The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking input on the creation of a new Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion of sales of renewable fuels. This Request for Information (RFI) solicits information on options for fuel ethanol and biodiesel infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived …
New Report Outlines Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest
A new report details how a good clean fuels policy for the Midwest should be designed, recommending a “technology-neutral, portfolio approach that encourages a fair and competitive marketplace and benefits producers, consumers, agriculture, utilities, jobs, and public health.” The Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest white paper is the result of nearly two years of analysis and stakeholder discussion by …
Ethanol Groups Applaud House Passage of USMCA
Ethanol organizations are praising the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) yesterday on a bipartisan vote of 385-41. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings says the new agreement solidifies a multi-billion-dollar export market while providing more certainty to farmers. “Canada is the most reliable export market for U.S. ethanol over the course of time, …
Ethanol Report on 2019
No one in the ethanol industry will be sorry to see 2019 in the rear view mirror. To say it has been a rough year would be an understatement. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper says it was one of the worst years – if not the worst – the industry has seen in its relatively short history. …
Tax Extenders Also Help Ethanol and Advanced Biofuels
The deal reached by congressional leaders Tuesday for renewing and extending important renewable fuel tax provisions helps the ethanol industry as well as biodiesel producers. Specifically, the amendment would retroactively reinstate the second-generation biofuel producer credit, the special allowance for second-generation biofuel plant property and the alternative fuel refueling property credit for 2018 and 2019 and extend them through 2020. …
MN Biofuels Names Retailer of the Year
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association has named Hutchinson Co-Op its Distinguished Retailer for 2019. “Hutchinson Co-Op was a recipient of the highly successful Biofuels Infrastructure Partnership program. It began offering E15 at the end of 2018 and today E15 sales comprise nearly half of its fuel sales,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director at MN Biofuels. Hutchinson Co-Op also offers E30 and …
Trade Groups Push Congress on Biodiesel Tax Extension
Executives from nearly a dozen national trade associations sent a letter to Congressional leaders last week highlighting the urgent need for Congress to extend the expired biodiesel tax incentive before the end of the year. The groups included the National Biodiesel Board, American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, Advanced Biofuels Association, among others. The association executives …
Project LIBERTY “Pauses” Cellulosic Biofuel Production
POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels is hitting the pause button on production of cellulosic biofuels at Project LIBERTY and shifting instead to “R&D focused on improving operational efficiency,” according to the company which is a joint venture of Royal DSM and POET, LLC. POET-DSM is blaming the shift on “EPA challenges with the implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).” “Over the …
Sec. Perdue Comments on Ethanol and SREs
During a visit to the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual convention on Friday, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was asked about EPA’s supplemental proposal to account for small refinery exemptions and to address the concerns of the industry that it is insufficient. “I want to put it really simple,” said Perdue. “The president expects, I expect, and we …
Biofuels Groups Express Concerns at EPA Hearing
Representatives from multiple ethanol and biodiesel stakeholder organizations and companies delivered basically the same message to the Environmental Protection Agency during a hearing Wednesday on the proposal to make up for volumes lost under the Renewable Fuel Standard due to small refinery waivers – nice try, but you still need to follow the law. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig …