ACE Conference 2026

Export Exchange 2026 Set for Seattle

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Export Exchange 2026 is set for October 15-17 in Seattle, WA.

Export Exchange is a biennial event sponsored by the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy bringing together U.S. suppliers of coarse grains and co-products, industry representatives and members of the grain trade with international buyers and end-users of coarse grains and co-products, including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS).

“The Council and its partners are proud to host this event and provide a platform for U.S. producers and exporters to meet international buyers and make lasting business connections,” said Mark Wilson, USGBC chairman.

Previous editions of the conference have each resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales of grains and co-products traded on-site or immediately following the event.

In addition to networking opportunities, the event will focus on timely topics related to exports of U.S. corn, sorghum, barley, DDGS and related products. Council-sponsored trade teams from more than 30 countries will also be in attendance, participating in tours before and after the main conference.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, RFA, USGC

Ethanol Exports Lower in April But Still Strong

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

U.S. ethanol exports dropped below 200 million gallons (mg) in April for the first time in six months amid broadly weaker shipments across several key markets, but still remained strong at 171.6 million gallons, according to the latest Trade Monitor report from the Renewable Fuels Association. Canada remained the top destination for U.S. ethanol, despite a 14 percent decline, while exports to the European Union fell 42% to a 9-month low of 34.1 mg, though strong demand from the Netherlands continued to underpin the market for undenatured ethanol.

Shipments to South Korea jumped 57% to a 4-year high of 16.4 mg, while imports by the Philippines retreated 27% to 11.1 mg. Collectively, these four markets accounted for roughly three-quarters of all U.S. ethanol exports in April. Other significant destinations included the United Kingdom (10.4 mg), Peru (8.6 mg), Mexico (8.0 mg), Nigeria (6.6 mg), and Colombia (6.3 mg). Notably, exports to Brazil dropped to essentially zero as the country emerged from its interharvest period, and India was also absent from the market for U.S. ethanol. Year-to-date U.S. ethanol exports reached 811.3 mg, running 13% ahead of the same period last year.

U.S. exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS) were down just one percent in April to 1.02 million metric tons (mt) as shipments to Mexico declined three percent to 206,786 mt, while exports to Indonesia declined 15% to 139,653 mt. Exports to South Korea were up 6% to 121,565 mt, shipments to Vietnam increased 13% to 114,782 mt, and exports to Turkey surged 32% to 94,663 mt.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Report from FEW 2026

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The Renewable Fuels Association took the home field advantage at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop this year which was held in their own backyard in St. Louis June 2-4.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, we hear from many of the RFA team members who helped to make FEW 2026 a home run, including Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs Troy Bredenkamp; Senior Vice President for Industry Relations and Market Development Robert White; Vice President for Strategy and Innovation Tad Hapner; Director of Environment, Health and Safety Justin Schultz; as well as President and CEO Geoff Cooper.

Ethanol Report 6-8-26 27:59

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

RFA Provides Update on California E15 at FEW

Cindy Zimmerman

It was October 2025 when California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation making way for lower cost 15 percent ethanol fuel (E15) to be made available for the first time in the state, but eight months later it has yet to happen.

At this week’s Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Robert White with the Renewable Fuels Association explained that the will of the state government is tied up in red tape regarding California’s unique stage two vapor recovery equipment.

“Stage 2 vapor recovery is a boot on the end of the nozzle when you fuel your vehicle that captures the vapor from the fuel as it enters the vehicle,” said White. “Unfortunately, it is a necessary requirement because the vehicles that would be approved to use E15 have onboard vapor recovery system that a lot of people don’t realize is there….So all we’ve been trying to say is they could use enforcement discretion, they could use various opportunities that they do at stage one and other pieces of equipment that they use at gas stations to allow E10 certified equipment to allow E15 because all of those systems were tested on E15. It’s just they were listed at E10. And the state fire marshal has dug in. They don’t seem like they’re ready to move. And so eight months later, here we sit.”

Meanwhile, White says sales of E85 in California continue to grow as retail prices are significantly lower compared to regular unleaded. “It’s crazy to think that, in Kansas City, I think the biggest discount I can find is 80 cents, maybe a dollar discount on E85. And you go to California and $2 or $3, we even saw a $4 discount in Glendale, California a couple of weeks ago from E85 to regular gasoline,” said White. “So flex fuel vehicles are definitely in high demand and we’re seeing more and more E85 stations being added – they just crossed 650 in the state.”

Learn more in this interview from FEW.
RFA Senior VP, Industry Relations and Market Development Robert White 12:25

RFA at FEW Photo Album

Audio, E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

ACE CEO Discusses Ethanol Issues on FEW Roundtable

Cindy Zimmerman

ACE CEO Brian Jennings (L) on FEW panel with moderator Ben Rhodes, Nebraska Ethanol Board

Nationwide, year-round E15 continues to be the top issue for the ethanol industry and it was the number one topic on the executive roundtable at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop this week.

