Storm forces US Ethanol Cuts, Signaling Threat of Gas Crunch

Dec 27, 2022

Some US ethanol producers are cutting back production as soaring natural gas prices amid bitterly cold temperatures in parts of the country are becoming “untenable” for the biofuel makers. The reduction for ethanol is signaling a potential squeeze on gas supplies just as the Arctic blast is set to raise demand from consumers to heat their homes.

During an extreme cold spell in February 2021, production curbs at biofuel plants were among the first signs of a gas crunch that ultimately sent energy bills soaring in Texas. At that time, some ethanol producers also sold gas back to the grid. So far this week, there are no reports of those kinds of sales.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.