Call it ‘climate smart’ or ‘sustainable,’ the end goal is the same

The second half of January was a blur for U.S. agriculture. First, the Department of the Treasury published long-awaited draft guidance on the Section 45Z clean fuels production tax credit. Although it was a step in the right direction, it didn’t go far enough to provide farmers or their downstream partners in the ethanol industry with the clarity needed to move forward in claiming the tax credit with confidence. With the credit taking effect Jan. 1 — more than two years after becoming law — many were left frustrated, wondering why such cursory guidance took so long.

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What is the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program?

Biofuels, which contribute to energy security, reduce air pollution, and support rural economic development, are an important market for the U.S.

Approximately 96 percent of the vehicles on the road today, roughly 290 million, are legally approved to use E15. E15 is fully approved for use in cars, SUVs, pickups, vans, or other light duty vehicles manufactured after the year 2000. In addition, there are more than 22 million flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the road in the United States, roughly 8 percent of all vehicles, that can use ethanol blends up to E85. All diesel vehicles can operate on B20.

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USDA Invests in Additional Domestic Biofuels and Clean Energy Projects to Lower Costs and Increase American Energy Security Across the Nation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is funding 586 projects to expand access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels. Today, USDA is providing nearly $180 million through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) with funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combatting the climate crisis.

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Biden administration spending climate cash fast, as Trump threatens to cancel it

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump has said he would cancel all unspent funds from President Joe Biden's signature climate law if he wins the presidential election on Nov. 5.
But the vast majority of grants will be spent by the time a new president takes office in January, and targeting what remains would be a massive legal challenge, according to Biden administration officials.

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Biofuels and Batteries Gain from the System Dynamics Behind the Research

Researchers and analysts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are using a sophisticated modeling method known as system dynamics to understand the intricacies of clean energy systems, such as biofuel economics and supply chains.

Since its creation in the 1950s by Jay W. Forrester, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, system dynamics has become a tried-and-true method for understanding the behaviors of complex systems in terms of stocks, flows, and the feedback loops that connect them. Its applications include examining everything from public health to renewable energy systems.

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NREL Helps Train the Future Carbon Management Workforce

A net-zero carbon emissions future demands a workforce with the right training and hands-on experience to help mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the industrial, transportation, and electric power sectors.

Carbon management technologies—including carbon dioxide removal and carbon capture, utilization, and storage—need a constant influx of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent to convert research into scalable commercial solutions.

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