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Food News- Farm Income and CostsThe Farm Income and Costs briefing room provides indicators of economic performance for the U.S. farm sector and major crop and livestock farm groups. Farm balance sheet estimates are used by USDA and other public and private sector clients to form a perspective about the financial health of the U.S. agricultural economy. Distributional analyses identify sub […]
- Livestock and Meat Trade DataThe Livestock and Meat Trade Data Set contains monthly and annual data for imports and exports of live cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats, as well as beef and veal, pork, lamb and mutton, chicken meat, turkey meat, and eggs. The tables report physical quantities, not dollar values or unit prices. Data on beef and veal, pork, and lamb and mutton are on a carcass- […]
- Feed OutlookExamines supply, use, prices, and trade for feed grains, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Focuses on corn; also contains information on sorghum, barley, oats, and hay. […]
- Farm Household Economics and Well-BeingThe Farm Household Economics and Well-Being briefing room focuses on indicators of the economic well-being of the households of the principal operators of family farms. It includes USDA's forecast for 2010. Indicators of well-being include household income and wealth (from both farm and off-farm sources), and indicators of health insurance coverage. The […]
- Wheat OutlookExamines supply, use, prices, and trade for wheat, including supply and demand prospects in major importing and exporting countries. Contains data and information on U.S. wheat by class. […]
- Farm Income and Costs
- What Everyone Should Know About Energy
- What is a cap-and-trade program and how does it work?A cap-and-trade program is designed to reduce emissions of a pollutant by placing a limit (or cap) on the total amount of emissions. The cap is implemented through a system of allowances that can be traded to minimize costs to affected sources. Cap-and-trade programs for greenhouse gas emissions would increase the costs of using fossil fuels. […]
- What is the status of the U.S. nuclear industry?There are currently 104 commercial nuclear reactors at 65 nuclear power plants in 31 States. Since 1990, the share of the Nation's total electricity supply provided by nuclear power generation has averaged about 20%, with the level of nuclear generation growing at roughly the same rate as overall electricity use. Between 1985 and 1996, 34 new reactors w […]
- How can we compare or add up our energy consumption?To compare or aggregate energy consumption across different energy sources like oil, natural gas, and electricity, we must use a common unit of measure. This is similar to calculating your food energy intake by adding up the calories in whatever you eat. […]
- What is a cap-and-trade program and how does it work?
- Invasive Species
- Ireland -- Zebra Mussels Invade Lough Bresk (Feb 2, 2010) February 5, 2010Zebra Mussels Invade Lough Bresk (Feb 2, 2010) Northern Ireland... […]
- Massachusetts -- Help Out and Become a SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and Education Team) Volunteer!!! (Jan 28, 2010) February 5, 2010Help Out and Become a SWEET (Sudbury Weed Eradication and... […]
- Ireland -- Zebra Mussels Invade Lough Bresk (Feb 2, 2010) February 5, 2010
Three Steps to Boost Biofuels
President Barack Obama announced three actions that the federal government is taking to boost U.S. biofuels production. The measures include: the final rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) of 36 billion gallons by 2022; a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), which provides financing to increase the production of biomass for bioenergy; and the release of Growing America’s Fuel,the first report from the president’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group. The report lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry.
The primary measure is the change in the RFS program, required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which mandates that biofuels production will grow from last year’s 11.1 billion gallons to 36 billion gallons in 2022. The 2022 goal includes 21 billion gallons to come from advanced biofuels, defined as those that cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%. For the first time, some renewable fuels must also achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions, compared to the gasoline and diesel fuels they displace, in order to be counted towards compliance with volume standards. According to the EPA, meeting the 2022 goal could reduce U.S. dependence on oil by more than 328 million barrels per year.
The EPA final rule sets the RFS for 2010 at 12.95 billion gallons of renewable fuel, all of which must be used in transportation fuels over the course of the year. For the first time, the EPA has also set volume requirements for specific categories of renewable fuels. For 2010, the cellulosic biofuel standard is 6.5 million gallons, and the total volume of advanced biofuels must be at least 950 million gallons. Biomass-based diesel is expected to contribute 650 million gallons of that total, but because a regulatory structure was not implemented to achieve the 2009 requirement of 500 million gallons of biomass-based diesel, the new rule combines the two years, requiring a total of 1.15 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel for 2009 and 2010.with the biomass-based diesel standard is being set at 1.15 bg by combining the 2009 and 2010 standards. See the full EPA rule.
As a second measure, the USDA has also proposed a rule for the BCAP program, which has already begun to provide matching payments for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of biomass to eligible biomass conversion facilities. The third part of the biofuels effort was the release of Growing America’s Fuel, the first report from the Biofuels Interagency Working Group, which was created by the president last May and led by USDA, DOE, and the EPA. The report focuses on both short-term growth and the long-term roadmap for biofuel growth, using strategies such as public-private partnerships. Among other things, it calls for increased government consumption of biofuels along with an integrated management approach.