Huffington Post columnist blames Big Oil for biofuels adoption woes

An article in the Huffington Post blamed Big Oil for many ethanol woes, primarily for not offering subsidies for biofuel pump conversion or supplying a major branded E85 or biodiesel. The article noted: “So why did BP build a steel-clad and LED-lit Beverly Hills-adjacent gas station, promote it as the nation’s “greenest”, then sell nothing but three grades of gasoline? Because BP and Exxon can’t pull ethanol out of the ground for as little as $10 to $15 a barrel, sell it for $80 to their own refineries, make another $30 turning it into gasoline and control its retail sale. Their hostility is not just about corn ethanol. Oil companies are flexing their collective political muscle against it to put the brakes on any renewable fuel alternatives that undercut them.”

Oil company retaliation was named as one of 10 Biofuels Trends to Watch in a recent issue of Biofuels Digest. The CEO of Chevron recently linked food prices to biofuel production in a critique of biofuels at the APEC conference in Sydney.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Huffington Post says low renewable energy campaign donations responsible for Washington inaction on climate change; $515 billion for clean energy required to prevent global warming

In California, the Huffington Post is reporting that the renewable energy industry has invested $25 million in political campaign donations since 1990, compared to $2 billion by "individuals associate...

Obama “Dream Green Team” tackles Herculean task of addressing jobs, climate change, energy independence

In Washington, the Huffington Post and Reuters have published articles on the efforts of the Obama "Dream Green Team" to establish a strong climate change and alternative energy agenda. The Huffington...

Senators Kerry, Warner, Military Advisory Board link national security, energy security and climate change

In Washington, Senator John Kerry wrote in the Huffington Post: "Make no mistake: catastrophic climate change represents a threat to human security, global stability, and -- yes -- even to American na...

India to miss biofuels target by 40 percent; sugar blames oil, oil blames government

In India, government officials are admitting that the country is likely to reach a 3 percent biofuels target, compared to the national target of 5 percent. The country is scheduled to move to a 10 per...

EPA report on biofuels prompts Seattle to abandon soy biodiesel: government to continue campaign to reduce green jobs?

in Washington state, a EPA report that "ethanol production could be harmful to the environment" has caused local Seattle officials to halt the purchase of soy-based biodiesel, according to a report in...

Next Generation Feedstocks and Markets webinar to be hosted by Digest columnist Will Thurmond

On August 29th, 2008 BiofuelWebinars.com, Emerging Markets Online, and BEES will present a webinar titled Next Generation Feedstocks and Markets, in support of the Bioenergy World Americas 2008 confer...