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D A T E L I NE EPA POSTS NEW 2012 BIODIESEL PRODUCTION FIGURES The U.S. biodiesel industry produced 135 million gallons of fuel in the first two months of 2012, according to new num- bers released by the EPA. The volume is an increase over the same period last year, when production totaled less than 80 million gallons. But it is down from the record production late last year when the industry exceeded 100 million gallons per month for five con- secutive months and reached a peak of 160 million gallons in December. Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board, said the drop-off reflects lost momen- tum this year after Congress allowed the biodiesel tax incentive to expire and the Obama administration delayed finalizing next year's biodiesel volume requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard. "These are solid numbers that show the biodiesel industry is on pace to meet the 1 billion gallon RFS requirement this year, but they also reflect some of the missed opportunities for growth and jobs that we've seen with the loss of the tax credit and the continued uncertainty about next year's RFS volume," Steckel said. "With the tax credit and clear RFS growth in place, we think these numbers would be better." Last year, the biodiesel industry pro- duced a record of nearly 1.1 billion gallons, supporting more than 39,000 jobs across the country and helping to reduce U.S. dependence on skyrocketing global petro- leum prices. Biodiesel i s the f irs t and only EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel in commercial-scale fuel production across the country. Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as agricul- tural oils, recycled cooking oil and animal fats, it is produced in nearly every state in the country. Biodiesel can be used in existing diesel engines and meets strict specifications of ASTM D6751. PMAA AND NEFI PUSH OBAMA ON OIL MARKET SPECULATION The Petroleum Marketers Association of FEATURED NEWS New 2012 biodiesel production figures PMAA, NEFI and Obama on speculation AHRI December 2011 and January 2012 Data John S. Savage III passes Forming Intellidyne International New date for Women In Energy Summit Barba and Holohan at OESP Convention Bobby Leggett joins Field Controls Metropolitan Industries & Wilo USA America and the New England Fuel Institute issued a statement on April 12 in response to President Obama's proposals to address oil market manipulation and speculation: On behalf of our members and their con- sumers, we applaud the President for his statement today regarding the need to step- up efforts to address the harmful effects of excessive speculation in the energy commod- ity markets. His statements are long overdue and are encouraging, especially considering the harmful effect that unchecked financial activities have had on businesses, consumers and the broader economy. Our member companies do not benefit from high oil, gasoline and home heating fuel prices. Unwarranted price spikes and extreme volatility driven by Wall Street trad- ing activities diminish competition, increase hedging costs, strain lines of credit and, most importantly, create major burdens on small businesses and struggling families. We agree with the President on the need to step-up oversight of the energy futures and swaps markets, fully fund the CFTC to put the cops back on the beat and increase the penalties for market manipulation. Yesterday, we sent to the CFTC a com- ment letter (see link below) urging vigorous enforcement of the Volcker Rule, which would prevent banks from using customer deposits and taxpayer subsidies to specu- late in commodities. Combined with strong new speculative position limits and mar- gin requirements, federal regulators can get speculation back in-check. The President should also remove any and all federal barriers to increased domes- tic production of conventional fuels such as crude oil and alternatives such as biofuels. Increased production and investments in infrastructure, when combined with renewed transparency and restrictions on speculation in the commodities markets will translate into real relief for American consumers and the broader economy. In related news, NEFI is pushing indus- try members to oppose new legislation that would jeopardize much needed oversight and regulation of the derivatives markets and roll back vital reforms included in the 2010 Wall Street reform law. There are several bills now being con- sidered. One of those bills, the "Swaps Jurisdiction Certainty Act" or H.R.3283, would create a new loophole that would exempt U.S. financial firms from federal oversight and regulation if they engage in swaps with a foreign entity. The "Swaps Execution Facility Act" or H.R.2586 would repeal pre-trade trans- parency requirements and as a result strip the markets of much-needed competition, blind end-users to competitive prices and drive up hedging costs. More information and an e-mail form letter can be found at the NEFI Action Center (www.nefiactioncenter.com). AHRI RELEASES DECEMBER 2011 AND JANUARY 2012 U.S. HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT SHIPMENT DATA The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment. AHRI provides regular reports on the sales of a variety of equipment. Offered below is the data for December 2011 and January 2012. Residential Storage Water Heaters U.S. shipments of residential gas stor- age water heaters for December 2011 www.fueloilnews.com | FUEL OIL NEWS | MAY 2012 3