I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the ethanol industry that gets me jazzed up about biofuels and my latest spark: the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 26th Annual Ethanol Conference that kicked off tonight in Des Moines, Iowa. The opening reception was abuzz with the latest news and contagious optimism about the industry, despite Big Oil’s …
Senators Call for Big Oil Investigation
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate possible anticompetitive practices by oil companies that limit consumers access to homegrown renewable fuels such as ethanol. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, Klobuchar, the Chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee, and Grassley, …
Why You Should Not Miss the ACE Conference
The 26th American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Conference is less than two weeks away. The event is being held in Des Moines, Iowa August 26-28th and the conference will be offering great sessions covering issues that are important to the ethanol industry. I asked Shannon Gustafson, Director of Strategic Projects for a brief overview of some of the key issues …
Record Corn Crop Forecast
Despite a wet spring causing a challenging start to the season, the 2013 corn crop is still looking to break new ground this year, according to the latest USDA production estimate out today. Corn production is forecast at 13.8 billion bushels, up 28 percent from 2012. If realized, this will be a new record production for the United States. Based …
EPA Publishes 2013 RVOs
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the final 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumetric blending requirements, or Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO). The EPA determined that based on an evaluation of the volumes of cellulosic biofuel expected to be available for 2013, the 2013 standard for cellulosic biofuel will be 6 million ethanol-equivalent gallons. The renewable fuels industry has come …
International Trade Key Topic at Ethanol Conference
International trade will be a key topic at the upcoming American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Conference in Des Moines, IA August 27-28th. Executive Vice President for the ACE, Brian Jennings, said that Doug Newman, who is an International Trade Analyst with the International Trade Commission (ITC), will be a good fit for the conference. “Doug brings timely perspective on key …
S.D. AAA Promotes TV Ad Supporting Ethanol
With Triple A (AAA) defending itself against comments made by a current Big Oil campaign that they don’t support ethanol, the organization is fighting back. South Dakota AAA has launched its own TV ad in support of ethanol. The South Dakota AAA office says a new campaign by the American Petroleum Institute (API) misrepresents AAA’s position on E15 and ethanol. …
ACE Hails “ACE” Project
ACE hailed “ACE” yesterday in Galva, Iowa during an event where Quad County Corn Processors broke ground on its Adding Cellulosic Ethanol “ACE” project a bolt-on technology innovation that will specialize in converting corn fiber into cellulosic ethanol. On hand for the groundbreaking ceremony was American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Executive Vice President Brian Jennings who noted that the cellulosic …
ACE to Congress: Big Oil Manipulating RIN Market
In response to the release of the fifth white paper on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Brian Jennings submitted comments showing how the RFS is working and Big Oil companies are desperate to repeal it so they can control the fuel market. …
Groups Applaud EPA’s McCarthy Confirmation
The U.S. Senate has approved Gina McCarthy as the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on a 59-40 vote. Renewable energy and environmental groups, as well as commercial companies, welcomed her confirmation. The National Biodiesel Board said it was thrilled by the vote: “Gina McCarthy is a strong, dynamic leader who knows the intersection of environment and energy …