BioDieselNow - Renewable biodiesel fuel

So, no, Congress won't force petroleum companies to sell Biodiesel, but through the use of legislation, they can lead them to it. ================================================================================ HUmmm, didn't I hear something back in 1975 when Congress signed that the USA will adopt the "Metric sytem" and finaly leave the ole flawed, clumsy "old english system"? We all know how well politics works!

Biowillie is not new, just sold to the Texas company recently. As far as politics...... sigh...... we have to play the game to a certain extent on this side of the fence. Our role is to "show our elected officials the concerns of their constituents". I believe the smaller guys are doing most of the work, while the politicos and big corporations lay in wait to rape, oops- reap the credit and shut the door to individual interests. Connie's being so optimistic, aint she? Here's the catch, elected officals like to be....... ELECTED. This forum is a bag of mixed nuts with one crucial point in common... we want biodiesel. We cross gender, age, race, faith, socio-economic and ultimately, party lines. Simple wants can shape votes. Look at the 18th and 21st Amendments to the Constitution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition Because we cross those lines while having biodiesel in common, we have the opportunity to be formidable, and have our voices heard. We also become a threat to the establishment as we cut into big oil profits. We could have controls where they dip into your tank to see what you're running, to tax and fine people. For now, we don't. There is alot undefined, so much is still pending. This is where we have a chance. Seeing the faxes and letters rolling in can be scary for a politican on the wrong side of the voting fence. Any and every chance you get to be heard, go for it, especially if you can be heard as a group. We wont get everything we want, but we wont be fully left out in the cold. Connie

Bump! any new legislation hitting the floor??

What kind of move can we make with the new congress?

The move was made, apparently                 :

 

New US Legislation Proposes 60 Billion Gallon Renewable Fuel Standard

5 January 2007

On the first day of the new Congress, Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Richard G. Lugar (R-IN), Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-DE), Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) and Barack Obama (D-IL) introduced legislation that proposes a new federal renewable fuels standard (RFS) of 60 billion gallons of ethanol and biodiesel by 2030.

The current RFS specifies 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2012. (Earlier post.) Based on forecasts of fuel consumption of approximately 198 billion gallons of gasoline equivalent in 2030, the 60 billion RFS would work out to approximately 30% of the fuel required.

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The Department of Energy, when it outlined its Billion-Ton Vision for biofuels in 2005, projected that fuels from biomass could supply 20% of transportation needs in 2030. (Earlier post.)

The new legislation—the BioFuels Security Act of 2007—calls for boosting ethanol and biodiesel production to 30 billion gallons annually by 2020, and then doubling that quantity over the following ten years to meet the 60 billion gallon target by 2030.

The bill also calls for increasing the number of gasoline stations that carry blends of 85% ethanol (E85). The bill would require large oil companies to install E85 pumps at their stations, increasing by five percentage points annually over the next 10 years, resulting in approximately 50% percent of all major brand gasoline stations nationwide having E85 pumps available within a decade.

The bill directs automakers to gradually increase flex-fuel vehicle (FFV) production, increasing in ten percentage-point increments annually, until nearly all vehicles sold in the US are FFVs within 10 years. Currently, flex-fuel vehicles make up only about two percent of vehicles on the road.

 

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/01/new_us_legislat.html#more 

 

 

 

Yet again, Bush touts ethanol and BIODIESEL in State of the Union...anyone think this will go anywhere? 

 

Bush juices up ethanol target In his annual speech to Congress, the President may call for a massive increase in renewable energy usage, sources say. January 16 2007: 6:08 PM EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- President Bush's annual speech to Congress next week is likely to call for a massive increase in how much fuel ethanol that U.S. refiners must mix with gasoline in coming years, sources familiar with White House plans said Tuesday. Energy legislation signed into law last year would require refiners to use at least 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels annually by 2012. Special Reportfull coverage GAS CRUNCH Russia plays hardball, and markets take note Oil hits 20-month low, eyes $50 mark Exxon seen warming to emission controls Russia's Lukoil pumps $2.4B in profits Video More video CNN's Gerri Willis reports on the stock market, free online trades and other business news. (January 16) Play video One source briefed by White House officials said Bush's speech on January 23 could call for even more ethanol usage - over 60 billion gallons by 2030. Alternative energy going more mainstream "I think it's going to be a big number," the source said on condition of anonymity. "It's in the ballpark of even above 60 billion (gallons) by 2030." A White House spokesman declined to comment on the details of the speech. "The President has been a leader on the issue of renewable fuels and has spoken about that numerous times in the past," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel. "But at this time, I'm not going to get into commenting on what might or might not be in the State of the Union address." The White House could be aiming to beat targets set in legislation proposed by a group of Midwest senators - including prospective presidential candidate and Illinois Democrat Barack Obama - that would set the U.S. renewable fuels mandate at 60 billion gallons a year by 2030, the source said. A Bush administration official speaking on condition of anonymity declined to say whether ethanol will be addressed in Bush's speech. But the official said that the 60 billion gallon target is "conceivable and achievable" assuming that making ethanol from cellulosic sources like wood chips and farm cast-offs is cost-competitive with corn-based alternatives by 2012. A rising focus on "energy security" by both the Bush administration and Congress has added momentum to efforts to employ home-grown fuel sources like ethanol to temper U.S. import needs. Boosting ethanol would not be a surprise, given recent comments by White House officials. In a speech earlier this month Al Hubbard, director of the National Economic Council, said Bush's speech will spur "headlines above the fold that will knock your socks off in terms of our commitment to energy independence." A focus on renewable energy sources would continue a trend that Bush started in last year's congressional address, when he called for the United States to cut its oil imports from the Middle East by 75 percent by 2025 by using energy sources like ethanol and biodiesel. The speech is a moving target and White House officials are known to make last-minute tweaks. Last year, White House political advisers added the "addicted to oil" remarks only hours before Bush spoke. Some U.S. officials, including some at the Energy Department, worry that U.S. farmers won't be able to grow enough corn to meet higher clean-fuel targets. Thanks to the ethanol boom, the U.S. corn surplus will shrink to a precarious 752 million bushels - a three-week supply - before this year's crop is ready for harvest, the U.S. Agriculture Department said last week. Explosive growth in the fuel ethanol industry has already driven corn prices to the highest level in a decade with no let-up in sight. The U.S. oil and gas industry adamantly opposes more ethanol mandates. "Energy policy based on mandates is no recipe for success,' said Charlie Drevna, executive vice president at the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, arguing that ethanol is less economic and efficient than petroleum-based fuels

 

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/16/news/economy/bush_ethanol.reut/index.htm?postversion=2007011618 

First working Draft of 2007 Farm Bill has been posted http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/legislation.html 

for the House Commitee on Agriculture. The Energy portion has been seperated out. If you have comments please click on the committee members or the subcommittee members links and contact those members with your comments. It is usually best to call a member's local district office from your own state if you are represented on the committee. If not represented then call the DC office of any or all of them with the comments or fax

Email is essentially worthless, calls are listened too.

There is alot of stuff that concerns biodiesel in the draft, and this is not the whole document just the proposed changes and new additions.

Lets let them know we are watching

 

 

Bump.