The entire Iowa congressional delegation this week urged the EPA to propose 2017 ethanol and 2018 biodiesel Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) consistent with enacted law. A letter signed by Iowa Congressmen David Young, Rod Blum, Steve King, and Dave Loebsack, and Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, was sent to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy encouraging …
Iowa Governor Blasts Ted Cruz Over Ethanol
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad made national headlines Tuesday at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit with his comments about presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during an impromptu press conference. “He is heavily financed by Big Oil,” Branstad said about Cruz. “I think it would be very damaging to our state…and I think it would be a big mistake for Iowa …
Four GOP Candidates Address #Ethanol
Four Republican presidential candidates addressed the 10th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit on Tuesday, putting a major national spotlight on the importance of ethanol to the nation. First up was former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, the only candidate who had been there before, making his third appearance to the group. He stressed his long support for the Renewable Fuel …
Vilsack Featured Speaker at Nat’l Ethanol Conference
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has been named to the lineup for this year’s National Ethanol Conference. The gathering, going on Feb. 15-17 in New Orleans, is the most widely attended executive level conference for the ethanol industry. Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, was praised by the Renewable Fuels Association as being a long-time ally of ethanol. Vilsack …
Abigail Fisler Wins NEC Scholarship
Abigail Fisler, a junior at Dickinson College in Carlislie, PA, has been awarded a student scholarship to attend the 21st Annual National Ethanol Conference (NEC) in February in New Orleans. The scholarship, awarded by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Renewable Fuels Foundation, (RFF) provides a student studying renewable fuels with complimentary registration and an opportunity to network with …
EPA Study on Vehicle Emissions Raises Questions
A new study has raised questions about the veracity of the U.S Environmental Protection Agencies vehicle emissions modeling system. The third party report found it to be an inadequate and unreliable tool for estimating the exhaust of emissions of gasoline blends containing more than 10 percent ethanol. The evaluation of EPA’s latest Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES2014) model was conducted …
RFA Comments on DOE’s Innovative “Optima” Program
The Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) had a call for information on Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Optima). The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments stating that the Association agrees that “co-optimization of future fuels and engines is an essential strategy for achieving national objectives related to energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, and energy security.” The comments …
2015 Sees Record Car Sales, Most Approved for E15
U.S. car sales in 2015 hit record sales according to statistics from Autodata. Increased sales have been spurred by cheap gasoline prices coupled with low interest rates. In total, 17.5 million cars and light trucks were sold last year to the tune of $570 billion. According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), a majority of these vehicles sold are approved …
Ethanol Report on 2016
A new year has dawned and with it new opportunities for the ethanol industry. In this Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen discusses some of the upcoming events in 2016, including the 21st National Ethanol Conference in New Orleans February 15-17, and comments on whether there may yet be a legal challenge by the industry …
ADM to Develop North Carolina Ethanol Hub
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) will develop a new ethanol hub in Selma, North Carolina. The company says the project with Kinder Morgan, Inc. and Bailey Feed Mill will be to build a new unit train rail facility and ethanol offloading system. KMI will invest in and construct the new facilities, which will be located at the Bailey Feed Mill and …