The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the request for a rehearing that was filed by two oil refining companies in response to the court’s unanimous decision Jan. 24 in Renewable Fuels Association et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The court found that EPA abused its statutory authority in issuing Renewable Fuel Standard compliance exemptions to small refineries …
Senators Call on USDA to Help Biofuels Industry
Iowa Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), led a dozen more of their Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting additional funds be allocated to the biofuel industry through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) during the unprecedented economic circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. “As the country …
POET Takes Two Plants Off Line
Number one ethanol producer POET will idle production at three of its of 27 bioprocessing facilities across seven states, joining dozens of other plants forced into that position around the country. The South Dakota-based company will idle plants in Chancellor, S.D., Ashton, Iowa, and Coon Rapids, Iowa, and delay the start-up of its new plant in Shelbyville, Ind., as producers …
ACE: COVID-19 Exposes Flaw in RFS Rulemaking
The American Coalition for Ethanol is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address a shortcoming in the implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which has been exposed with the recent nosedive in gasoline use as a result of COVID-19. ACE CEO Brian Jennings explains that the world is very different today compared to the end of December. “At …
Farm Bureau Details COVID-19 Impact on Ethanol
Agricultural commodity prices are taking big hits from the COVID-19 emergency, and one of the most hard hit sectors is ethanol, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). In the past month, dairy prices have dropped 26-36%, corn futures have dropped by 14%, soybean futures are down 8% and cotton futures have plummeted 31%. Hog futures are down by …
REG in Newton Seeds Monarch Fueling Station
The Renewable Energy Group (REG) biodiesel plant near Newton, Iowa is growing a monarch fueling station. Local Pheasants Forever representatives recently conducted a seeding of native grasses, milkweed, and other plants that attract pollinators. The mixture has a special emphasis on milkweed plants, the only plant monarchs can lay their eggs on. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) Habitat Establishment Coordinator …
RFA Economist Discusses Ethanol Production Declines
While the industry knew ethanol production was dropping due to coronavirus impacts on the transportation sector, the actual numbers from the Energy Information Administration for the week ending March 27 were sobering. A drop of more than 16 percent in a week to the lowest level in six and a half years. But Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Chief Economist Scott …
EIA Data Confirms Plummeting Ethanol Production
The latest EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report released today for the week ending March 27 is the first to reflect more fully the impact on the ethanol industry from the social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions associated with COVID-19. According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol production plummeted 16.4%, or 165,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 840,000 …
SAFE Vehicles Rule Misses High Octane Opportunity
Ethanol groups are calling the final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule setting corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) and CO2 emissions standards for model years 2021-2026 passenger cars and light trucks a “missed opportunity to provide a pathway for high octane, low carbon fuel.” American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said EPA specifically requested comments on the role …
Lower Ethanol Demand Could Impact Planting Decisions
USDA’s 2020 Prospective Plantings report released Tuesday estimates planted acres for corn this year at 97.0 million acres, up 8 percent or 7.29 million acres from last year. But when farmers were surveyed a month ago, coronavirus had yet to have the impact it is now having on ethanol demand and prices thanks to a drastic cut in demand for …