EPA Approves 28% Increase in Biodiesel Mandated for 2013

TDIMeister

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EPA Approves 28% Increase in Biodiesel Mandated for 2013

The biodiesel industry is celebrating because unlike mandates for the use of ethanol in the nation's fuel set forth in the 2007 Renewable Fuels Act, biodiesel didn't have a mandate until last year. That mandates set a goal of 800 million gallons. The new mandate for 2013 has been expanded to 1 billion gallons, and fell short of the 1.28 billion gallons that biodiesel producers wanted.
 

Lug_Nut

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Whoo-pee :rolleyes:

B2 to B2.5 is a 28% increase.
I personally am underwhelmed.
 

highender

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now if we can get VW and other manufacturers to make biodiesel friendly engines, like they used to..... would be great...

make all engines safe for B50...at least.
 

Ski in NC

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OK, got it. So EPA mandates higher bio blend. And EPA mandates emission levels that require systems that cannot handle high bio blends. This makes sense.
 

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From the news article, this sounds like it benefits Monsanto, more so than the biodiesel industry. The EPA needs to get there heads out of the sand and mandate non-food based biofuels.
 

GTDI4

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Yea more tax dollars for the farmers, just like the corn they grow for ethanol. Yea lest land for food you all are to fat now ( U.N. already have said there is a world food shortage because of biofuels. What do they know.)
Another plus we can get rid of all the old cars and trucks that will not run on the stuff. The ones with diesel engines in the north there cars will start so much easier in the winter.
They should make the law only 100% biodiesel can be used to save the world.
 

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Yea more tax dollars for the farmers, just like the corn they grow for ethanol. Yea lest land for food you all are to fat now ( U.N. already have said there is a world food shortage because of biofuels. What do they know.)
Another plus we can get rid of all the old cars and trucks that will not run on the stuff. The ones with diesel engines in the north there cars will start so much easier in the winter.
They should make the law only 100% biodiesel can be used to save the world.

What are you talking about?The older diesel engine can run on higher percent of bio diesel than CR VW can.My car has no problems starting in winter on D2.
 

Lug_Nut

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GTDI4 is being as facetious as I was.

Yes, using crop land for fuel only is selfish and raises food prices. Fortunately the part of the crop used for biodiesel is generally inedible or is a by-product of the nutrition component, so the "food or fuel" argument is much more often "food AND fuel".
My bio is from reclaimed garbage so mine is "food, and THEN fuel".

B99 and B100 aren't suitable in cold (near and below freezing) climates. I don't run B99 and B100 in the winter. I do run B75, B67, B50, B33 in the winter with colder temperatures requiring the lower bio percentage. It means that I run an annual average of B90, so I'm only saving 90% of the world.

You're welcome.
 

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As Lug_Nut put it facetiously but with a lot of truth in it, it takes you from B2 to about B2.5 in the overall scheme of things. This has no effect on the <= B5 requirement.

Jon on the one hand is bitter that this mandate on the one hand might mean reduced retail supply of B99+ at least in the short term; on the other hand he'd rather that our entire energy mix went renewable even yesterday and we'd enjoy world peace and all our tailpipes would only emit rainbows as unicorn farts. :D
 

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GTDI4 is being as facetious as I was.

Yes, using crop land for fuel only is selfish and raises food prices. Fortunately the part of the crop used for biodiesel is generally inedible or is a by-product of the nutrition component, so the "food or fuel" argument is much more often "food AND fuel".
My bio is from reclaimed garbage so mine is "food, and THEN fuel".

B99 and B100 aren't suitable in cold (near and below freezing) climates. I don't run B99 and B100 in the winter. I do run B75, B67, B50, B33 in the winter with colder temperatures requiring the lower bio percentage. It means that I run an annual average of B90, so I'm only saving 90% of the world.

You're welcome.
well said as well a huge amount of BioD is made with recycled grease from restaurants and some methanol and a catalyst. Ignorance of the industry breeds contempt. dpeople should do research before they jump on an industry that is flourishing...not costing consumers any more at grocery store and recycling a millions of gallons of nasty old grease that would be forever gone to the dump or shipped overseas....
 

