Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper sent a letter this week to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to quickly finalize its regulations accepting the petition of eight Midwest governors that would allow year round sales of E15 fuel blend in their states, noting that the statutory deadline for approving the petition was over a …
Ricketts Promotes Flex Fuel Fairness in Nebraska
A bill just introduced in the Senate would level the playing field for vehicles running on low-carbon liquid fuels like ethanol by properly recognizing the emissions benefits associated with using E85 flex fuels (which contain 51-83 percent ethanol). U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the bipartisan Flex Fuel Fairness Act last week along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Ricketts participated …
Bill Aims To Define Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Representatives Mike Flood (R-NE) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) this week introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act of 2023, a bipartisan bill to bring integrity to the standards required to meet the definition of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The legislation enjoys broad support among SAF stakeholders, including farm and biofuels organizations. “Recognizing the importance …
RFA Safety Programs Win National Awards
The Renewable Fuels Association has been honored for the 11th consecutive year with the National Achievement Award from TRANSCAER, a national hazardous materials safety coalition, for its outstanding safety programs. In addition, TRANSCAER honored Missy Ruff, RFA’s Director of Safety and Technical Programs, with an Individual Recognition Award for her efforts administering the programs. In 2022, more than 1,200 attendees …
Ethanol Report on DC Meetings
The Renewable Fuels Association held a board meeting in Washington D.C. this past week where members from around the country had the opportunity to discuss issues important to ethanol with lawmakers and administration officials. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, we hear from RFA board chairman Erik Huschitt, CEO and General Manager of Badger State Ethanol, who talks about …
EPA Denies Small Refinery Petitions
On Friday, EPA announced its decision denying 26 petitions seeking small refinery exemptions (SREs) from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for one or more of the compliance years between 2016 and 2023. Consistent with the April and July 2022 Denials of Petitions for RFS Small Refinery Exemptions, the action announced today applies EPA’s current interpretation of the Clean Air …
Biofuel and Farm Groups Join Tailpipe Emissions Letter
Biofuel groups and farmer organizations were among some 100 transportation fuel stakeholders who sent a letter this week urging the Biden administration to reverse course on its proposed tailpipe emissions standards for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles. “We share the goal of reduced greenhouse gas emissions across the broader economy and, specifically, those from energy production, transportation, and use by …
Ethanol is Star of Trump Rally
Former President Donald Trump held a rally and launched his Farmers for Trump coalition this past weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa to tout his support of agriculture and ethanol. The Republican presidential candidate highlighted actions he took while in office to help farmers, such as rolling back the Waters of the United States, ending the estate tax, renegotiating trade agreements, …
Ethanol Exports Down, DDGs Up in May
U.S. ethanol exports were down 10 percent in May to 113.2 million gallons (mg), mainly due to lower undenatured non-beverage, non-fuel ethanol shipments, including 12.6 mg lower exports to India, according to the latest analysis by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). Canada was our largest destination for the 26th consecutive month and accounted for 45% of global ethanol sales. The …
Groups Urge Fairness in Tailpipe Emissions Standards
Seven national associations representing the renewable fuel supply chain sent a letter this week to EPA Administrator Michael Regan asking him to adopt a market-oriented, technology-neutral approach to transportation decarbonization in its upcoming final tailpipe emissions standards for 2027-2032 light- and medium-duty vehicles. The groups wrote that the proposed rule favors electric vehicles while failing to consider the decarbonization potential …