U.S. Ethanol Exports Drop in February

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

According to the latest trade monitor report from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), U.S. ethanol exports fell 30 percent in February, compared to the previous month, but remained on par with the same time last year at 138.7 million gallons (mg).

Half of all February shipments were directed to Canada and the European Union, with the remainder distributed among eight additional countries. Canada retained its position as the top destination for the 47th consecutive month, with exports easing 6% to 50.8 mg—representing 85% of all denatured fuel ethanol shipments. The European Union remained the largest market for undenatured fuel ethanol (36% share), though volumes fell 42% to a four-month low of 17.6 mg. Several other markets experienced notable shifts. Exports to the Philippines surged 33% to a nine-month high of 15.0 mg, while shipments to India dropped 62% to a five-month low of 13.3 mg. Mexico rebounded sharply, climbing 87% to 11.0 mg. In contrast, shipments to the United Kingdom declined 39% to a 15-month low of 8.6 mg, and exports to Colombia contracted 49% to a 14-month low of 6.8 mg. Other key destinations included South Korea (6.6 mg), Peru (6.1 mg), and Egypt (1.7 mg). Notably, Brazil and China were absent from the market in February.

Meanwhile, exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS) increased 5% in February to 849,645 metric tons (mt), while year-to-date DDGS exports are down by 12%.

Mexico clung to its position as the top destination with shipments falling 45% to 127,203 mt—the lowest monthly volume in nearly four years. South Korea boosted its purchases by 12% to 118,840 mt, while exports to Colombia surged more than sevenfold to 73,911 mt. On the downside, shipments to Vietnam fell 28% to an eight-month low of 67,106 mt, and exports to Canada declined 14% to 57,618 mt. Other major markets included Indonesia (56,398 mt), the European Union (53,205 mt), Turkey (41,835 mt), Japan (41,351 mt), and New Zealand (30,000 mt). The remaining fifth of exports were dispersed among 29 additional countries.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Iowa Reports 45% Jump in E15 Sales, Record B20

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Retail sales of E15 in Iowa jumped 45 percent last year compared to 2023, and a record number of biodiesel gallons were sold, according to the latest Iowa Department of Revenue 2024 Retailers Motor Fuel Gallons Annual Report.

The report showed E15 sales hit a record 257 million gallons in the state last year with 516 million gallons of biodiesel blends were sold last year, driven by record sales of B20 and higher blends that hit 245 million gallons.

At the end of 2024, more than one in three Iowa fuel stations offered E15, and E15 and higher blends accounted for nearly 20 percent of Iowa gasoline sales in 2024. The state’s E15 Access Standard, which requires most retailers to offer E15 for sale, takes effect January 1, 2026.

“The massive growth in E15 sales reflects the success of Governor Reynolds’s E15 Access Standard,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Executive Director Monte Shaw. “We’re on a record-setting track that shows when consumers have increased access to E15 they choose the cleaner burning fuel that saves them 15 to 20 cents per gallon. Retailers are on track to meet the year-end E15 Access Standard deadline. Farmers are also benefiting from increasing corn demand that stimulates local economies.”

This report follows the recent United States Department of Agriculture announcement of $537 million in grants under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and the recent record amount of grants totaling almost $3 million from the latest Iowa’s cost-share Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) meeting. According to these recent announcements, there are hundreds more stations that will soon be offering E15 across Iowa.

Last month, Iowa’s cost-share Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) awarded almost $3 million in grants for Iowa fuel retail locations to add E15 to 111 retail sites throughout the state before the end of the year. In addition, another they already had another 145 applications to be considered at the next RFIP board meeting later this month.

Biodiesel, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

E15 Waivers Requested for Summer Again

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

With no prospects for a legislative fix to allow E15 year-round nationwide before the summer driving season, senators are now asking President Trump to once again authorize waivers to keep the blend available this year.

A bipartisan group of senators led by John Thune (R-SD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the president this week asking him to authorize the waivers which have kept E15 available during the summer months since 2019.

These waivers will allow our domestic energy supply chain to continue to quickly and reliably respond to fuel supply challenges brought on, in part, by the war in Ukraine, which unfortunately continues to weigh on global energy and security. Furthermore, this effort is in line with your executive order “Declaring a National Energy Emergency” that implores Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Zeldin and Department of Energy Secretary Wright to consider issuing these emergency waivers. And finally, this action will give the agriculture economy much needed certainty by increasing the domestic demand for American commodities.

EPA approval earlier this year means eight states – Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – are approved to sell E15 year-round, effective April 28, although Ohio and South Dakota have opted to delay that for another year. The senators note that the Midwestern governors’ petitions to sell E15 year-round has “allowed for an agreement between both ethanol and petroleum stakeholders in support of a permanent legislative solution to allow nationwide, year-round E15 sales.”

