Renewable Fuels Association board members had the opportunity this past week to meet with administration officials and lawmakers in both Houses and from both sides of the aisle to talk about priorities for the ethanol industry. The event included a timely talk with USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small about tracking climate-smart farming practices and hearing from EPA Administrator Michael …
Busy Week on Capitol Hill for RFA
It was an eventful and historic week in Washington D.C. for many reasons, and members of the Renewable Fuels Association had a very busy and productive annual board meeting in the middle of everything else happening. The event included meetings with EPA Administrator Michael Regan and USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, as well as Capitol Hill visits to the …
USDA Gets Climate Smart Farming Feedback
The U.S. Department of Agriculture received lots of input from biofuels groups this week on how to prove the impact of climate-smart farming practices on the greenhouse gas (GHG) net emissions estimates associated with the production of domestic agricultural commodities used as biofuel feedstocks, in response to a Federal Register request last month. The Request for Information is expected to …
Corn Grower Testifies on Farm Financial Conditions
The president of the Minnesota Corn Growers told the House Agriculture Committee Tuesday that farmers in her state and across the country need the support of a reauthorized and strengthened farm bill. “Unless conditions change, I believe we’re heading into a perfect storm, a storm that I don’t think will be fully appreciated until early next year when farmers try …
RFA Files Briefs Supporting EPA Set Rule
The Renewable Fuels Association has filed two joint briefs in the DC Circuit Court defending the Environmental Protection Agency’s “set rule” volumes. The briefs were filed in the case of Center for Biological Diversity v. Environmental Protection Agency in which CBD and others, including oil refiners, are challenging EPA’s renewable volume obligations for the 2023-2025 compliance years. RFA and other …
ACE Announces Conference Agenda
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has announced the agenda for the upcoming 37th annual event taking place August 14-16, at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District. “Our conference agenda is packed with dynamic sessions, insightful speakers and networking opportunities, making it the premier destination for anyone passionate about advancing biofuels,” said Katie Muckenhirn, Vice President of Public …
NREL Releases BQ-9000 Biodiesel Assessment for 2023
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released the seventh in a series of reports documenting the quality of biodiesel from North American producers participating in the BQ-9000 program based on monthly data collected throughout the calendar year 2023. The 2023 report, authored by Robert L. McCormick, features significant advancements highlighting new parameters that offer a more comprehensive analysis on …
Clean Fuels Intends to Sue EPA Over RFS Rule Delay
Clean Fuels Alliance America this week delivered a formal notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for its failure to issue timely 2026 Renewable Fuel Standards. By statute, EPA is required to finalize volumes 14 months before the start of the compliance year; for 2026, that deadline would come at the end of October this year. On June …
Chevron Reversal Could Impact EPA Clean Air Rules
One of the federal agencies likely to be most impacted by the recent Supreme Court decision that reversed the Chevron deference is the Environmental Protection Agency, which was the one responsible for the original case decision in 1984. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper says it’s still too early to tell exactly what the reversal could mean for …
Agency Seeks Tech to Lower Emissions for Ethanol
The Energy Department is looking for ways to cut the carbon intensity of ethanol production in half by lowering use of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer on crops, and they are putting up $36 million to develop the technologies to do that. DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced the funding in the effort to lower nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by …