In recent years, we have seen several countries beginning to develop clean fuel standards that can offer both opportunities and challenges for U.S. ethanol producers. A panel at the National Ethanol Conference focused on “The Emergence of International Clean Fuel Standards: Innovation Drivers or Industry Protectionism?” with insights on where global standards for clean fuel are headed. Renewable Fuels Association …
Partnership Testing 100 Percent Biodiesel in Fleet Trucks
A new partnership is conducting a year-long test project to demonstrate viability of 100 percent biodiesel (B100) in high-mileage fleet applications. Under this partnership, five trucks owned by ADM will be outfitted with Optimus Technologies’ Vector fuel system, an innovative technology that enables diesel engines to run almost entirely on sustainable biodiesel. The trucks will be used in daily fleet …
Biofuels Part of USDA Innovation Agenda
At the start of USDA’s 2020 Agriculture Outlook Forum on Thursday, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a new initiative to stimulate innovation so American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050. To do so, USDA has set benchmarks to …
Beyond the Road Benefits of Ethanol
Off the road, on the racetrack, or in the water, the benefits of ethanol go beyond the highway. Attendees at the 25th National Ethanol Conference got to hear about ethanol’s success in recreational uses like off-road vehicles and boats, providing power, reduced emissions and lower fuel costs. They also got to see Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) flex-fuel Jeep Wrangler up …
Senators Urge Timely Processing of Biodiesel Tax Credits
Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are urging Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig to promptly process 2018-2019 claims for the biodiesel tax credit, which Congress retroactively reinstated at the end of 2019. “Timely payment of claims for 2018 and 2019 is necessary for the recovery of the entire biodiesel industry, including producers, blenders, and farmers,” the …
Low Carbon Future for Ethanol
One of the biggest opportunities for the ethanol industry is regional low carbon fuel standards. A panel moderated by Neil Koehler of Pacific Ethanol, Inc., discussed the path forward for decarbonizing liquid transportation fuels at the 2020 National Ethanol Conference in Houston, Tex. Participants in the panel included: Christopher Hessler, AJW, Inc.; Jeremy Martin, Union of Concerned Scientists; David Clay, …
NCGA President Filled With Ethanol Pride
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president and Iowa farmer Kevin Ross had the chance last week to attend the National Ethanol Conference and celebrate recent wins with the industry, like the recent Tenth Circuit court decision. “Just a fabulous result for us and everybody in the industry,” said Ross during an interview last week at the National Ethanol Conference. “And …
Energy Ag News 2/18
Minnesota’s ethanol industry contributed $2.31 billion to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year, according to a new study by ABF Economics. In 2019, the industry produced 1.31 billion gallons of ethanol, 3.6 million tons of dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) and 327 million pounds of corn oil. This generated $6.7 billion in gross sales for Minnesota businesses …
25th #RFANEC Focuses Forward on Future
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) just concluded an annual meeting that will be remembered for many reasons, including an appearance by the 43rd President of the United States, and the celebration of recent significant victories for the ethanol industry as it focuses forward on the future. RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper says there is a lot of optimism and …
ACE Leadership Attending Ethanol Plant Annual Meetings
It’s annual meeting time for ethanol plants around the Midwest and American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings is attending many of them in the coming weeks to commend the producers for enduring a tough year, and provide an update on the opportunities and challenges ahead for growing the demand for ethanol. Jennings visited Golden Grain Energy in Mason …