Tag Archives: alternative fuels

GM Roughs in Choices for Autonomous Fuel Cells

Posted on 6 October 2017 by Ken Zino

General Motors in an active and thus far unsuccessful “pump up the moribund stock price with press releases” claims today that it will solve some of the transportation challenges created by natural disasters, complex logistics environments and global conflicts. The … Continue reading →

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2013 – Make Money or Go Broke for Alternative Fuels Industry?

Posted on 20 February 2013 by Ken Zino

The legal and regulatory climate has turned against alternative fuels. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. recently said that EPA’s 2012 requirement for refiners to use cellulosic biofuel – or to purchase credits instead – was illegal since no cellulosic ethanol fuel was produced last year that the refiners could blend into gasoline. The decision came from a lawsuit brought by the American Petroleum Institute, which is actively fighting alternative fuels. The U.S. sends more than $1,000,000 a minute to oil exporting nations, many of whom are hostile to us. Continue reading →

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EPA Finalizes E15 Gasohol Pump Labels as Automakers Again Protest Adding More Ethanol to Gasoline. Lawsuits Pending

Posted on 29 June 2011 by Ken Zino

The ethanol tariff is comprised of a 54 cent Most Favored Nation duty and a 2.5% ad valorem tax. Critics say the ethanol tariff makes our nation more dependent on foreign oil by increasing the price of imported ethanol. Iowa State University estimates that a one-year extension of the ethanol subsidy and tariff would lead to only 427 additional direct domestic jobs at a cost of almost $6 billion, or roughly $14 million of taxpayer money per job.
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Pork Update – USDA and DOE Award $47 Million in Taxpayer Dollars for Biomass Research to Special Interests

Posted on 6 May 2011 by Ken Zino

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced that $47 million in taxpayer dollars will be diverted to fund eight research and development projects to support the production of biofuels, bioenergy and biobased products from … Continue reading →

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New U.S. Segment – Compressed Natural Gas Taxis?

Posted on 29 March 2011 by Ken Zino

Taxis running on compressed natural gas have been in use for decades in Japan’s cities. They are clean, quiet and to the surprise of visiting New Yorkers – meticulously maintained. Now there is a mini-movement of sorts underway in the U.S. as taxpayer subsidies and rising gasoline prices are increasing the demand for conversions of conventional gasoline engines to run on compressed natural gas. CNG is a fuel that has been in use in the U.S. for decades as well, but mostly in industrial applications. Continue reading →

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EPA Grants E15 Fuel Waiver for Some Older Vehicles

Posted on 21 January 2011 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today waived a its regulation preventing the sale of gasoline that contains more than 10% ethanol for model year 2001- 2006 passenger vehicles, including cars, SUVs, and light pickup trucks.

EPA also announced that no waiver is being granted this year for E15 use in any motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, or non-road engines because current testing data does not support such a waiver. Continue reading →

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China Will Lead Electric Vehicles as U.S. Remains Conflicted

Posted on 19 January 2011 by Ken Zino

China could lead the race to roll out electric vehicles and will deploy new transport technologies more quickly than the United States, according to a report by Accenture (NYSE: ACN). However, the U.S. could lead a global biotechnology-based agricultural revolution that will generate more biofuel breakthroughs.

The report, “The US and China: the race to disruptive transport technologies,” claims that China’s state-backed focus on electric vehicles (EVs), its domestic supplies of lithium and current battery production capacity will give it a competitive advantage over the U.S. in EVs. Continue reading →

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Oil Refiners Sue Environmental Protection Agency to Stop E15 Ethanol Fuel Sales. Attack on EPA Broadens.

Posted on 4 January 2011 by Ken Zino

The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association filed suit on Monday, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review and overturn an Environmental Protection Agency decision last fall to allow the sale of E15 fuel in cars and light trucks.

Organizations joining NPRA against EPA are the International Liquid Terminals Association and the Western States Petroleum Association. The suits contend EPA violated the Clean Air Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. Continue reading →

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