Today in Biofuels Opinion: “CARB has responded with a biased proposal that will make advanced biofuel investments more risky and lead to more fossil fuels in the marketplace.”

From the New York Times: “Mr. Riva is focused on a promising near-term crop: “energy cane,” which he plans to start testing in the next week or two in the company’s pilot ethanol plant in Louisiana and, eventually, in a commercial-scale plant that will be built in Florida in partnership with the oil company BP…Verenium has leased 20,000 acres to begin growing the crop on a large scale. Every acre of energy cane, said Mr. Riva, should yield on the order of 1,800 to 2,000 gallons annually (compared with 800 gallons for conventionally produced ethanol from sugar cane in countries like Brazil). “We’re pretty confident we’ll get the supply we need,” said Mr. Riva, who made the interesting point that while substantial research has been devoted to developing corn and soy as energy crops, far less attention had been paid to potential cellulosic crops like grasses. “Our intent longer-term is to build a fleet of units” along the Gulf Coast, Mr. Riva said, like the 36-million-gallon plant in Florida that he hopes to have operating by the end of 2011.

Brooke Coleman, executive director of the New Fuels Alliance, on the proposed California Low Carbon Fuel Standard: “Governor Schwarzenegger asked CARB to implement his vision of creating a technology neutral, carbon based fuel standard that does not pick winners and losers and CARB has responded with a biased proposal that will make advanced biofuel investments more risky and lead to more fossil fuels in the marketplace. CARB should get their thumb off the scale and judge all fuels through the same lens, and stop turning a blind eye to the oil industry’s increasing investment in even dirtier sources of petroleum like tar sands.”

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “How could the ARB’s lead resource…have such a biased view?”

Mitch Hawkins CEO of JatrophaBioJet Corporation: "The introduction of [the Waxman- Markey bill] marks the beginning of broader, new changes in climate activity for American busi- ness.  The consens...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “In a head to head contest between corn ethanol and doing nothing over a 50 year period, doing nothing would be better for the environment for the first 48 years.”

Brooke Coleman, New Fuels Alliance: “Today’s Air Board decision means Californians will be producing more greenhouse gasses over the coming years, not less. This proposal blurs the Governor's visi...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Butanol could gradually replace gasoline as well as diesel.”

From MyNews.com: "Butanol could gradually replace gasoline as well as diesel due to its high energy content, miscibility, better combustion characteristics, low volatility and other positive qualities...

Brazil critiques proposed California Low Carbon Fuel Standard; Air Resources Board to vote this week on indirect land use change, low carbon standard

In Brazil, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) said that sugarcane ethanol's carbon intensity is lower than calculated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). "Sugarcane ethanol...

Diamond 1 launches internet marketplace for biofuels and biofuel products

In Colorado, Diamond I announced the establishment of the USBiofuelsExchange.com, an Internet marketplace for biofuels and biofuel products. Biofuel producers and other sellers will list their biofuel...

New Online biofuels exchange launches; feedstocks, fuels to trade online

A new company has launched to provide an online exchange and marketplace for trading of biofuel feedstocks and fuels. Green Fuels Exchange, at www.gfex.org, launches Oct. 15 as "the first marketplace ...