By Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Head of Industrial Biotechnology section, Biotechnology Innovation Organization Special to The Digest We were disappointed, but not surprised, to see Mike McAdams and his members come out in support of changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard in Biofuels Digest (July 26 – The Time Has Come for RFS Reform). […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Biotechnology Industry Organization USDA’s Section 9003 Program created by the comprehensive Farm Bill has successfully helped fund construction of biofuel biorefineries over the past six years and it is now expanding to launch renewable chemical facilities as well. Like other USDA programs, this loan guarantee enables manufacturers to access […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive VP, Biotechnology Industry Organization, special to The Digest With his planned visit to the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference in the coming weeks, President Obama seeks a leading role for the United States in addressing global climate change. Unfortunately, that leading role could be forfeited before the conference even gets under […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive Vice-President, Biotechnology Industry Organization, and Head, Industrial & Environmental Section EPA’s April announcement that it will re-propose the 2014 RFS volume obligations along with the 2015 and 2016 rules provides an opportunity for the agency to get this vital program back on track. To move forward, EPA must recognize that the […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive Vice President, Industrial and Environmental, Biotechnology Industry Organization Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced funding for the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) as well as published the final rule for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). BIO and the industrial biotech sector worked hard to ensure that these and other […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive VP, BIO; Head, Industrial & Environmental Section The underlying legal constructs of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) remain in working order, despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to issue a final 2014 rule and its other regulatory missteps. Over the past five years, the program spurred billions of dollars of […]
By Brent Erickson, Executive VP, BIO; Head, Industrial & Environmental Section EPA’s November surprise is as big a shock to the system as this year’s early arrival of cold weather. The decision not to finalize a 2014 rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) merely compounds the damage done to the advanced biofuel industry by […]
By Brent Erickson, EVP, The Biotechnology Industry Organization Head, Industrial & Environmental section A report released a couple of weeks ago by the USDA’s BioPreferred Program, “Why Biobased?,” provides a very positive overview of economic opportunities in the emerging biobased economy. Those opportunities include a revival of U.S. manufacturing and new job creation, economic growth […]
By Brent Erickson Executive Vice President and Head, Industrial & Environmental Section, The Biotechnology Industry Organization Big oil companies and refiners continue the drumbeat against the RFS, even in the face of more Middle East military conflict, political instability and higher gas prices that are a result of the turmoil overseas. Amidst heavy lobbying efforts […]
“Now is the time for all biofuels stakeholders to speak up loudly and factually,” says BIO’s Brent Erickson, to reverse a mistake of “epic proportions”. By Brent Erickson, Executive VP and head of Industrial & Environmental section, BIO The Obama administration appears ready to give the oil refining industry the perfect gift this Christmas. If […]
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