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EPA Extension for Refiners Causes Uncertainty

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

Reports that the Environmental Protection Agency could extend the September 1 deadline for refiners to demonstrate compliance with their 2025 Renewable Fuel Standard obligations, and potentially grant many more Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) than expected, are sending shockwaves through the industry and causing chaos in the biofuels markets as prices for Renewable Identification Numbers (D6 RINs) dropped significantly.

Rumors are that EPA may grant nearly double the number amount of SREs forecast earlier this year, which was less than one billion gallons of exemptions for 2025. “The last time EPA granted small refinery exemptions at the rumored scale (1.8 Billion) the biofuel industry lost over $6 billion and renewable fuel credits collapsed by up to 78% and gas prices actually went UP 12%,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on X. “Mr president this is an issue of helping farmers over BIG OIL.”

After just finalizing record RFS blending levels earlier this year, it would be bad policy for the Trump administration to reverse course now, said Monte Shaw of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. “We are hoping this is just another false rumor floated in the media to roil the markets so some credit trader can try to make a buck. But if there is substance behind the rumors, it is not too late to change course and to commit to a robust RFS – a commitment President Trump made in March, a commitment that is working, and a commitment that EPA should not undermine.”

“If a new methodology is adopted that grants nearly all refinery exemption requests for the 2025 compliance year, that would equate to roughly one billion lost biofuel gallons,” said Shaw. “And the damage wouldn’t stop there. Applied to 2026-2027, it would mean nearly a billion lost gallons each year going forward as well. So-called record-breaking RFS levels don’t mean a thing if they are reversed through unjustified refinery exemptions.”

According to the American Soybean Association, if EPA approves a significantly higher amount of small refinery exemption petitions, the increase in biofuel volumes exempted from the RFS could eliminate around 500 million gallons of biomass-based diesel demand and cost U.S. soybean farmers approximately $1 billion in lost revenue.

“At a time when soybean farmers are already struggling to support our farms, we cannot afford for the rug to be pulled out from under one of our most important sources of domestic demand,” said ASA Vice President Dave Walton, a soybean farmer from Iowa. ASA is urging President Trump and officials in the White House to reject any proposal that seeks to broaden the formula used to determine refinery exemptions from biofuel blending requirements in a way that would hurt farmers and erase demand for biofuels.

Biodiesel, biofuels, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Soybean, Soybeans

Ethanol Exports Expected to Set Another New Record

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

U.S. ethanol exports are on track to set a new record for the third consecutive year, according to Ryan LeGrand, president and CEO of the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council. Speaking last week at the American Coalition for Ethanol’s 39th annual conference, LeGrand highlighted robust demand driven by expanding middle classes abroad and supportive policies in key markets.

“When the marketing year ends this year, August 31st, we will have set a record three years in a row for ethanol exports,” said LeGrand. “Two years ago, it was 1.75 billion gallons. Last year, 2.15 billion gallons. This year, we’re going to finish out at the end of this month…at 2.35 billion gallons.”

Including nearly 200 million gallons of ethanol shipped to Japan as ETBE, LeGrand says the total will exceed 2.5 billion gallons. Through June, volumes were already up almost 10 percent year-over-year, with notable gains in Canada, the European Union, and even some shipments back to Brazil.

Canada remains the top market and could become the first billion-gallon destination as provinces push beyond E10. The EU and UK follow, with the recent U.S.-UK trade deal granting duty-free access to the full E10 market. India takes significant industrial volumes, while Colombia rounds out the top five.

Looking ahead, LeGrand pointed to Japan and Mexico as the highest-potential growth markets. Together, full E10 adoption in those two countries alone could generate 2.3 billion gallons of annual demand. Japan has committed to E10 by 2030, with trials starting in Okinawa in 2028; the U.S. expects to capture the majority share. Mexico’s allowable blend stands at 5.8%, with no blending yet in major cities, but President Claudia Sheinbaum supports higher blends, and LeGrand anticipates E10 within about 18 months.

