a runaway tank-car train erupted in an explosion that
May 04, 2015 Read Full Article
Bill Would Hike Gas Tax to Pay for Roads
by Keith Laing (The Hill) A bipartisan group of House members has filed legislation to hike the federal gas tax
April 17, 2015 Read Full Article
US Safety Board: Oil Train Tank Cars Need Urgent Upgrades
by Matthew Brown (Associated Press/Monterey Herald) Fuel-hauling tank cars need retrofits to prevent more explosive train wrecks — and the public
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Gas Tax Hike Looking More Palatable to Republicans
by Fawn Johnson (National Journal) Some lawmakers say there needs to be a rebate for low-income families. Others call it
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
The Chamber of Commerce Conveniently Forgets Its Attacks on Obama
by Dana Milbank (The Washington Post) Tom Donohue, the longtime president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sounded ebullient as
January 15, 2015 Read Full Article
Five Myths about Gas Taxes
by Paul Bledsoe (The Washington Post) A dramatic 40 percent drop in oil prices since June has prompted new discussion aboutraising
December 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Report on Rail Car Retrofits Pegs $5.3 B Cost to Ethanol in 2019
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A new report prepared by economic research firm The Brattle Group showed that the
December 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Exclusive Interview With RFA CEO/President Bob Dinneen at RFA Annual Membership Meeting in Des Moines, IA
by Jerry Perkins (BioFuels Journal) ... RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen outlined the issues facing the Washington, DC-based ethanol advocacy organization which
October 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Commodities: DDGS Value Comes Down to Logistics
by Sean Broderick (CHS/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Chinese MIR 162 (Syngenta trait corn) issues are still not resolved, leaving significant amounts
October 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Pushes Back on Rail Safety Improvements
by Curtis Tate (McClatchy News Service/Star Tribune) The industry disputes finding that ethanol is more volatile than crude. Ethanol producers are
October 02, 2014 Read Full Article
Proposal Threatens to Aggravate Shortage of Railcars to Move Oil
by Bob Tita (Wall Street Journal) Thousands of Tank Cars Are Likely to Be Scrapped or Redeployed Under Federal Safety
August 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Comment Period Starts for Oil-Train Rules
by Timothy Cama (The Hill) The Obama administration Friday formally published proposals in the Federal Register to strengthen safety rules for trains carrying crude
August 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Expresses Concern Over Continued Rail Shipment Delays
(Growth Energy) In response to a recent order by the Surface Transportation Board (STB), which called on specific rail providers
July 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Saudi Arabia Plans To Raise Fuel Economy--But Not Gas Prices
by John Voelcker (Green Car Reports) ... Now, another country is discussing new regulations that would require both new and
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Asks for Relief from Rail Delays
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) The ethanol industry Monday urged a federal regulator overseeing the nation's railroads to provide
July 09, 2014 Read Full Article
The Political Problem behind Our Crumbling Highways
by Paul Waldman (The Washington Post) ... The Congressional Budget Office says that starting next year, the fund won’t have enough money to
July 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Canada Issues New Tank Car Requirements for Ethanol, Crude Oil
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Canadian government has announced a plan improve rail safety. It includes a requirement
April 28, 2014 Read Full Article
RFA Committed to Rail Safety, Says Priority One Is Keeping Trains on the Tracks
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today (April 23, 2014), Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), testified before
April 24, 2014 Read Full Article
U.S. Transportation: Driving Down the Same Old (Bumpy) Road or Paving a New Way Forward?
by Bill Chameides (Duke University) While the Highway Trust Fund did a fine job of funding infrastructure maintenance for decades, it
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Combative Oil, Ethanol Industries Find Common Ground over Tank Cars
by Blake Sobczak and Amanda Peterka (E&E Publishers Energy Wire) Orlando, Fla., was home to a rare occurrence last week:
February 28, 2014 Read Full Article
U.S. Oil, Ethanol Say Billions to Upgrade Rail Safety too Costly
by Patrick Rucker (TD Waterhouse) Rail safety rules contemplated by U.S. regulators could require multibillion dollar upgrades to a tank
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
House Bill Seeks to Increase Gas Tax by 15 Cents per Gallon
by Ashley Halsey III (The Washington Post) With Congress facing a major shortfall in transportation funding next year, a House bill
December 05, 2013 Read Full Article
Infrastructure, Energy and Natural Resources: Senate Finance Committee Staff Tax Reform Options for Discussion
(US Senate Finance Committee) This document is the fourth in a series of papers compiling tax reform options that Finance Committee
April 26, 2013 Read Full Article
New R&D Strategies for a New Era
by Douglas L. Faulkner with contributions from Jacques Beaudry-Losique (Biofuels Digest) ...We believe it is time for bioenergy industry leaders to
April 26, 2013 Read Full Article
EERE Transportation Energy Futures Study: Deep Reductions in Petroleum Use and Carbon Emissions
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The Environmental and Energy Studies Institute (EESI) and the Department of Energy Office of Energy
April 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Transforming Transportation 2013
By Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) The Transforming Transportation ’13 conference, held at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC,
January 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Tankers Have Dangerous Flaw
by Jason Keyser (Associated Press/St. Louis Post Dispatch) For two decades, one of the most commonly used types of rail
September 18, 2012 Read Full Article
EPA, DOT Finalize Fuel Efficiency Rule, Address Biofuel Comments
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA and U.S. Department of Transportation finalized new fuel efficiency standards on
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
In the Year 2025: Cars and Trucks Are Going To Get Great Gas Mileage
by Josh Vorhees (Slate) The Obama administration is set today to formally sign off on its latest round of strict
August 28, 2012 Read Full Article
Proposed CAFE Standards Could Pose Deadly Threat to Biofuels
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A coalition of agriculture and bioenergy groups, led by the 25x’25 organization, filed late comments with
July 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Ag Interests Say Biofuel Production Not "Incentivized"
