A trade team from Latin America is on an ethanol tour this week sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), which included a visit to the Sioux Falls, South Dakota office of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Monday morning. The schedule for the group included several other stops in South Dakota, visiting an ethanol plant, a livestock farm to …
ACE Partners with EPA Smart Sectors Program
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is one of the participants in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Sectors program launched this week to provide a platform for collaboration with regulated sectors to help the agency develop forward-thinking ways to improve environmental outcomes. “The Smart Sectors program is designed to effectively engage business partners throughout the regulatory process,” said EPA Administrator …
Groups Urge Trump to Stop EPA Changes to RFS
Biofuels stakeholder organizations have sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to “act quickly to prevent actions” at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that threaten to undermine future growth of the biofuels industry under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “If the proposed changes are finalized, EPA’s actions would cause severe harm to our industry, undermining your efforts to …
Tri-State Governors Conference Highlights Biofuels
There was a big focus on biofuels at the 15th annual Tri-State Governors’ Conference in Sioux City, Iowa this week. The governors of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota get together for this biannual event to discuss the issues impacting their respective states and the Siouxland region, and since the three states together produce almost half of the nation’s ethanol, that …
ACE Celebrates NE Flex Fuel Station Opening
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) board member Scott McPheeters of KAPPA Ethanol was first in line to fill up this week at the new Blue Heron Renewable Flex Fuel Plaza on Interstate 80 in Nebraska. “There was a need and an opportunity to provide more ethanol blends at a great price in central Nebraska,” said McPheeters. “Blue Heron is a …
USDA Trade Mission Heading to Brazil
A USDA Foreign Agriculture Service trade mission to São Paulo and Recife, Brazil, is underway this week with ethanol industry leaders looking to expand their agricultural exports and further develop their business relationships in Brazil. “Brazil holds significant untapped market potential for U.S. exporters,” said Mark Slupek, deputy administrator of the Office of Trade Programs for USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. …
Corn Rep Appointed to NE Ethanol Board
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has appointed Taylor Nelson, a farmer from Jackson, to join the Nebraska Ethanol Board as the corn representative. Nelson earned his agriculture economics degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He returned to the family farm in 2012, and produces corn and soybeans in Dixon and Dakota counties with his father, Doug Nelson, and uncle, Jim Nelson. …
ACE Webinar Focuses on Market Development
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) last week hosted a webinar on market development for higher ethanol blends, including an update on the organization’s market development work and legislative and policy priorities. ACE Senior Vice President Ron Lamberty also discussed assistance for retailers to start offering higher ethanol blends and a tour of resources on ACE’s FlexFuelForward.com website and Retailer …
High-Octane Ethanol Blends Can Help Meet GHG Standards
Ethanol organizations presented testimony to the EPA Wednesday that high-octane ethanol blends in optimized engines would be the lowest cost means for the country to meet 2022-2025 fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards. The testimony was provided during a hearing on Reconsideration of the Final Determination of the Midterm Evaluation (MTE) of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Model Year …
Biofuels Voices Comment on RFS Rule
The comment period for the EPA’s proposed volume obligations for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has officially ended and stakeholders in both the biodiesel and ethanol industries made their voices heard. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments “urging the agency to finalize the RVOs that were included in EPA’s first draft of the proposal that was submitted …