The government is shut down and rumors abound about ethanol and the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) to be set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). 2014 RVOS are anticipated to be announced within the next few weeks. With speculation and misinformation circulating at breakneck speeds, I went to Bob Dinneen, President …
Corn Crop Enough to Meet RFS
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is weighing in on the speculation about what the 2014 volume requirements for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) might be. NCGA president Martin Barbre, a corn grower from Illinois, says the statute currently calls for corn starch ethanol to account for 14.4 billion gallons, an amount that can easily be provided by the industry. …
DC Update Ethanol Report
The nation’s capitol is “so quiet you can hear a pin drop” but the American Petroleum Institute (API) is still working to beat the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and the government shutdown means E15 retailers are unable to get approval. “EPA right now is not answering the phones so they are not responding to marketers that are looking to offer …
API Strikes Again
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has struck again by filing a lawsuit with the D.C. Circuit Court against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the volume requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “This is another frivolous effort by API to abuse the court system in their slavish effort to repeal a public policy that is working for farmers, gasoline …
Congressman Makes Case to Colleagues for RFS
A congressman from Iowa makes the case that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is working and encourages his fellow lawmakers to support it. In an open letter titled “Dear Colleague: Why the last two months show the RFS is working,” Rep. Dave Loebsack points out that the recent flexibility in the RFS, the government looking into renewable fuel distribution barriers, …
Ethanol Group Wants Apology After Big Oil Compares RFS to Cancer
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any lower, Big Oil manages to take it to another level… a much lower level. In a story from Reuters, the American Petroleum Institute’s Jack Gerard is quoted as comparing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to cancer. While talking about how Congress should address ethanol Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), Gerard is reported saying, …
EPA Report Recommends Better Monitoring of RFS
A new internal report recommends the Environmental Protection Agency improve its monitoring of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. This article in Biodiesel Magazine reports the EPA’s own Inspector General conducted the audit and made the recommendation in response to the generation of millions of dollars of fraudulent renewable identification numbers (RINs). According to the report, the EPA did not …
REG Chief: Biodiesel Set to Meet RFS Obligations
As the government considers the 2014 volume obligation for biodiesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the man in charge of the nation’s largest biodiesel producer says his green fuel is ready to meet the mandates. On the E&ETV show OnPoint, Dan Oh, CEO of the Renewable Energy Group (REG) said biodiesel can be relied upon to provide advanced biofuels. …
BIO Tells EPA to Just Say No to Big Oil’s RFS Waiver
Big Oil is trying to get out of its obligations under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), but an organization with close ties to the biofuels industry is calling on the government to stand its ground. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is asking Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to reject the recent petition from American Petroleum Institute and American …
Senator Calls for Review of RINS Market
Senate Agriculture Committee chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is asking the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to review allegations of manipulation in the markets for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), the tracking mechanism to ensure petroleum blenders and refiners meet their requirements under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Press reports have highlighted potential speculation and manipulation of the unregulated markets, possibly contributing to …