(FarmProgress.com) Ag interest groups filed comments with the National Highway Traffic Safety Council and others Thursday calling for increased incentives
June 20, 2012 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces $1 Billion Fund to Promote Energy Efficient Vehicles
by Matt Compton (White House Blog) Today, (March 7, 2012) President Obama made a trip to a manufacturing plant for
March 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Obama’s Green-Car Plan Runs Into Alternative-Fuel Limits
by Angela Greiling Keane and Jeff Green (Bloomberg) President Barack Obama’s administration is buying fewer hybrid and electric cars and more
February 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Thirsty for More: Ethanol’s High Octane Rating May Be the Ticket for Meeting Escalating Fuel Efficiency Standards in Engines
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards unveiled
February 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Automakers Press for Some Changes to Fuel Rules
by David Shephardson (Detroit News) Automakers asked the Obama administration Monday to make modest changes to a proposed boost in
February 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Sensenbrenner's Position Isn't Best for Wisconsin
by Bob Sather (Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel/Wisconsin Bio-Industry Alliance) This week, U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) once again failed to
February 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Visionary Group in Montana Tells Us Their Rural Transit Success Story
by David Goldberg (Transportation for America) ...To fill gaps in service, Opportunity Link two years ago led the creation of North
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Subsidy Foes Sponsor $64,000 Per Truck Natural gas Subsidy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Recently, it became clear what fuel Rep. Boren did like in his truck, natural gas,
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
US, Australia Sign Key Aviation Biofuels Accord
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) MOU covers feedstock readiness, sustainability, data sharing, fuels certification, plus development of new alternative fuel
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Diesel Power Ready to Meet Challenge To Achieve Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Increased Fuel Efficiency in Trucks & Buses
(Diesel Technology Forum) Diesel engines – which power more than 95 percent of America’s commercial trucks and 85 percent of
August 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Programs Prepare for Debt Deal Pain
by Darren Goode & Darren Samuelsohn (Politico) Popular energy and environmental programs should prepare for a decade of spending cuts
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
President Obama Announces New Fuel Economy Standards
(The White House) President Obama today announced the next phase in the Administration’s program to increase fuel efficiency and reduce
July 29, 2011 Read Full Article
AMA Wants Motorcycles Included in Study of Ethanol-Blended Fuel
(American Motorcycle Association) The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is asking a key U.S. House panel to include motorcycles and all-terrain
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Ford, Toyota Criticize EPA Ethanol-Blend Fuel Proposal
(Bloomberg) Automakers including Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. criticized an Environmental Protection Agency proposal to
July 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Open Fuel Standard Legislation Is Bad for the Environment; Bad for Biofuels
(Advanced Biofuels USA) Shale Natural Gas Does Not Belong in Pro-Environmental Legislation A new legislative analysis by Advanced Biofuels USA concludes
June 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Is the Open Fuel Standard Good for Advanced Biofuels or for the USA? Don’t Think So!
by Robert Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) A proposal called the Open Fuel Standard (OFS) has recently been included in a
June 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Next Generation Fuel Economy Labels Arm Consumers with Information They Can Use
by Ray LaHood (Department of Transportation) ...Because of President Obama's efforts and automakers' innovations, Americans today have many more options
May 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Presidential Memorandum--Federal Fleet Performance
(The White House) The Federal Government operates the largest fleet of light duty vehicles in America. We owe a responsibility
May 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Baucus Crafts Oil Tax Break Repeal Plan Amid High Profit Reports
by Ben Geman (The Hill/E2Wire) Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) struck while the iron was hot Thursday and
May 03, 2011 Read Full Article
Flex Fuel Pumps and a Green Energy Economy
by Tom Vilsack (The White House Blog) ...Today there are millions of so-called ‘flex fuel vehicles’ on the road that
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Propel Fuels CEO Lays Out Biofuels Infrastructure Vision
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Propel Fuels’ CEO Matt Horton explained to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
April 18, 2011 Read Full Article
Senate Energy Committee Explores Biofuel Infrastructure Expansion
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Senate energy committee held a two-hour hearing April 7 to discuss proposed legislation
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
USDA Program Provides Consumers More Choices at the Pump With Flex-Fuel Options
(US Department of Agriculture) Funding for Flex-Fuel Pumps Will Help Build Out Critical Infrastructure and Promote Greater Use of Biofuels Agriculture
April 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Senate Hearing Examines Oil Price Spikes, Role of Biofuels
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) During a U.S. Senate committee hearing on March 30, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said
March 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Congressional Budget Office Publishes Alternative Approaches to Funding Highways
(Congressional Budget Office) The federal government collects revenues from taxes paid by highway users, mostly from those levied on gasoline and
March 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Proposed Senate Bill S.559: Securing America’s Future with Energy and Sustainable Technologies Act Comment on the Bill from an Advanced Biofuels Perspective
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) US Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) recently introduced Senate Bill
March 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Is It Time for an Oil Tax?
by Henry Blodget (Huffington Post) ...Over the long term, of course, given a finite supply of oil and ever-increasing demand
February 25, 2011 Read Full Article
10 to watch: Senators on Energy
by Darren Goode (Politico) With Republicans controlling the House and ramping up oversight and investigations of the Obama administration, focus