August 16, 2023
BY Erin Voegele
The Surface Transportation Board is soliciting nominations to fill six vacancies on its Rail Energy Transportation Advisory Committee. One of those vacancies is to be filled by a biofuel producer or feedstock provider.
The STB, which exercises broad authority over transportation by rail carriers, established RETAC in 2007 as a federal advisory committee consisting of a balanced cross-section of energy and rail industry stakeholders to provide independent, candid policy advice and to foster open, effective communication regarding rail performance, capacity constraints, infrastructure planning and development, and effective coordination among suppliers, railroads, and users of energy resources.
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RETAC’s membership consists of not less than five representatives from the Class I railroads; three representatives of from Class II and III railroads; three representatives from coal producers; five representatives from electric utilities; four representatives from biofuel feedstock growers or providers and biofuel refiners, processors and distributors; two representatives from private car owners, car lessors, or car manufactures; one representative from the petroleum shipping industry; two representatives from renewable energy sources; and one representative from a labor organization. RETAC may also include up to two at large members with relevant experience but not necessarily affiliated with one of the aforementioned industries or sectors.
The STB soliciting nominations from the public for candidates to fill six vacancies, including one representative from Class I railroads; two representatives from Class II or Class III railroads; one representative from biofuel feedstock growers or providers and biofuel refiners, processors, and distributors; one representative from private car owners, car lessors, or car manufacturers; and one at large representative.
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Current RETAC membership includes representatives of CHS Renewable Fuels, South Dakota Corn Growers Association, Poet, PBF Refining and Chevron Renewable Energy Group.
All six of the vacancies are for three-year terms ending Sept. 30, 2026. Nominations can be submitted through Sept. 15. Additional information is available on the Federal Register website.
The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced up to $23 million in funding to support research and development (R&D) of domestic chemicals and fuels from biomass and waste resources.
The U.S. DOE has announced its intent to issue funding to support high-impact research and development (R&D) projects in two priority areas: sustainable propane and renewable chemicals and algal system cultivation and preprocessing.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., in August introduced the Renewable Chemicals Act, a bill that aims to create a tax credit to support the production of biobased chemicals.
The Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium, a consortium of the U.S. DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, has launched an effort that aims to gather community input on the development of new biomass processing facilities.
USDA on March 8 celebrated the second annual National Biobased Products Day, a celebration to raise public awareness of biobased products, their benefits and their contributions to the U.S. economy and rural communities.