IchbineinDiesel

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It is interesting to note that France and Austria just recently announced their intentions to reverse or halt planned increases in bio content. The EU is considering the same.
 

kiwibru

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Lets see, currently approximately 80% of all soy beans produced in the U.S. are GMO. They are not labeled in the foods we eat as GMO. I would rather see the low percentage of GMO soy beans converted straight into the biodiesel conversion process and burned as B2-100 than be part of the grand experiment on human health. Eventually soy will become the least favorite crop to convert as others come on. In the scheme of things this is a slight burp.
 

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Does anyone know why in the early 1990s the National Soybean Association lobbied for the biodiesel mandate?

Because we had high levels of soybean oil sitting around in tanks not being used. Guess where this oil came from? The crushing process used to make soybeans into food product. Oil is a by-product of making food from soybeans.

Making biodiesel from soybeans does not drive up food costs period! The food vs fuel myth is propaganda that other trade groups and lobbyists use to make the mindless cable news consuming public believe incorrectly.

We are now making biodiesel from corn oil removed from a centrifuge after making ethanol. Guess where the by-product of the ethanol process, DDGs, is being used? To feed livestock. There is better than feeding cows corn directly like we were before because you're getting fuel and feeding cows now. Although you're sirloin might now taste as good.

Food vs fuel is a myth. Do your research first.

With that said, I am completely against the mandate. I am completely against mandates for all energy sources and types. If it was me, I would wipe out the entire US tax code completely, 100%. Create a new tax structure with only income tax, no tax breaks for anybody. Then make it a constitutional amendment to change it. Lets make ethanol, biodiesel, petroleum, natural gas, coal, wind, and electricity complete on the same playing field.

If you're worried about global warming, start with China. They are putting up new coal plants faster than we will ever counter act any C02 they are emitting. I applaud those who are willing to change their lifestyle and consumption to protect our planet. But your effort is futile in comparison to world emission of CO2 daily. Why should the US have higher energy costs for GREEN energy when it doesn't matter because China is polluting on a level that we will never counteract?

(Rant over)
 

kiwibru

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Jeez, you must have been upset...double post! But heck, I hear you. We often look at the levels of pollution that come over the water from China. This summer it has been really bad because in addition to the usual industrial, coal plant garbage they pump into the air the wildfires added to it!
 

TDI Convert

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Jeez, you must have been upset...double post! But heck, I hear you. We often look at the levels of pollution that come over the water from China. This summer it has been really bad because in addition to the usual industrial, coal plant garbage they pump into the air the wildfires added to it!
Sorry for the double post. My connection to the forum is so slow. Computer must of sent post twice.
 

GTDI4

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GTDI4 is being as facetious as I was.

Yes, using crop land for fuel only is selfish and raises food prices. Fortunately the part of the crop used for biodiesel is generally inedible or is a by-product of the nutrition component, so the "food or fuel" argument is much more often "food AND fuel".
My bio is from reclaimed garbage so mine is "food, and THEN fuel".

B99 and B100 aren't suitable in cold (near and below freezing) climates. I don't run B99 and B100 in the winter. I do run B75, B67, B50, B33 in the winter with colder temperatures requiring the lower bio percentage. It means that I run an annual average of B90, so I'm only saving 90% of the world.

You're welcome.
I am glad you agree the UN is lying about the Food/Land production problem. Then you agree what they say about Global Warming is untrue.
Biodiesel puts out CO2 just like diesel, gas, propane, which is made form plants and other organic life, Just took longer.
The thing is base on that we are going to run out of oil. The government is right?
I want to thank you for saving the world. But to do this you need to sale your TDI and buy a solar power car.
If oil is so bad, why is the government giving Brazil Billions of or tax dollars and money borrowed from China we have to pay back but not Brazil. To Drill in the Atlanic Ocean the same one they stop us from drilling in because it is so bad?
 

TDIAllen

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Does anyone know why in the early 1990s the National Soybean Association lobbied for the biodiesel mandate?
With that said, I am completely against the mandate. I am completely against mandates for all energy sources and types. If it was me, I would wipe out the entire US tax code completely, 100%. Create a new tax structure with only income tax, no tax breaks for anybody. Then make it a constitutional amendment to change it. Lets make ethanol, biodiesel, petroleum, natural gas, coal, wind, and electricity complete on the same playing field.
Sorry if this is off topic, but have you checked out fairtax.org?
 