To learn more, listen to LeGrand’s presentation and follow-up interview from the ACE conference.

Trade Keynote: Ryan LeGrand, President & CEO, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council
Ryan LeGrand, USGBC, remarks 30:00

Interview with Ryan LeGrand, President and CEO, U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council
Ryan LeGrand, USGBC, interview 11:35

2026 ACE Conference photo album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Export Exchange, Exports, USGC

ACE Grassroots and Paul Dana Awards

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At its 39th annual conference last week in Minneapolis, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) presented awards honoring those who have given outstanding service to the ethanol industry.

ACE Grassroots Award winner Kenton Johnson

Kenton Johnson, CEO of Granite Falls Energy & Heron Lake BioEnergy, was recognized with the organization’s Grassroots award who epitomize ACE’s efforts from the ground up.

The strength of ACE is found within the collective grassroots, devoted individuals who often perform behind the scenes to advance the cause of ethanol. Johnson is a farmer and longtime board member of several ethanol plants and has been a steadfast champion of ACE, consistently encouraging plants to become members and actively supporting the organization’s mission. His efforts have been instrumental in growing and strengthening ACE’s membership base.

“I’ve had a fantastic experience here at ACE,” said Johnson. “I think I was 22 or 23 years old when I first stepped on the board and went on my first Hill visit and kind of dove into policy with Ron Lamberty and Brian Jennings and some key board members that have kind of mentored me along the way. And it’s a real honor to win this award.”

Interview with Kenton Johnson, CEO Granite Falls Energy & Heron Lake BioEnergy, Grassroots Award recipient
Kenton Johnson, Grassroots Award 4:53

ACE’s Ron Lamberty presents the Paul Dana Award to Brian Werner for the MN Bio-Fuels Association

Fifteen years ago, ACE created the Marketing Vision Award in memory of Indy Racing League driver Paul Dana, to recognize leadership in promoting the expansion of the availability of higher blends of ethanol to consumers. The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association received the award this year for its sustained leadership in expanding ethanol demand and increasing consumer access to higher ethanol blends that have contributed to Minnesota achieving five consecutive years of record E15 sales.

Executive Director Brian Werner accepted the award on behalf of the organization. “It’s really an honor to be recognized with this award from the American Coalition for Ethanol. They do so much work with grassroots, with ethanol plants, with ethanol plant board members. So it’s really an honor to be recognized for the work that we are also doing at the grassroots level. Going out working with fuel retailers, helping them install new infrastructure that can accommodate higher blends of ethanol like E15, but also doing that consumer education piece.”

Interview with Brian Werner, Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association, Paul Dana Marketing Vision Award
Brian Wermer, MN Bio-Fuels Assoc. 6:23

Werner also participated in the retailer panel at the conference with ACE CMO Ron Lamberty and Jeff Wilkerson with Pearson Fuels.
Retailer Panel 43:52

2026 ACE Conference photo album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

ACE Honors Mike Jerke with Merle Anderson Award

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The American Coalition for Ethanol presented its most prestigious award this year to Mike Jerke, former CEO of Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE), during its 39th Annual Conference this week in Minneapolis.

The award is named after the organization’s founding father and first president, Merle Anderson, and is presented annually to recognize an individual who has made distinguished and significant contributions to the advancement of the U.S. ethanol industry. Mike Jerke retired at the end of last year following a remarkable career spanning multiple decades of industry leadership. He served as CEO of QCCP, CVEC, Guardian Energy, Corn Plus, and SIRE, helping guide each organization through periods of growth and change. Throughout his career, Jerke was a dedicated advocate for the ethanol industry, recognizing the importance of grassroots engagement and consistently supporting ACE’s role as a strong voice for ethanol producers and rural America. His leadership, commitment, and service have left a lasting impact on the industry.

