Ten Scholarships Awarded for National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Foundation 2025 NEC Scholarship Winners

The Renewable Fuels Foundation announces 10 recipients this year of the Robert Sather Memorial Scholarship, which annually offers opportunities for college students and members of the Renewable Fuels Association’s Young Professionals Network to attend the 2026 National Ethanol Conference, February 24–26 in Orlando.

2026 scholarship recipients include five university students:
Addie Gauck, a second-year student at Purdue University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture systems management.
Felipe Almeida, a research assistant in ag economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Miriam Nwaogaraku, a graduate assistant at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, working toward a master’s degree in professional science, with a sustainable energy emphasis.
Samantha Cookson, an undergraduate student in chemical engineering at the University of Ottawa.
Shalom Iboh, a PhD candidate at the University of Florida, developing mathematical models for co-optimizing biofuel processes and products from renewable feedstocks.

Scholarships were also awarded to five members of RFA’s Young Professionals Network:
Brett Schrock, projects and research manager at Nebraska Ethanol Board.
Denise Atkinson, marketing manager at Chase Nedrow.
Emily Johnson, merchandiser at KAAPA Ethanol.
Verena Hopkins, sales representative at IFF.
Kayla McCaslin, accounting coordinator at Valero Energy.

The NEC scholarship program is named in honor of Robert “Bob” Sather, an educator who helped found Ace Ethanol. Sather was a longtime chairman of the Renewable Fuels Foundation, whose mission is to meet the research and education needs of the U.S. fuel ethanol industry. The aim of the Bob Sather Memorial Scholarship is to reach young adults aspiring to a career related to renewable fuels, open new doors for them, and present new perspectives on ethanol’s place in our world today and in the future.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

No E15 Bill to Consider

Cindy Zimmerman

It should come as no shock to anyone that the deadline for the “E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council” to come up with legislation for Congress came and went February 15 without any notice and the House of Representatives is off this week, making it unlikely anything will be done before the end of the month. But the ethanol industry remains determined to get this issue resolved after fighting for so many years.

The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, and the National Corn Growers Association released a joint statement Tuesday regarding the lack of progress toward a permanent, legislative fix offering consumers year-round access to E15.

“Year-round, nationwide E15 is an urgent priority for rural America, and it can’t wait. House leaders already have bipartisan, consensus legislation that has broad support from the overwhelming majority of biofuels, agriculture, fuel retail, and oil refining interests. The solution is on the table, and we urge council members to refocus their attention on proposals that already have widespread support. Year-round E15 will deliver real savings for hard-working families and open a reliable market for U.S. farmers struggling to stay afloat. We cannot allow a tiny handful of mid-sized refiners to take year-round E15 hostage while demanding outlandish handouts, just to line their pockets at the expense of everyone else,” said RFA President & CEO Geoff Cooper, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor, and Ohio farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower.

The “Council” was just created on January 22, after Congress failed to adopt E15 legislation as part of the recent appropriations bill, and charged with developing “legislative solutions to address the crisis facing our nation’s farmers and refiners.”

Directed to “investigate topics including, but not limited to, the sale of Ethanol-15, U.S. refinery capacity, the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, Renewable Identification Numbers, access to markets, and federal regulations that hinder American energy dominance,” the council was to develop “legislative solutions” by February 15 to be considered no later than February 25. Reps. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Randy Feenstra (R-IA), were assigned as co-chairs of the council.

The council has faced criticism for only including Republicans and has been unable to overcome opposition from a handful of refineries that would stand to lose access to exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw said the industry cannot afford to give up on this issue. “This is no time for quitting on E15,” said Shaw. “Farmers and consumers are counting on Congress and President Trump to finish the job for E15….Congress needs to prove it can function, because we’re getting fed up with the dysfunction.”

While February 15 has passed, Shaw points out the rule authorizing the Council gave until the end of the month for floor action on E15.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

E15 Sales Set Another Record in MN

Cindy Zimmerman

Sales of 15 percent ethanol blended fuel, known as E15 or Unleaded 88, set another record in Minnesota last year.

The final report for 2025 out from the Minnesota Department of Commerce last week showed a one percent increase in Unleaded 88/E15 sales in 2025, totaling 144.34 million gallons compared to 142.89 million gallons in 2024. Last year was the fourth straight year annual sales in the state exceeded 100 million gallons.