TDI Convert

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I am glad you agree the UN is lying about the Food/Land production problem. Then you agree what they say about Global Warming is untrue.
Biodiesel puts out CO2 just like diesel, gas, propane, which is made form plants and other organic life, Just took longer.
The thing is base on that we are going to run out of oil. The government is right?
I want to thank you for saving the world. But to do this you need to sale your TDI and buy a solar power car.
If oil is so bad, why is the government giving Brazil Billions of or tax dollars and money borrowed from China we have to pay back but not Brazil. To Drill in the Atlanic Ocean the same one they stop us from drilling in because it is so bad?
China only holds 7% of US govt debt. Japan holds 6%. The other 87 % is held by individual bond holders. China backing the majority of our debt is another myth.


And yes i am a proponent of the fair tax but the right wing will scream bloody murder before a sales tax in enacted.

I am sorry for being off topic but during this election cycle there is lots of misinformation being spread around by all involoved.
 
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GTDI4

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China only holds 7% of US govt debt. Japan holds 6%. The other 87 % is held by individual bond holders. China backing the majority of our debt is another myth.


And yes i am a proponent of the fair tax but the right wing will scream bloody murder before a sales tax in enacted.

I am sorry for being off topic but during this election cycle there is lots of misinformation being spread around by all involoved.

U.S. caught China buying more debt than disclosed



"Treasury officials then worked to keep the reason for the auction-rule change quiet, with the acting assistant Treasury secretary for financial markets instructing subordinates to not mention any specific creditor's role in the matter, according to an email seen by Reuters. Inquiries made at the time by the main trade organization for Treasury dealers elicited the explanation that the change was a "technical modernization," according to a document seen by Reuters. There was no mention of China.
The incident calls into question just how clear a handle the Treasury has had on who is buying U.S. debt. Chinese entities hold at least $1.115 trillion in U.S. government debt, and are thought to account for roughly 26 percent of the paper issued by Washington, according to U.S. government data released on June 15.
The Treasury has long said that it has a diversified base of investors and isn't overly reliant on any single buyer to digest new U.S. Treasury issuance. Evidence that China was actually buying more than disclosed would cast doubt on those assurances."
With our government borrow $.40 on every dollar it spends. We should not be using our tax dollars to paid farms make biofuels. With the over abundance of oil here and Canada .
 
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Lug_Nut

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Biodiesel puts out CO2 just like diesel, gas, propane, which is made form plants and other organic life, Just took longer.
The thing is base on that we are going to run out of oil. The government is right?
I want to thank you for saving the world. But to do this you need to sale your TDI and buy a solar power car.
The biodiesel CO2 is not from long sequestered fossil sources. Biodiesel combustion adds back the CO2 that was removed during plant growth last year. It does not augment the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Well, I wish... Biodiesel production is for the most part made with methanol as a catalyst ingredient, and the methanol isn't fossil carbon neutral. So the amount of fossil CO2 is about 25% that of gasoline or diesel. A 50 mpg B100 biodiesel vehicle is less detrimental to the environment than a 200 mpg gasoline hybrid. How many of those are there?
Solar electric isn't completely carbon neutral either. The mining, smelting, glass making, silicon refining all use energy that is usually from fossil sources. That CO2 footprint has to be factored in over the lifetime (15 years or so) of the panels. Yes it is less detrimental than most other energy sources, but on a wattage per year per acre basis, photosynthesis is still FAR more effective than photovoltaic.
 

b4black

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That mandates set a goal of 800 million gallons. The new mandate for 2013 has been expanded to 1 billion gallons, and fell short of the 1.28 billion gallons that biodiesel producers wanted.
The article has the numbers wrong.

