Alto Ingredients Inc (ALTO)

[beach_trades]

Supreme Court and Ethanol Decision
Perhaps more is behind this move than most realize


Nov. 7, 2011, 1:07 p.m. EST

Supreme Court refuses to hear renewable fuel case
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a request from the oil and chemical industry to strike down the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association (NPRA); as well as the American Petroleum Institute submitted a petition in July for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. The request centered on whether a federal agency that misses a statutory deadline for writing regulations may engage in retroactive rulemaking based on implied, rather than express, authorization from Congress, according to a court filing. A spokesman for the NPRA said the organization was disappointed with the decision. The National Biodiesel Board, a supporter of the Renewable Fuel Standard, said the measure is "working just as Congress intended" by creating jobs, reducing dependence on oil and reducing greenhouse gases.


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/supreme-court-refuses-to-hear-renewable-fuel-case-2011-11-07?link=MW_latest_news

Posted by Cindy Zimmerman – November 7th, 2011
The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear a case brought by petroleum interests against the Environmental Protection Agency over the expanded Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2).The petition made by the National Petrochemical Refiners Association (NPRA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API) was rejected by the District Court of Appeals in December 2010. The petition filed in March 2010 claims that the RFS2 “violated the statutory requirements setting separate biomass-based diesel volume requirements for 2009 and 2010, that it was inappropriately retroactive without proper lead time and compliance provisions.”

National Biodiesel Board vice president of federal affairs Anne Steckel says they are happy with the court decision.

“The RFS program is working just as Congress intended. It’s creating jobs across the country. It’s breaking our addiction to oil. It’s helping clean our air, and it’s reducing greenhouse gases,” said Steckel. “This year alone, the biodiesel industry is on pace to produce at least 800 million gallons of advanced biofuel while supporting more than 31,000 jobs. We’re pleased to see the Supreme Court put an end to this litigation as we continue building a strong U.S. biodiesel industry.” Ethanol industry group Growth Energy was also pleased with the decision which mainly impacts biodiesel producers as they had intervened in the court case to defend the mandated volumes and make sure that the volumetric levels were retroactive as of Jan 2010. “The intent of Congress was clear when it passed the Energy Independence and Security Act – domestically-produced biofuels do strengthen our national defense and help support our economy. We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision as the right decision,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy


http://domesticfuel.com/2011/11/07/biodiesel-industry-pleased-with-supreme-court-decision/



08 November 2011 by Gary Truitt

“The intent of Congress was clear when it passed the Energy Independence and Security Act – domestically-produced biofuels do strengthen our national defense and help support our economy. The RFS is critical if we are to ever reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and Growth Energy’s members fought vigorously against attempts by Big Oil to weaken the RFS. We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision as the right decision,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.

http://www.hoosieragtoday.com/index.php/2011/11/08/growth-energy-praises-high-court-decision-to-deny-oil-industry-lawsuit/

By Kris Bevill | November 08, 2011

More than 200 people representing all sectors of agriculture gathered in Fargo, N.D., Nov. 7-8 to discuss issues related to the 2012 Farm Bill during a conference jointly organized by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Won Koo, professor and director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies at North Dakota State University. Elected officials from North Dakota and Minnesota, agriculture policy experts from across the United States, state and national agriculture interest groups and ethanol industry representatives gathered to dissect anticipated changes to farm policy under the broad umbrella of the Farm Bill as legislators work to craft the latest five-year plan. Crop insurance policy quickly rose to the top of producers’ list of priorities for the bill, followed closely by funding for agriculture research and biofuels programs.



http://www.ethanolproducer.com/articles/8303/biofuels-makes-list-of-priorities-at-farm-bill-conference