American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings says passage of the E15 bill in the House last month has bolstered supporters in the Senate. “On the Senate side, we’re engaging with, as you might expect, Majority Leader Thune of South Dakota, a strong supporter of this, can be very instrumental in figuring out the right path,” said Jennings. “I think the Senate feels the pressure now to do something. Now that the House has passed this, the senators that we’ve been talking to are like, okay, wow, now it’s our turn and we actually have to do this. So I think there’s a little more interest in being flexible and being open and finding a path forward.”

The panel also covered topics such as exports and the recent decision on Brazil’s trading practices, and getting rules in place for the 45Z tax credit – all topics that Jennings says will be on the agenda for the ACE’s upcoming 39th annual conference with the theme “Fueling Freedom.”

“We wanted to build off America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Ethanol gives that independence and that freedom to drivers,” Jennings said. “We’re putting together the agenda right now, but you can expect that we will be talking about all of the public policy issues of the day that this panel did, from E15 to 45Z to exports, you name it, new markets. We’re going to have speakers talk about heavy-duty use for ethanol and like John Deere and other heavy-duty applications, the marine opportunity, the sustainable aviation fuel opportunity. And then just a lot of breakout sessions to help board members in terms of leadership and training and succession planning, financial health of the company, things like that.”

The ACE Conference will be held August 19-21, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Listen to an interview with Jennings from FEW:
ACE CEO Brian Jennings at FEW 12:50

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RFA Hits Home Run at 2026 Fuel Ethanol Workshop

Cindy Zimmerman

RFA team at FEW with Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith

]The Renewable Fuels Association hit a home run at the 2026 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW) June 2-4 in St. Louis.

RFA had a full lineup of events throughout the show, including featuring St. Louis Cardinals legend and Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith at their booth.
RFA Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs Troy Bredenkamp took part in the executive roundtable discussion while RFA Senior Vice President for Industry Relations and Market Development Robert White discussed California’s ethanol market in the afternoon.

Also presenting at FEW were Tad Hepner, RFA’s Vice President for Strategy and Innovation, and Justin Schultz, RFA Director of Environment, Health and Safety.

RFA’s Troy Bredenkamp (far left) on FEW executive round table panel

Bredenkamp says they went all out for FEW this year, since RFA headquarters is located in the St. Louis area. “You know, this is something we don’t typically do, but again, when you’re in Saint Louis, you take that kind of an opportunity,” said Bredenkamp. “Those that are baseball fans will certainly remember the Wizard of Oz and since we’re in Saint Louis, obviously he was a lifelong Saint Louis Cardinal. We just try and make whatever connections we can while we’re here.”

Based in RFA’s Washington D.C. office, Bredenkamp is on the front lines of the battle in Congress to get nationwide, year-round E15 passed into law, so that topic dominated the executive round table discussion at FEW Wednesday morning. “We just had the successful vote in the U.S. House. So we talked about how we were able to get that done over on the House side. And then we all talked then about what it’s going to take to get it done over on the Senate side. That was probably about half the panel discussion.” said Bredenkamp.

Learn more in this interview.
RFA Senior VP, Government and Public Affairs Troy Bredenkamp 15:48

RFA at FEW Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW

2026 FEW Honors Industry Leaders

Cindy Zimmerman

Chuck Woodside at FEW

Four industry leaders received recognition at the 2026 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo this week in St. Louis.

Topping the list was Chuck Woodside, CEO of KAAPA Ethanol LLC, who received the High Octane Award for his decades of leadership and service to the ethanol industry. Woodside has served as CEO at KAAPA for 25 years, and KAAPA has grown into the largest farmer-owned ethanol producer in Nebraska, with a grain elevator and three ethanol plants producing over 350 million gallons annually. Woodside served as chair of the Renewable Fuels Association in 2011-12 and has also served in leadership roles with Renewable Fuels Nebraska and Renewable Products Marketing Group.

Others who were honored included:
Jenny Forbes, vice president of sales and service at Phibro Ethanol, received the Women in Ethanol Award for her more than 20 years of leadership, technical expertise and dedication to ethanol producers.

Pauline Teunissen, global application director for grain processing at IFF, who received the Award of Excellence for her longstanding contributions to innovation in ethanol production.

Jim Ramm, who co-founded and served as vice president of U.S. biofuels at EcoEngineers, received the Distinguished Service Award for his pioneering work in low-carbon fuel compliance and carbon markets. He retired last year.

RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper congratulated the winners.
“As the leading trade association for our industry, we’re pleased to see that the companies they represent are all producer or associate members of RFA,” said Cooper. “We congratulate them, thank them for their outstanding service, and wish them every future success. We’re especially happy to see former RFA Chairman Chuck Woodside honored for his strong leadership as a respected voice and thoughtful innovator for U.S. ethanol.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

USTR Finds Brazil Unfairly Restricts Ethanol Market Access

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Trade Representative has concluded its Section 301 investigation of Brazil and found ethanol market access to be among several trade practices considered to be unreasonable or restrictive to U.S. commerce, noting that Brazil “abruptly discontinued its previously balanced tariff treatment of ethanol and has since failed to provide reciprocal tariff treatment for U.S. ethanol exports.”