Jerke was humbled and honored by the award from his peers. “It’s really not about me,” said Jerke in an interview. “I’ve had the benefit of being able to be influenced by and meet a lot of really great people in my career. And I’ve worked at a number of plants over the years, and so that just sort of exponentially increases with the number of contact and individuals. And all of those people have built me up.”

Jerke added that he has been very blessed to part of ACE over the years as it continues to reflect the vision of its founder. “They are an organization that is grassroots driven…They’re listening to their members. Their members are often farmers, people that are connected to the land,” said Jerke. “Certainly we have other trade associations out there. All of them are valuable. I think ACE stands unique in the way that it generates policies and ideas from that grassroots.”

Interview with Mike Jerke, Former CEO Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE), Merle Anderson Award recipient
Mike Jerke, Merle Anderson Award 14:04

2026 ACE Conference photo album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

EPA Extends Waiver for E15 Through September 15

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week issued a temporary emergency fuel waiver that will increase the nation’s gasoline supply and help lower prices for American families, ending the summertime fuel blend requirement and extending the existing waiver to allow lower-cost E15 fuel blends in the summer months through September 15.

Beginning on September 1, 2026, EPA’s waivers will allow the sale of E10, gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol, at a higher Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP). This action will increase the domestic gasoline supply by hundreds of thousands of barrels per day by effectively ending the summer-blend gasoline requirement early. With the increase of domestic gasoline supply on the market, Americans can expect to see reduced gas prices.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper praised the action. “With no end in sight to higher fuel prices, the Trump administration has made the right move to increase the volume of E10 and E15 available to American drivers in the weeks ahead,” said Cooper. “When it comes to E15, we continue our call for federal legislation to make summer waivers of an obsolete regulation unnecessary by allowing the lower-carbon fuel to be permanently available during the summer months. E15 has been proven to reduce vehicular smog-forming emissions compared to both E10 and ethanol-free gasoline—and should therefore be more widely available.”

The action also waives state level controls in Texas, Arizona and California that extend beyond September 15. “As the EPA has done all summer, we will be monitoring gasoline supplies in those states and will be prepared to extend the waiver through a subsequent action as long as necessary to ensure adequate supplies of gasoline to consumers.” 

EPA’s emergency fuel waivers have been in effect since May to remove fuel restrictions across the country, as they have for the past several years, to allow the sale of E15 fuel without interruption since Congress has been unable to pass legislation providing a permanent fix for the outdated restriction.

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

Rep. Fischbach Remains Hopeful for Year-round E15

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Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), an original sponsor of legislation to allow year-round, nationwide sales of E15, says she remains optimistic the Senate will move on it yet this year and that it can work with the bill passed by the House in May.

“I am hopeful because it came through in their in their farm bill,” Fischbach said Thursday in Minnesota. “I think our struggle is going to be at this point making sure that we can bring a compromise between the two versions, because their version is a little bit different.”

Fischbach says the trick will be bringing the coalitions together on the refinery issue. “And you know, it’s just one segment of the medium-sized refineries. The small and the large refineries were with us. API, the American Petroleum Institute, supported the legislation. So we will continue to make sure that we are able to bring that coalition together, because this was an incredible coalition with the legislation that came out of the House,” Fischbach said in an interview after her remarks.

ACE CEO Brian Jennings presents Legislator award to Rep. Fischbach

Rep. Fischbach spoke to members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) attending their annual meeting this week in Minneapolis. ACE CEO Brian Jennings presented the Minnesota Congresswoman with the ACE Legislative Leadership Award for 2026.

“We give our Legislative Leadership Award each year to someone who goes above and beyond to advance the cause of ethanol and getting E15 across the finish line in the House of Representatives was an extraordinary feat,” said Jennings. “Representative Fischbach was absolutely at the tip of the spear when it came to ensuring that this bill not only made it out of the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support, but got on the floor of the House … and so we are enormously grateful to you for your extraordinary leadership on E15, and we’re working hard to make sure that the Senate fulfills and makes good on the incredible work that you did.”

