Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a bipartisan group of 16 senators this week in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “restore integrity, stability and growth to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the U.S. biofuel sector by raising Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) levels for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels.” In a letter to EPA Administrator …
U.S. Ethanol Exports Drop in February
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 …
Iowa Reports 45% Jump in E15 Sales, Record B20
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 …
E15 Waivers Requested for Summer Again
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 …
Ethanol Advocacy All in the Good Family
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 …
45Z on the Issues List for ACE Fly-in
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 …
Ag Secretary Gets Earful About E15
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 …
Illinois Increases Biodiesel Blend Rate
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 …
USDA Secretary Announces HBIIP Funding in Iowa
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 …
New Research Evaluates Gasoline as Carcinogen
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 …