EPA today released the proposed 2014 required volume obligations (RVOs) for 2014. The final version of the 2013 RVOs was released in early August of this year. Under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), the RVOs are to be final by 30 November of the year prior to their effect. Today's proposed rule is subject to a 60-day comment period, making it likely to be finalized around March after all comments are reviewed.The announcement was not much different than what was leaked in October during the government shutdown. According to the leaked document, cellulosic was trimmed to 17 million gallons from 23 million gallons. The corresponding advanced number was trimmed by 10 million gallons from the original leaked volume of 2.2...
What You Need to Know Today: Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans continued to accelerate, with USDA reporting another 558 KMT sold to China and 236 KMT to unknown destinations. Combined with sales announced Wednesday and Thursday, the latest purchases bring the three-day total to approximately...
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.