Listen to Rep. Fischbach’s remarks and interview below.

Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) remarks and award presentation
Rep. Michelle Fischbach remarks 35:02

Interview with Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)
Rep. Michelle Fischbach interview 2:05

2026 ACE Conference photo album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Veteran Ag Leaders Launch Restore American Agriculture

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Veteran agriculture leaders concerned about the future of the nation and its food producers have launched Restore American Agriculture, a new effort formed to press Congress and the Administration for a serious response to the farm crisis.

Jon Doggett, former CEO of the National Corn Growers Association, said they are urging members of Congress to listen to the voices of American farmers and ranchers. “What we’ve done is we’ve put together a website for farmers to speak up…we’re trying to make sure that we provide opportunities for the grassroots out in the countryside that are raising the food that we eat an opportunity to speak up,” said Doggett during a Thursday morning call with reporters.

Doggett had teamed up with other like-minded former ag industry leaders earlier this year to send a letter to members of Congress and the administration sounding the alarm about the current state of the farm economy. After getting no response, they sent another letter in July, which also received no response.

Iowa farmer Pam Johnson, past NCGA president, says they are asking Congress to engage directly with producers to assess the real-world impacts of federal policy decisions. “Let’s look at the consequences of the war. Let’s figure out a way to make sure that farmers’ voices are heard, but also that there are short-term and long-term plans for how we’re going to get through this,” said Johnson. “It’s projected that farmers aren’t going to make any money for the next two years. This is a serious crisis out here.”

Bob Dinneen, past President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says Congress has abdicated its responsibilities to the American public. “Probably the poster child for Congress’s inability to get anything meaningful done has been on ethanol, on E15. When they failed this year to move an E15 package that EPA says is necessary, it really demonstrated just how inept Congress has become. And they need to get back to it,” said Dinneen.

The group is asking Congress to hold immediate, comprehensive hearings on the current farm economy, something former USDA appointee and Congressional staffer Dawn Riley pointed out is just not being done. “Our representatives are no longer willing to go out and hear people, which makes what we’re doing very, very important for people to be able to tell their stories. I believe Axios reported a week or maybe two weeks ago about how only 11 town halls were scheduled for the entire August recess,” she said.

Asked if they thought agricultural organizations were afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, Doggett said yes. “Had you posed that question to me 15 years ago, I would have thought you were wearing a tin hat.”

Johnson added that she sometimes wonders, “Is this America? Where you have to fear for using your voice to have honest discourse. And to be able to agree to disagree, to sit around and negotiate around the table for the best outcome.”

Dinneen noted that it is a problem on many levels. “It’s not just trade associations, everybody seems to be afraid to speak up these days,including members of Congress.”

Listen to the press call below and check out the website here.
Restore American Agriculture press call 37:21

Ag group, Audio, biofuels, corn, E15, Ethanol, farm bill, Farming

ACE Leadership Discusses Industry Issues

Cindy Zimmerman Leave a Comment

L-R: Brian Jennings, Troy Knecht, Jonathon Lehman, Ron Lamberty

Members of the American Coalition for Ethanol got an update on the important issues facing the industry today during a fireside chat with leadership at the opening general session of the ACE Annual Conference in Minneapolis on Thursday.

ACE CEO Brian Jennings, board president Troy Knecht with Redfield Energy, Cultivating Conservation Founding Member Jonathon Lehman,
and ACE Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty took the stage to discuss year-round E15, ethanol blending economics and price savings, the Renewable Fuel Standard, the latest on 45Z and ACE’s efforts to help producers maximize its value, export opportunities, and more.

The stalling of E15 in the Senate was the main topic of discussion. In an interview, Knecht said it’s frustrating. “I’ve been on this board for 12 or 13 years we’ve been talking about it the whole time and we were talking about it before then even so it’s time, but we have got to figure out this farm bill and where this fits and and what do the small refiners need out of it.”

