Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack held his last official press conference of his tenure at USDA on Wednesday, announcing the publication of an interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks. The interim rule establishes guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the production of biofuel feedstock commodity crops …
Iowa Biodiesel Production Grows, But Future Uncertain
Despite many challenges, Iowa biodiesel production in 2024 totaled 353 million gallons, up from 350 in 2023 and the highest production since the record 365 million in 2018. Iowa biodiesel plants managed to power through being undercut by a drastically low Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending level for 2024, but could not escape uncertainty surrounding tax policy as the long-time …
Terviva Secures Investment to Scale Pongamia for SAF
Agricultural innovation company Terviva has announced a strategic investment from integrated energy company Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd (Idemitsu) to advance efforts to help farmers grow and harvest pongamia for food, feed and fuel. Idemitsu, in partnership with Terviva and Stanmore, an Australia-based coal resource company, is beginning a trial plantation of Terviva’s pongamia in Queensland, Australia. This collaboration leverages Terviva’s …
Delta and Airbus Invest in MN SAF Hub
Delta Air Lines celebrated its centennial anniversary at the 2025 CES last week in Las Vegas with a number of announcements, including deepening its sustainability partnership with Airbus as the French airplane manufacturer invests in scaling the production of sustainable aviation fuel through Minnesota SAF Hub. Airbus, the largest airplane manufacturer in the world, was a founding partner of Delta’s …
Treasury 45Z Guidance Addresses Cooking Oil Imports
Clean fuels producers, soybean growers, and oilseed processors were pleased to see the U.S. Treasury Department’s notice of intent to propose regulation on the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z) released on Friday addressed the issue of imported used cooking oil being used to qualify for the credit. However, they are disappointed in the lack of guidance for farmers to utilize …
USDA Awards Another $60 Million in HBIIP Grants
On Friday, USDA announced nearly $60 million in grants awarded through Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to expand access to domestic biofuels in 24 states. The states included are: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Among …
Treasury Releases 45Z Tax Credit Guidance
Now that the Clean Fuels Production Credit has been in effect for ten days, the U.S. Treasury Department has finally dropped its proposed guidance for 45Z, which will now have a 90-day comment period. The guidance includes both a notice of intent to propose regulations on the section 45Z credit and a notice providing the annual emissions rate table for …
Bayer Acquires Camelina Assets to Advance Biofuels
Following an announcement yesterday on investing in winter canola as a biomass-based feedstock, Bayer today announced a deal with Canada-based Smart Earth Camelina Corp. to acquire camelina germplasm, intellectual property, and materials to expand its global leadership position in biomass-based feedstock markets. This acquisition underlines Bayer’s goal to help decarbonize the transportation sector and to deliver regenerative agriculture solutions through …
Bayer and Neste to Develop Feedstocks for Renewable Fuels
Bayer has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Neste, a leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel, to jointly scale winter canola as a biomass-based feedstock for renewable products like biofuels. The companies intend to develop a winter canola ecosystem in the Southern Great Plains of the US, including product development and additional collaborations to enable Bayer …
ACE Plans 2025 DC Fly-in
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is gearing up for its 14th annual DC Fly-in and Government Affairs Summit which will be held March 27-28, 2025. As one of the biofuels industry’s longest-running and most impactful events, the fly-in provides a unique platform for ethanol advocates to connect directly with policymakers. “We invite ethanol supporters to join us in Washington, …