In the interim, taking action to permit the sale of E15 nationwide during the 2025 summer driving season also will be beneficial for consumers, the domestic energy industry, and agricultural producers. And to ensure nationwide uniformity in the gasoline market, we urge you to apply the temporary emergency waivers to E15 in all states as well as to E10 in the eight states who petitioned EPA to opt out of the RVP waiver program.

The Renewable Fuels Association thanked the senators for working with the Trump administration to prioritize continued access to E15 during the summer driving season. “Not only does year-round E15 help consumers save money, but it keeps an important market open for America’s farmers and ethanol producers,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “While the action requested by these Senators would help keep E15 flowing this summer, our ultimate objective is for Congress to pass the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act that would permanently authorize year-round E15 nationwide.”

Additional senators signing the letter included, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Tina Smith (D-MN).

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

Ethanol Advocacy All in the Good Family

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Alex, Addison, and Charlie Good meet with Sen. Chuck Grassley at ACE Fly-in

Nevada, Iowa convenience store owner Charlie Good has been attending the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual DC Fly-in for over a decade and he has frequently brought his family along for the experience. This year, both his son Alex and daughter Addison joined him on visits to Capitol Hill to talk about ethanol issues.

This was the sixth fly-in for Alex, who works in law enforcement but has been involved in the family’s Good and Quick business his whole life. “I grew up around higher blend ethanol fuels, I saw what it did for our family and our business, and it’s very important for the American farmer,” he said.

Addison is still in high school and the experience of being in the halls of Congress and meeting with officials like Senator Chuck Grassley definitely had an impact on her ideas about the future. “He (Grassley) told me that I should apply to be an aide when I graduate,” Addison said. “It opened my eyes to maybe doing something in ag or being more involved in the ethanol industry.”

Listen to comments from Charlie, Alex and Addison Good, Good and Quick, Nevada, Iowa
Play2025 ACE Fly-in Good family

3:55

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

45Z on the Issues List for ACE Fly-in

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

LtoR – Chad Miller and Rod Jorgenson, Al-Corn; Rep. Angie Craig, Mark Heckman and Matt McBain, Edeniq

The 45Z Clean Fuel Production tax credit was supposed to be implemented this year, but so far the incentive to help make more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has yet to even see proposed guidance to make it happen and ethanol producers are looking for answers.

Mark Heckman took part in the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) DC Fly-in last week and 45Z was his main interest, both as an Iowa farmer and Vice President of Sales for Edeniq Inc., a company that quantifies and qualifies the advanced biofuels coming out of the ethanol facilities.

“We need 45Z. We need that pretty clear. We need that certainty so that these facilities can invest in themselves and make the hard decisions that need to be made,” said Heckman. “We need it extended. It can’t be just a three-year time period, which we’re halfway through the first year and if decisions are being made, those decisions that are being made today most of it won’t materialize or manifest until next year. So you really only have a year and a half of credits that you’re going to be able to capture.”

The tax credit is part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is a Trump Administration target, but some programs and funding are being retained, such as the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) which was released by USDA this week.

In this interview, Heckman also talked about ACE teams bringing the importance of continued strong renewable Volume Obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Play2025 ACE Fly-in Mark Heckman, Edeniq 9:43

2025 ACE DC Fly-in Photo Album

ACE, Audio, aviation biofuels, corn

Ag Secretary Gets Earful About E15

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

LtoR – Rep. Miller-Meeks, Sec. Rollins, Elite Octane CEO Nick Bowdish, Sen. Ernst, Gov. Reynolds

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins heard a lot about the ethanol industry’s need for year-round, nationwide E15 during her trip to Iowa yesterday, starting with her visit to the Elite Octane ethanol facility in Atlantic, Iowa.

“We’re very bullish for the next three years with President Trump leading the way. The seeds of policy change to drive profitability for our corn and soybean farmers in this state are going to be biofuels,” said Nick Bowdish, President and CEO of Elite Octane. “With E15, not only the legislative fix for RVP, but deeming all the infrastructure at these retailers to be compatible for E15…that combined with a strong RFS and RVO standards, we’re very bullish this administration has the farmers’ back and is going to deliver for Iowa.”

Rollins reiterated the administration’s support for E15 several times during her visit Monday, including at the Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner. “We’ve got E15. We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to do, but know that you have such a strong advocate, not only at USDA but also at the White House with President Donald Trump,” said Rollins. “In addition, USDA is aggressively exploring additional ways to unleash American energy and to incentivize the production and use of homegrown biofuels, including working alongside my friends at the EPA to develop the renewable volume obligation as well as supporting EPA’s review of any potential emergency waivers on fuel to allow the nationwide year-round sale of E15.”

