April 25, 2019
BY Ron Kotrba
The National Biodiesel Board will host a press conference May 1 at 9:30 am Eastern with Sens. Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Reps. Abby Finkenauer, Cheri Bustos, Darin LaHood and others to discuss the status of the biodiesel and renewable diesel tax credit. The press conference will take place in the “Senate Swamp,” which is the east front lawn of the U.S. Capitol building.
In February, Grassley introduced in the Senate the Tax Extender and Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (S.617) to renew a range of tax credits, including the biodiesel tax incentive, which expired Dec. 31, 2017. In April, Finkenauer introduced in the House the Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Act of 2019 (HR 2089), which would extend the tax credit for 2018 and 2019.
Biodiesel companies relying on the tax incentive will rally for its renewal and in support of these bills.
Advertisement
Donnell Rehagen, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board, will join the legislators and will be accompanied by representatives of NBB member companies American GreenFuels, Hero BX, Newport Biodiesel, Western Dubuque Biodiesel, state soy associations and regional Clean Cities Coalitions, who will be available to discuss the impact of the 16-month tax credit lapse.
Advertisement
The U.S. Department of Commerce has disbanded an advisory committee that provided the agency with private sector advice aimed at boosting the competitiveness of U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency exports, including ethanol and wood pellets.
Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program on March 25 awarded nearly $3 million in grants to support the addition of E15 at 111 retail sites. The program also awarded grants to support two biodiesel infrastructure projects.
Effective April 1, Illinois’ biodiesel blend requirements have increased from B14 to B17. The increase was implemented via a bipartisan bill passed in 2022, according to the Iowa Soybean Association.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on March 31 visited Elite Octane LLC, a 155 MMgy ethanol plant in Atlantic, Iowa, to announce the USDA will release $537 million in obligated funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program.
The U.S. EPA on March 24 asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss a lawsuit filed by biofuel groups last year regarding the agency’s failure to meet the statutory deadline to promulgate 2026 RFS RVOs.