President Donald Trump addressed farmer and rancher members of the American Farm Bureau Federation for the third year in a row Sunday, and promised to be back next year while continuing to fight for what is important to them. “My administration understands that if we want to stand up for America, we must stand up for American farmers,” said President …
USDA Deputy Secretary Addresses Iowa Biofuels Summit
USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky had the pleasure of announcing the Senate passage of USMCA to the crowd at the 2020 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday in Altoona, Iowa. “Just about 20 minutes ago, I’m proud to say that the Senate finally passed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement on a vote of 89 to 10,” said Censky as the crowd …
RFA CEO Offers Outlook for Ethanol’s Future at Iowa Summit
As the keynote speaker at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said “2019 sucked” but the industry is focusing forward now into the “Roaring ’20s.” Cooper offered four predictions for the new decade. 1. The battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard will continue and intensify 2. The use of low carbon fuel …
USDA Seeks Input on New Biofuels Infrastructure Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking input on the creation of a new Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion of sales of renewable fuels. This Request for Information (RFI) solicits information on options for fuel ethanol and biodiesel infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived …
Ethanol Groups Optimistic as China Trade Deal is Signed
Ethanol organizations expressed optimism about the signing of the historic Phase One Trade Agreement with China Wednesday, despite China’s announced suspension of its E10 ethanol mandate last week. “We are very optimistic about the potential of this agreement for American agriculture and the renewable fuels industry—with the inclusion of ethanol and key co-products like distillers grains—and are looking forward to …
National Biodiesel Conference to Unveil “Vision 2020”
The National Biodiesel Board will unveil its “Vision 2020” for the industry during the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Tampa, Florida on January 20-23. The largest gathering of North American biodiesel enthusiasts arrive in Florida on a roll with recent policy victories in Washington, DC, and California, as well as a heating oil industry that is partnering with producers …
Has the U.S. Really Achieved Energy Independence?
Opinion by Scott Richman, Renewable Fuels Association Chief Economist From the RFA Blog The recent conflict with Iran and its proxies in Iraq has served as a reminder of the enduring potential for geopolitical risk to unsettle petroleum markets – not just globally but also in the U.S. While the U.S. has become significantly more energy-secure over the last decade, …
ACE Appoints Director of Member and Industry Relations
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has appointed Nick Fosheim, former executive director of South Dakota’s Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations, to serve as Director of Member and Industry Relations. ACE CEO Brian Jennings says Fosheim’s experience coordinating business attraction and retention efforts and connecting community organizations and staff to development resources makes him a natural fit to …
RFA 2020 Safety Webinar Series Kicks Off
The Renewable Fuels Association, in partnership with TRANSCAER, is hosting a free ethanol safety “Train the Trainer” webinar on Tuesday, January 14, for ethanol emergency response teams. This will be the first of four in 2020, with the others taking place April 7, June 23 and August 18. The webinar will take place from noon to 2 p.m. ET and …
USDA Under Secretary Bullish on Ethanol
As China announced a suspension of its ethanol mandate last week, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney said he remains bullish on expanding exports for the fuel, despite the trade challenges. “Ethanol is one of the most needed products around the world, but for some doggoned reasons, continues to be held out,” said McKinney, …