Rollins’ trip to an ethanol plant in one of the nation’s top producing states was encouraging to ethanol organizations like the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), of which Elite Octane is a member. “We thank Secretary Rollins and President Trump for releasing USDA funding that will help expand the domestic market for American-made renewable fuels,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “We look forward to continuing to work together with USDA under Secretary Rollins’ leadership to grow new market opportunities for U.S. ethanol producers and our partners in agriculture.”

PlayUSDA Sec. Rollins biofuels comments at Ag Leaders Dinner 4:26

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

Illinois Increases Biodiesel Blend Rate 

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Effective today, April 1, biodiesel blend requirements in Illinois are increasing from B14 to B17, marking another step toward advancing cleaner fuel options.

The bipartisan B20 bill passed in 2022 raises the bar on biodiesel use by increasing the minimum biodiesel blend level eligible for tax exemption. Starting today, this means 17% of every gallon of biodiesel sold in Illinois between Apr. 1 and Nov. 30 will be derived largely from domestically produced, renewable vegetable oil, with soybeans being the top contributor.

Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Chairman and Illinois soybean farmer Ron Kindred is proud to see the continuation of efforts that support our state’s farmers. “Increasing biodiesel blend rates is a win for farmers, consumers and the environment,” said Kindred. “Every step forward strengthens our energy security, drives demand for homegrown feedstocks, and supports rural economies.”

Next year, the minimum biodiesel blend levels eligible for a tax exemption will increase to the full 20 percent.

Biodiesel, Soybeans

USDA Secretary Announces HBIIP Funding in Iowa

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Secretary Rollins and Sen. Ernst tour Elite Octane

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited an Iowa ethanol plant Monday to announce USDA will release obligated funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. That funding had been included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Secretary Rollins made the announcement at Elite Octane in Atlantic, Iowa, along with an entourage that included Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.

“President Trump is honoring our commitment to America’s farmers, ranchers and small businesses, especially here in Iowa where corn and soy growers are crucial to supporting ethanol and biodiesel production,” Secretary Rollins said.

In a press availability with the other dignitaries, Rollins was first asked about nationwide, year-round E15. “This is a priority of our administration,” said Rollins. “We hear you and we understand how important it is.”

Questioned about tariff negotiations and whether the administration would be willing to compensate farmers impacted adversely as it did in the first Trump term, Rollins said, “My hope and prayer and goal is that we don’t have to do that again, that in fact these tariff re-negotiations will be so positive for our farmers and ranchers and ag community on the front end.”

Gov. Reynolds, Elite Octane CEO Nick Bowdish, Sen. Ernst, Rep. Nunn and Rep. Miller-Meeks also make comments in the press conference.

PlayUSDA Sec. Rollins at Elite Octane 16:17

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA

New Research Evaluates Gasoline as Carcinogen

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated the carcinogenicity of automotive gasoline and some oxygenated gasoline additives and published findings last week in The Lancet Oncology.

The Working Group evaluated automotive gasoline as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) on the basis of sufficient evidence for cancer in humans and the combination of sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental animals and strong mechanistic evidence in exposed humans. Automotive gasoline causes cancer of the urinary bladder and acute myeloid leukaemia in adults.

That was news that Rick Schwark with Absolute Energy took to Capitol Hill last week at the annual American Coalition for Ethanol DC Fly-in. “Gasoline is made of two main parts…it’s the aromatic compounds that are the issue and that’s where the octane comes from in gasoline,” said Schwark. “Ethanol’s high octane replaces them.”

Those compounds include Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), diisopropyl ether (DIPE), and tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME). MTBE and ETBE were both classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) on the basis of sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental animals.

Schwark adds that the Hormel Institute at the University of Minnesota is finding similar results in its breast cancer research.

Play2025 ACE Fly-in Rick Schwark, Absolute Energy 3:32

2025 ACE DC Fly-in Photo Album

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Secretary Rollins to Visit Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Sec. Rollins at 2025 Commodity Classic

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will be in Iowa Monday, March 31, with a full schedule that includes a visit to an ethanol plant.

Secretary Rollins will start the day with at Elite Octane in Atlantic, Iowa, where she will be joined by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. Rollins will also tour a hog farm, and meet with soybean producers and agriculture leaders from across Iowa, capping off the day by delivering the keynote speech at the Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner.

Tariffs and trade are likely to dominate any remarks the secretary makes as this week is the “big” week for reciprocal tariff announcements promised by President Donald Trump. Rollins announced Friday she will visit six international markets in her first six months as Secretary to expand markets and boost American agricultural exports.

On her agenda are Vietnam, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. The UK was the second largest market for U.S. ethanol exports last year, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, while India was ranked fourth. Peru was ninth on the list last year and there is room to grow as USDA lists ethanol exports as one of the key prospects for Rollins’ visit. India, Japan and Brazil are all extremely important markets for the ethanol industry in terms of growth potential and trade imbalances.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, USDA