In early July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that expands pathways for biogas-based fuel to help meet numeric goals for cellulosic and advanced fuel. The final renewable fuel pathway and modification rule is anticipated to provide a significant boost for biogas projects designed to supply a source of renewable and low-carbon transportation fuel.Renewable Fuel Standard rules give boost to biogas
August 9, 2014 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Amanda BilekIn early July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program that expands pathways for biogas-based fuel to help meet numeric goals for cellulosic and advanced fuel. The final renewable fuel pathway and modification rule is anticipated to provide a significant boost for biogas projects designed to supply a source of renewable and low-carbon transportation fuel.
In today’s global marketplace, even before the first good or service is produced for export, a significant amount of relationship building and information sharing among trading partners occurs. Formulating relationships and defining cooperation agreements are the first step on the path to global trade. This applies to several industries, but international cooperation is a critical element for the bioenergy sector. 
A new academic paper on biofuels was released this week, and some media outlets have reached sweeping conclusions. “
Many cities across the U.S.—even large cities like New York City—are stepping up recycling efforts by offering curbside collection of source separated organics, or food scraps and nonrecyclable papers. City and county governments are looking to collect household and institutional organic waste to boost recycling efforts. 
GPI congratulates our own Amanda Bilek, who manages GPI’s government affairs and has a deep background in bioenergy, for being recognized as a ‘Biogas Bolsterer’ by Biomass Magazine. The
Senator Tom Saxhaug, and Representative Jeanne Poppe have introduced a bill in the Minnesota legislature to help establish an advanced biofuel and renewable chemicals industry in Minnesota. The 
The U.S. biogas sector has done an outstanding job developing projects using livestock manure, landfill gas and municipal biosolids to generate clean energy. Although there is still a large amount of untapped potential to use these three feedstock sources, the use of crop residues and energy crops are completely underutilized in the U.S. biogas market. International biogas project development experience has demonstrated that the use of crop residues and energy crops are valuable feedstocks to produce increased levels of biogas and project stability.
In previous columns, I have focused on the use of biogas as a transportation fuel, which holds enormous, untapped potential. However, my introduction to biogas energy systems was through projects that use biogas to produce electricity and then capture thermal energy from the generator for a useful purpose. This process is better known as combined heat and power (CHP) or cogeneration. 
While many of you are familiar with the use of biogas as a means for powering or heating our homes and businesses, I believe that the use of biogas as a transportation fuel is the least well-known and understood application for this versatile and greenhouse gas reducing resource. For this reason, my previous columns have focused on the vast potential of biogas as fuel for our vehicles. If this potential is to be reached, however, a critical component of the plan needs to be addressed first: infrastructure.