2011 was 800 million
2012 is 1 billion
2013 is 1.28 billion

Just google "biodiesel 1.28" and see the plethora of artciles that disagree with this one. The producers got the 1.28 they were asking for.
 

nicklockard

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The biodiesel CO2 is not from long sequestered fossil sources. Biodiesel combustion adds back the CO2 that was removed during plant growth last year. It does not augment the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Well, I wish... Biodiesel production is for the most part made with methanol as a catalyst ingredient, and the methanol isn't fossil carbon neutral. So the amount of fossil CO2 is about 25% that of gasoline or diesel. A 50 mpg B100 biodiesel vehicle is less detrimental to the environment than a 200 mpg gasoline hybrid. How many of those are there?
Solar electric isn't completely carbon neutral either. The mining, smelting, glass making, silicon refining all use energy that is usually from fossil sources. That CO2 footprint has to be factored in over the lifetime (15 years or so) of the panels. Yes it is less detrimental than most other energy sources, but on a wattage per year per acre basis, photosynthesis is still FAR more effective than photovoltaic.
The methanol only contributes about 1/19th the CO2 content, or 5-ish%
 

BeetleGo

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EPA approves a 28% increase of biodiesel use in 2013

http://www.dailytech.com/EPA+Approves+28+Increase+in+Biodiesel+Mandated+for+2013/article27730.htm

Biodiesel producers rejoice at new mandate for 2013

The renewable energy industry is applauding President Obama and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after the EPA approved a 28% increase in the amount of biodiesel mandated for use in trucks on the nation's highways for 2013. Biodiesel is made in a process that uses soybeans, while the production of ethanol is based on corn.

The president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Brad Albin, said, "I want to thank President Obama and his staff for listening to our concerns and recognizing the value and potential of America’s Advanced Biofuel—biodiesel.”

The biodiesel industry is celebrating because unlike mandates for the use of ethanol in the nation's fuel set forth in the 2007 Renewable Fuels Act, biodiesel didn't have a mandate until last year. That mandates set a goal of 800 million gallons. The new mandate for 2013 has been expanded to 1 billion gallons, and fell short of the 1.28 billion gallons that biodiesel producers wanted.

“This was an incredibly important decision, and the Obama Administration got it right,” said Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board, the industry trade association.

“It will allow biodiesel plants across the country to invest and expand, creating thousands of jobs. At the same time, it sends a strong signal that the U.S. is standing firm behind its commitment to producing clean, American-made energy to strengthen our energy security and break our dependence on petroleum.”

When the mandate was introduced in 2011 at 800 million gallons, it helped prevent the closure of several of the nation's biodiesel plants.

Ethanol production has come under fire for driving up prices on the food crop, however, there is no indication that the same will happen for soybeans.

---
And why is that? Because Ethanol is either 100% food or 100% fuel. That's not a win/win situation at all! Not to mention ethanol is a weaker fuel than petroleum gasoline, so why bother? With soy based biodiesel, 80% is a high quality, plant based protein that can be sold worldwide if America doesn't want to eat tofu. There are at least 2 billion people who do and soybeans can both be grown on marginal land and put organic nitrogen in the soil for free! The remaining 20% can be made into biodiesel and can change the world. Literally. My $.02.
 

donDavide

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Thank God for Barry!, Not. What is the EPA going to "mandate" next ? What happens to My Jeep which is restricedted B5 or less, in other vehicles I lose mileage using B20. This should be a market driven thing anyway.
 
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kiwibru

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So you run B5. No one says we have to run B20! The more diesels that use B5 the better. Just means there will be more B100 to be added to blending at the station and thus a win-win in my thinking. In time this will have to lead to higher blend use as the engine manufacturers begin to respond to the need. B5 now, higher in the future!
 

BeetleGo

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So you run B5. No one says we have to run B20! The more diesels that use B5 the better. Just means there will be more B100 to be added to blending at the station and thus a win-win in my thinking. In time this will have to lead to higher blend use as the engine manufacturers begin to respond to the need. B5 now, higher in the future!
This is exactly my thinking. Start with B5 EVERYWHERE, then move the blend up at supply is able to be expanded.

As for the newer diesels being able to handle it, nonsense. It's just a question of putting a sensor in the car that can read how much biodiesel you're using, then adjusting the settings. The problem is that the current diesels are statically unable to do that. Yet. :)
 
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