Knecht says there are real bright spots for the ethanol industry right now. “Well, 45Z, of course, that’s number one, and plants are already capturing that. That’s going to be huge for shareholders. And then exports have been strong… I think Guatemala and other places that have new mandates, and we can provide them with ethanol,” said Knecht.

Lamberty said ethanol exports continue to increase. “U.S. ethanol has been attractively priced versus Brazilian ethanol for quite a while. Last year, we were just under 2.2 billion gallons exported, which was a record,” said Lamberty. “Right now, 10 months of the marketing year gone, I think we were at 1.97 something, which is about 200 million gallons a month. So that puts us at 2.4 by the end of the (marketing) year.”

The ACE conference also featured a panel today on new uses, including maritime and SAF, and will spotlight retailers on Friday and hear from Ryan LeGrand, President & CEO of the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, about the export picture.

Listen to interviews with Knecht and Lamberty below.

Troy Knecht, Redfield Energy 7:14

Ron Lamberty, ACE 10:33

2026 ACE Conference photo album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, biofuels, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

ACE Starts Annual Conference With New Board Members

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New ACE board members Kim Herzog and Andrew Larson

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 39th Annual Conference kicked off Wednesday in Minneapolis with the election of board members for the new year.

Board members re-elected to three-year terms include:
Badger State Ethanol – David Kolsrud
Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company – Harmon Wilts
Mid-Missouri Energy – Chris Wilson
Nebraska Ethanol Board – Ben Rhodes
South Dakota Corn Growers Association – Dave Ellens

Andrew Larson with ICM, inc., was elected to serve on the board, succeeding Adam Anderson.

ACE also welcomed two new members to its board: Kim Herzog, CCO of Encore Energy and Bill Pracht, President and CEO of East Kansas Agri-Energy.

“I’m honored to represent East Kansas Agri-Energy on the ACE board,” said Pracht. “I look forward to bringing an open mind and years of experience to a great board and working together to build a better industry.”

“After several years as an ACE member, Encore is thrilled to deepen our involvement by joining the Board of Directors,” said Herzog. “I’ve been at the conferences, the different events, and it’s just the amount we’ve learned from ACE to be able to take it to the next level and be on the board and hopefully give back to the organization.”

We caught up with Herzog at the Twins game Wednesday afternoon for a quick interview about the importance of Encore’s involvement with ACE.
ACE board member Kim Herzog, Encore Energy 5:15

A complete roster of the ACE board of directors is available here. To access photos, interviews, and videos from the 2026 ACE conference, visit ACE’s virtual newsroom here.

2026 ACE Conference photo album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Guatemala Launches E10 Mandate

Cindy Zimmerman

Guatemala officially launched its nationwide ethanol-gasoline blending program this month, becoming the first Central American country to mandate an E10 blend and establishing an export market for U.S. ethanol of 70 to 100 million gallons annually, according to the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council (USGBC).

Guatemala enacted its Fuel Alcohol Law in 1985, but political, economic, and technical challenges — including the lack of implementing regulations and persistent misconceptions — delayed the program for over four decades. The Guatemalan government recently overcame these barriers by issuing regulations requiring a 10 percent ethanol blend for all domestically sold gasoline. The program officially commenced on July 1, 2026, launching an operational conditioning period across the fuel supply chain that runs through August 21, 2026, when E10 will become available at service stations nationwide. Initial shipments of U.S. ethanol have already arrived to support the launch phase.

The E10 program serves as a central component of the U.S.–Guatemala Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), which explicitly includes ethanol and references annual purchases of at least 50 million gallons of U.S. ethanol as a trade opportunity. Given Guatemala’s gasoline consumption of approximately 1 billion gallons per year, a nationwide E10 standard is projected to generate an annual ethanol demand of about 100 million gallons valued at $160 million.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, USGC