The National Biodiesel Board is asking EPA Administrator Michael Regan for an opportunity to present the findings of a new study, “Assessment of Health Benefits from Using Biodiesel as a Transportation Fuel and Residential Heating Oil.” The study from Trinity Consultants quantifies the public health benefits and resulting economic savings of using 100% biodiesel in U.S. communities near heavy transportation …
EPA to Provide GAO With SRE Info
The Environmental Protection Agency announced this week it will provide requested information to the Government Accountability Office related to small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard. \ The EPA announcement published in the Federal Register says it will provide the GAO with “…all documents, information, and data related to all small refinery exemption petitions received by EPA from the …
Analysis Confirms Ethanol’s Low Carbon Benefits
A new analysis by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has determined that the carbon footprint of corn ethanol improved by 23% between 2005 and 2019, and by 2019 was reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 44-52% compared to gasoline. The research, published in the academic journal Biofuels Bioproducts and Biorefining, also determined that “corn ethanol alone …
Export Exchange 2022 Dates Set
The biennial Export Exchange had to be cancelled last year, and again this year, due to the pandemic, but it will get back on its every even year schedule in 2022. The event, sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association, U.S. Grains Council and Growth Energy, will be held next Oct. 12-14, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “COVID dictated we cancel Export …
RFA’s Davis Reappointed to Commerce Advisory Committee
Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis has been re-appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee (REEEAC), which provides direction on issues related to the exportation of U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency products and services. “I look forward to continuing the good work of the Renewable Energy and Energy …
EPA Asks Court to Vacate Last-Minute Refinery Waivers
The Environmental Protection Agency has filed a motion asking the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit to vacate and remand three last-minute small refinery exemptions granted to Sinclair by the previous administration. The filing says the Trump administration’s EPA “…granted exemption extensions that EPA now believes are ‘outside the scope of the EPA’s statutory authority.’” Renewable Fuels …
Happy Silver Anniversary to Al-Corn
Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont, MN, is celebrating 25 years of successful operations this week. On April 29, 1996 the process of converting corn into ethanol began with the first corn being ground. Originally constructed as a 10 million gallon a year facility, Al-Corn has undergone a series of expansion and modernization projects and now produces 125 million gallons annually. …
Ethanol Groups Comment on USDA’s Climate Strategy
The ethanol industry responded this week to USDA’s request for information regarding the role for “climate-smart agriculture” and biofuels in combating climate change. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) offered a number of recommendations, including: As directed by Congress, USDA should actively coordinate and consult with EPA on implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard, especially with regard to the analyses and …
Study Shows Health Benefits of Biodiesel
A new study released this week by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) shows switching to biodiesel results in significant health benefits such as decreased cancer risk, fewer premature deaths and reduced asthma attacks. The study, conducted by Trinity Consultants, was sponsored by NBB with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board, South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, California Advanced Biofuels …
Ethanol’s Day in the Supreme Court – Podcast
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on the appeal of a case over the Small Refinery Exemption program under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The case was decided unanimously last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which held that only small refineries that have remained continuously exempt from obligations under the RFS are …