“The record sales of Unleaded 88 in Minnesota over the last five years show that despite regulatory uncertainty from Washington, D.C., retailers continue to expand access and consumers continue to fill up with E15. That’s because it works in any car 2001 and newer and saves drivers between $0.15 and $0.30 per gallon. As the ‘E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council’ continues to consider a framework for passing year-round E15, we urge them to listen to consumers who are clearly demanding permanent access to a better fuel at a better price,” said Brian Werner, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

According to MN Biofuels, Unleaded 88 is now available at 552 stations in the state. BP became the latest brand to offer Unleaded 88 in Minnesota last year, joining Amoco, ARCO, Casey’s, Cenex, Holiday, Hy-Vee, Kwik Trip, Little Dukes, Love’s, Marathon, Minnoco and Speedway.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

EPA and USDA Officials to Speak at NEC

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has announced key officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency will be speaking at the upcoming National Ethanol Conference Feb. 24-26 in Orlando.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, attendees will hear from Aaron Szabo, assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation. This office oversees implementation of Clean Air Act programs, including the Renewable Fuel Standard. Szabo is expected to address the work of the Trump administration on ethanol, including EPA’s proposal creating the highest-ever renewable volume obligations under the RFS, the issuance of emergency waivers allowing year-round sale of E15, and the agency’s swift efforts to reform vehicle tailpipe GHG standards and remove the federal EV mandate.

The following day, Daniel Whitley, administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, will provide an update on global trade policy issues affecting the ethanol industry at a time when we are seeing record exports of ethanol—more than 2 billion gallons in 2025. As the Trump administration has focused on new trade agreements around the world, expanding ethanol exports has been a priority in many of them.

Click here for more information and to register for the 2026 National Ethanol Conference.

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Handful of Refiners Holding E15 Hostage

Cindy Zimmerman

Image shared on social media by Nebraska Ethanol Board chairman Jan tenBensel

An historic alignment of agreement between the oil and ethanol industries is being held hostage by a small number of refiners, threatening the future of nationwide, year-round E15 (15% ethanol fuel).

Nebraska Ethanol Board chairman Jan tenBensel shared a graphic on social media last week calling out six refining companies by name with a combined revenue of nearly $172 billion. “The handful of refining companies trying to kill the year-round E15 bill make more money than all of our nation’s farmers and ranchers combined! Yet, they say they need RFS “hardship exemptions” to avoid blending ethanol and biodiesel? Give me a break!,” tenBensel said on X.

The companies named are Tennessee-based Delek US, HF Sinclair, Canadian companies Cenovus Energy and Suncor Energy, CVR Energy in Texas, and Houston-based Par Pacific.

L-R: RFA’s Troy Bredenkamp; Matt Durand, NACS; and Iowa RFA’s Monte Shaw

The impact the refinery hold-outs could have on the push to get E15 legislation completed this month in Congress was discussed at last week’s Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit.

“I think this is a story of more than 95% of the liquid fuel supply chain on one side and six billion dollar companies masquerading as small refiners on the other side. And I think that retailers are firmly on the right side of that,” said Matt Durand, Deputy Legal Counsel, National Association of Convenience Stores.

Troy Bredenkamp, Senior Vice President of Government & Public Affairs for the Renewable Fuels Association, said the support for E15 is significant, but the retailers who are opposed are powerful. “We have probably 100% of the ag community in support or neutral. We have 100% of the retail segment in support or neutral, certainly the biofuel segment in support,” he said. “So you really have these outlying midstream refineries, publicly traded mostly, some of them are foreign-owned, that are the losers in the new deal. When you’re talking about shrinking the size of the small refining sector from 37 facilities down to 17, there’s losers in that group.”

Bredenkamp says there are about 20 refineries in total, with the six named mid-size refineries owning multiple facilities. “So there’s a windfall that they’re going to be out of if they don’t continue to get small refinery exemptions. The 5 or 6 in that category have friends in high places. And so those are the ones that we’re up against.”

Listen to comments from Bredenkamp, Durand, and Iowa RFA Executive Director Monte Shaw during a panel discussion at the summit.
Iowa RFA E15 (7:24)

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E15 Deadline Coincides with Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Ethanol Conference is coming up February 24-26 in Orlando, coinciding this year with an important deadline facing the recently formed E15 Rural Domestic Energy Council, which has been having meetings over the past week in Washington D.C.

The council is tasked with submitting a legislative proposal by February 15 with the goal of considering the bill by February 25. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says that will make the NEC interesting. “The whole focus of our event this year is on unleashing American ethanol, unleashing new opportunities for corn growers, and unfortunately the pathway to doing that often runs through Washington DC or through state capitols,” said Cooper. “So we will have a heavy focus on what are those solutions for unleashing greater ethanol demand, greater demand for corn, greater value for both commodities, and E15 is a big part of that.”

Other topics to be addressed at NEC 2026 include energy, ag, and tax policy issues; the impact of AI in the ethanol marketplace, global demand for ethanol, maritime markets, 45Z tax credit opportunities, and updates from USDA and EPA.

Listen to Cooper’s NEC preview.
2026 NEC preview 3:54

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Winter Weather Impacts Ethanol Production

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol production plunged along with the temperatures across the country last week, according to the latest EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending January 30.

Ethanol production dropped 14.2% to 956,000 b/d, equivalent to 40.15 million gallons daily and the lowest weekly volume since mid-April 2024, reflecting the effects of the winter storm. Output was 14.0% lower than the same week last year and 8.8% below the three-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate declined 3.2% to 1.10 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.85 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks decreased 1.0% to 25.1 million barrels. Stocks were 4.8% less than the same week last year and 0.3% below the three-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol fell 10.4% to 791,000 b/d, equivalent to 12.16 bg annualized. Ethanol exports expanded 37.6% to an estimated 216,000 b/d (9.1 million gallons/day).

