Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden expressed support for “complete zero emissions by 2025” by transitioning away from oil during the debate with President Donald Trump Thursday night. “Because the oil industry pollutes significantly,” said Biden. “It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time.” Biden mentioned solar and wind energy, but renewable fuels were not specifically mentioned by either …
Iowa Groups Ask Candidates to Oppose EV Legislation
The Iowa Biodiesel Board (IBB) and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) are asking all candidates in Iowa running for federal office to take a stand against the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2020 recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. IBB and IRFA says the legislation would restrict the sale of vehicles that can use biofuels as soon …
Oil State Senators Ask EPA to Drop 2021 RFS
A group of 15 U.S. Senators representing oil refining states sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler this week asking him to simply waive the Renewable Fuel Standard requirements for 2021 to “account for the unprecedented collapse in demand for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.” The Renewable Fuels Association blasted the senators’ request, first noting that jet fuel is …
California E15 Testing to Start
With more than 15 million cars registered in the state, California has almost twice as many vehicles on the road than any other state in the nation, which makes it the number one market for growing domestic ethanol demand. To that end, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), state corn organizations, ethanol groups and the auto industry, are working with …
RFA Receives New Grants for Ethanol Safety Program
The Renewable Fuels Association recently received $75,000 in grants to support its ethanol safety education program through on-site seminars and Internet webinars. Both grants were received through the association’s work with TRANSCAER, a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities to prepare for and respond to a possible hazardous material transportation incident. “Safety is a high priority for …
National Labs Find Sugars Key for Biofuels Feedstocks
Researchers are finding that sugar content is as important as size when it comes to producing biofuels from woody biomass. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have been studying the size and growth rate of trees, as well as the amount of sugars that can be produced from …
Ethanol Report 10-16-20
October 1 began a new fiscal year for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and brought a new chairperson for the board. Jeanne McCaherty, CEO of Guardian Energy Management, is the first female chair for the RFA and she is taking on the role during a challenging time with lots of optimism. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, we …
POET Expansion to Provide for Sanitizer Production
POET Biorefining-Alexandria broke ground Thursday on an expansion to accommodate the production of purified alcohol, which is a plant-based, fundamental ingredient in hand sanitizer and other cleaning products. “At POET, our mission is to be good stewards of the Earth by converting renewable resources into bio-based alternatives to fossil fuel,” said Matt Braun, Senior Vice President and General Manager at …
RFA Welcomes New Members
The Renewable Fuels Association this week welcomed two new Associate Members. Bushel is a mobile technology company, based in Fargo, N.D., that powers apps and websites that facilitate simple and efficient business communications and transactions between grain companies and growers. “Being a part of the RFA empowers Bushel’s reach into the ethanol sector,” said Bushel Sales Manager Kevin Clausen. “We …
NBB Announces New State Governmental Affairs Director
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has announced a new state governmental affairs director with longtime director Shelby Neal departing the organization and Floyd Vergara assuming the leadership role in directing NBB’s nationwide program. “While we are sad to see Shelby go after 12 tremendous years leading NBB’s state policy team, we could not be more thrilled to have someone of …