Biofuels
Insight for Industry – Energy Efficiency Improvement Act Will Reduce Energy Demand The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, which President Obama signed into law on April 30, will add momentum to falling energy consumption per capita in the United States by reducing energy demand from commercial buildings, manufacturing plants, and homes. The relatively uncontroversial…...
Coal has long reigned as the leading energy source for U.S. electricity generation, but structural changes in U.S. energy markets, brought on by technological innovations and new regulatory initiatives, have called into question the future of the coal industry. For over a century, the coal industry has provided the lifeblood for American progress, fueling the…...
The more the 50 percent crude oil price decline since July 2014 has impacted oil and gas industries throughout the supply chain and reignited energy policy debates at federal and state levels. Light, sweet oil has accounted for the majority of the domestic production increase over the last eight years, but since U.S. refiners are…...
Insight for Industry – U.S. Crude Oil Export Restrictions Cause Refining Mismatch and Light Oil Price Discount The dramatic increase in domestic oil production over the past decade – facilitated by drilling technology improvements – has rekindled the crude oil export debate. Allowing crude oil exports would provide an additional market for light crude derived…...
The House Energy and Power Subcommittee heard testimony from Secretary Moniz on the DOE FY 2016 budget request, which outlined $1+B in renewable energy program funding increases but a decrease to fossil energy research and development. On February 11, 2015, the House Energy and Power Subcommittee held a hearing on the Department of Energy’s (DOE)…...
California Senators Propose to Increase State’s Renewable Energy Targets in Support of Governor’s 50-50-50 Goal On February 10, 2015, California Democrat Senator Kevin de León publicly announced four bills as part of the California Climate Leadership bill package to support the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and establish objectives beyond its 2020 emissions reduction targets…....
The President’s Budget Leaves a Legacy of Clean Energy and Climate Change Mitigation Support The president’s budget provides strong support for clean energy and addressing climate change. The proposal would allocate substantial funding for clean energy and climate initiatives, while removing favorable tax deductions for the fossil fuel exploration and production (E&P) industry. The budget…...
In his State of the Union Address, the President made a forceful call for climate action, asserting that the U.S. will double its emissions reduction pace. In his State of the Union (SOTU) speech on January 20, 2015, President Obama made a resolute call for climate action, stating that no challenge poses a greater threat…...
An amendment to the Keystone XL Bill aims to eliminate the corn ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard. On January 16, 2015, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) introduced the “Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015” as an amendment to the Keystone XL Pipeline Act (S1) introduced on January 6. The…...
The DOE has announced $125M OPEN solicitation through ARPA-E to catalyze the advancement of transformational energy technologies. On January 7, 2015, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) issued its third OPEN funding opportunity announcement (FOA) – OPEN 2015 – for up to $125M to support potentially disruptive new technologies…...
The proposed increase to 50 percent by 2030 could also result in indirect boost to energy storage industries. In his inaugural address on January 5, 2015, California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. proposed new initiatives to expand the state’s emissions reduction efforts under the AB 32 climate law and establish the next set of objectives…...
The House has passed a one-year extension of several tax provisions including the renewable energy production tax credit and several biofuel industry incentives. On December 3, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (H.R. 5771), a one-year tax extender package for several tax relief provisions that expired at…...