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

ACE Preparing for 15th Annual DC Fly-in

Cindy Zimmerman

ACE members meet with Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) in 2025

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) will hold its 15th annual Washington, DC Fly-in and Government Affairs Summit March 17-18, bringing ethanol producers, farmers, and other stakeholders to Capitol Hill at a critical time for the industry.

“With so many ethanol priorities hanging in the balance, direct engagement with Congress and the administration has never been more important,” said Brian Jennings, ACE CEO. “Both chambers will be in session, and in an election year, timing matters. We encourage ethanol supporters to join us in Washington this March to reinforce the need for timely action on E15 year-round, 45Z clean fuel production tax credit implementation, and final Renewable Fuel Standard volumes.”

Additional priorities for the industry are proper implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard, including reallocation of small refinery exemptions, and policies to unlock new markets for ethanol, including renewable chemicals, maritime fuels, flexible fuel vehicles, sustainable aviation fuel, and expanded trade opportunities.

Event registration and sponsorship opportunities are available at ethanol.org/events/fly-in.

ACE, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Chief Ethanol Partners with Whitefox and FQT for Innovation

Cindy Zimmerman

Chief Ethanol is partnering with Fluid Quip Technologies (FQT) and Whitefox Technologies to revamp, modernize, and innovate the equipment and process systems at its Hastings, Nebraska ethanol facility.

Under the partnership, Fluid Quip Technologies will serve as the primary engineering, integration, and construction partner, delivering its proprietary Low Energy Distillation (LED™) technology while Whitefox will supply its Integrated Cartridge Efficiency (ICE®) technology platform and advanced membrane-based technology as a key component of the upgraded process systems. By bringing together two of the most respected technology leaders in the ethanol innovation and equipment space, Chief is positioning Hastings at the forefront of next-generation, energy-efficient ethanol production.

This collaboration reflects Chief Ethanol’s long-term commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and leadership in ethanol innovation. Rather than relying on conventional system upgrades, Chief intentionally assembled a best-in-class technology partnership to deliver a more advanced, lower-energy solution designed to push performance beyond traditional industry benchmarks.

Through this partnership, FQT and Whitefox are working together to provide a fully integrated distillation, dehydration, and evaporation system that materially reduces energy demand while improving overall plant efficiency. The integrated approach combines advanced process engineering with proprietary membrane technology to redefine what is possible in ethanol plant design and operation.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Former Industry Leaders Warn of Farm Crisis

Cindy Zimmerman

A bipartisan group of former leaders of America’s major agricultural commodity associations and biofuels organizations, farmer leaders, and former senior USDA officials, sent a letter to Congress this week sounding the alarm about the current state of the farm economy and the potential for “widespread collapse of American agriculture.”

In a letter released today to the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, twenty-seven former agricultural executives and officials with decades of experience detailed how current Administration policies have harmed the farm economy and the need to take substantial action. The signatories include past presidents and CEOs of the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Pork Producers Council, National Barley Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation, US Grains Council, and Renewable Fuels Association, past Directors of the Illinois and Nebraska Departments of Agriculture, and other farm leaders and senior agricultural policy experts.

Among the letter signatories are former presidents of NCGA Harold Wolfe and Pam Johnson, past NCGA CEO Jon Doggett, former RFA chair Randy Doyal, and past RFA CEO Bob Dinneen.

“First and foremost, what we want to do is to start a conversation,” said Dinneen. “Let’s focus on the solutions. We outline what we think some of them might be, but we don’t have all the answers. Let’s figure that out. The bottom line is we’re in a perilous state, and we say that without hyperbole or exaggeration. It is perilous. We need to figure it out.”

Dinneen says the group offered nine actions that can be taken to help restore the farm economy. “Let’s end the tariffs on farm inputs. Let’s try to open up markets elsewhere. Let’s stop some of the chaotic trade policies that are out there. But there’s more than that. We think even on biofuels, there are things that can be done, and Congress has been irresponsible in not addressing the things that they could be doing to increase biofuel demand. Let’s get E15 year-round done once and for all.”

The former RFA executive says the creation of a Rural Domestic Energy Council instead of passing legislation is an insult. “You don’t need a council. You need legislative action. You need a backbone,” said Dinneen. “The failure of Congress to get year-round E15 done has really hampered the expansion of the Renewable Fuel Standard because EPA is reluctant to move beyond 15 billion gallons of corn derived ethanol without there being a place to put that. And as automobiles are becoming more fuel efficient and needing less fuel on a yearly basis, the need to grow that market and get more ethanol into each gallon so that you can break through that blend wall has been more and more critical. So E15 is important to allow the renewable fuel standard to do what it was supposed to do, and that is to drive increased demand for fuel ethanol.”

Read the letter to Congress and learn more in this interview with Dinneen.
Interview with Bob Dinneen (14:39)

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