As a result, Ambassador Jamieson Greer has proposed a 25% tariff on “all goods of Brazil” with certain exceptions, while the United States continues to engage intensively with Brazil to seek resolution of U.S. concerns.

“Over the past year, President Trump and I have had several constructive meetings with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his cabinet, which have accelerated in recent weeks,” said Greer. “However, we continue to have substantial differences in resolving the issues identified in this investigation. I look forward to continuing engagement with the Brazilian Government in advance of the July 15, 2026 statutory deadline for taking responsive action.”

According to the USTR findings:
The acts, policies, and practices of Brazil with respect to ethanol market access are unreasonable because Brazil has abandoned bilateral cooperation to promote ethanol trade and Brazil has instead established non-reciprocal and unfair conditions for trade, which denies fair and equitable market opportunities for U.S. ethanol producers. The acts, policies, and practices burden or restrict U.S. commerce because U.S. ethanol exports are increasingly unable to compete in the Brazilian marketplace given Brazil’s high tariffs, while Brazil exports a significantly greater value of ethanol to the United States.

In a statement, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said they agree with USTR that Brazil’s ethanol trade policies are unreasonable and restrictive, and support the Trump administration’s efforts to level the playing field. “The U.S. ethanol industry would prefer to return to days of free and open two-way trade with Brazil. But the Brazilians have instead chosen to enforce punitive tariffs and technical barriers that have resulted in lost market opportunities and financial harm to U.S. producers. Thus, the Trump administration has no choice but to respond in kind,” said Cooper.

USTR will hold a hearing about the proposed action on July 6, 2026 and interested persons should submit requests to appear at the hearing by June 22. Written comments are due by July 1.

Brazil, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports

Stakeholders Make 45Z Recommendations

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuel stakeholders provided testimony to the U.S. Department of Treasury this week on ways to improve and finalize the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit rules.

During a public hearing, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper urged Treasury to immediately release an updated 45ZCF-GREET model that integrates changes to the 45Z program mandated by last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “The technology-neutral structure of 45Z is a crucial feature of the program, enabling producers to pursue the most efficient and economically practical pathways for reducing emissions and boosting production of homegrown fuels,” Cooper said. “We are nearly halfway through the 2026 tax year, and still clean fuel producers do not have access to the model required for determining emissions rates, which of course, ultimately drives determinations of 45Z credit values. Delays are creating tremendous uncertainty and investment risk.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Chief Consultant and Policy Advisor Jonathon Lehman stressed that ethanol producers and farmers need clear rules that allow the industry to fully monetize carbon reductions achieved through conservation practices and innovation. “ACE members sit at the intersection of American agriculture and American energy,” Lehman testified. “45Z—strengthened in the One Big Beautiful Bill through transferability and extension through 2029—is a genuine market-based lifeline, but only if Treasury finalizes rules that allow full monetization of low-carbon farming practices.”

Clean Fuels Alliance America Vice President of Federal Affairs Kurt Kovarik also testified on the need for additional certainty through timely final rules and updates to the 45ZCF-GREET model. “While the Proposed Regulations provide much-needed market certainty for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers, we are requesting additional clarity in some areas. Specifically, for instance, we are awaiting publication of the modified 45ZCF-GREET model. We would also appreciate additional guidance as to how to apply the credit to fuel produced prior to publication of the proposed rule and further clarity on the Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship requirements as they relate directly to 45Z.”

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Clean Fuels Launches National Fuel Quality Reports

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean Fuels Alliance America announces the launch of its National Fuel Quality Reports, a first-of-its-kind resource measuring quality of multiple fuel types.

The reports cover biodiesel, diesel, gasoline grades, ethanol, aviation fuel, kerosene and specialty fuels, including B99/B100, B6+ blends, #1 and #2 diesel, E15–E85 gasolines, Jet A/A1 and 100LL AvGas. Compiled from multiple points across the national fuel distribution system, the reports provide statistical analysis of trends and fuel quality nationwide, offering actionable insights for fuel marketers, distributors, fleets, fuel buyers and OEMs.

Clean Fuels Technical Director Scott Fenwick says the information is designed to help fuel suppliers benchmark performance and further develop housekeeping programs, while enabling fleets and buyers to make informed decisions. “These reports are designed to provide a statistical snapshot of how fuels may perform in practice across the national distribution system, encouraging informed discussions around fuel quality programs and continuous improvement.”

The initiative expands on the success of the BQ-9000® quality assurance program, administered by the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC). Since 2017, NBAC and the National Lab of the Rockies have collected and analyzed data from BQ-9000 accredited producers, publishing annual analyses demonstrating that biodiesel from accredited producers consistently exceeds ASTM D6751 quality specifications.

For more information about the National Fuel Quality Reports, visit bq-9000.org/national-fuel-quality-reports.

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