Brazil will allow another 150 million liters of U.S. ethanol imports into the country each year before charging a 20% import tariff, increasing the tariff rate quota (TRQ) to 750 million from 600 million liters per year, but U.S. trade and ethanol organizations are unimpressed. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says maintaining any protectionist trade barrier represents …
Biodiesel Industry Hits Keep Coming
At the same time the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) submitted comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s annual proposed Renewable Fuel Standard rule on Friday, the industry was hit with a court ruling that upholds the agency’s method for setting biomass-based diesel volumes in the 2017 RFS rules. In comments on the RFS rule, NBB urged EPA to increase advanced biofuel …
ACE Presents Grassroots and Media Awards
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) honored media excellence and grassroots advocacy during its 32nd annual conference last month in Omaha. The ACE Grassroots Award is given to individuals who often perform “behind the scenes” to advance the cause of ethanol. Mike Finarty received this year’s award for promoting ethanol around the country via the Biofuels Mobile Education Center, funded …
Biofuels Industry to EPA: Restore Lost Gallons
Ethanol and biodiesel producers, corn and soybean farmers, all had the same message to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding proposed renewable volume obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) – restore the gallons of biofuel blending volumes lost under the numerous small refinery exemptions granted by the agency over the past two years. Industry organizations delivered comments to the EPA …
No Details on Small Refinery Waiver Mitigation
Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was tight-lipped last week at the Farm Progress Show when it came to details of the administration’s “small refinery waiver mitigation efforts” that President Trump “really wants to announce himself.” “I don’t want to steal the president’s thunder on that,” Sec. Perdue said during a listening session held Wednesday morning at Richland Community College on …
Sen. Ernst Visits DuPont Biofuels Enzyme Plant
DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences hosted Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) at its plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa earlier this week. During a tour and town hall with employees, Sen. Ernst and DuPont leaders discussed the positive impact of strong national biofuels policy on America’s farmers, on the environment, and on consumer choice at the pump. “DuPont’s investments in new and advanced …
Nebraska Ethanol Board Offers E15 Workshop
The Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) is hosting a free workshop for fuel retailers Aug. 28 in Kearney, Nebraska. Attendees will hear best practices from fuel retailers who’ve seen success selling E15, a keynote from Ron Lamberty of American Coalition of Ethanol, and will learn about resources to make implementing and labeling infrastructure easy and affordable. Fuel retailers need to register …
Biofuel Retailers Have What it Takes
Mike Lewis co-founded Pearson Fuels in 2003 as an “alternative fuels” station in San Diego, California. Today, Pearson Fuels is the largest distributor of E85 in California, supplying over 140 locations and about 76% of the market. Receiving the Paul Dana Marketing Vision Award at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual conference last week, Lewis noted that Pearson Fuels …
Rep. Axne Calls for Investigation into Waivers
U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, is calling for a federal investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) expansion of refinery exemptions from blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Rep. Axne chose Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) to hold a press conference yesterday, the same site where President Donald Trump triumphantly announced …
Fallout from EPA Refinery Waivers Continues
President Trump reportedly held a meeting with his cabinet Monday concerned about backlash from farmers over new small refinery waivers, but an EPA official added fuel to the fire yesterday by saying there was “zero evidence” of demand destruction for ethanol due to the numerous refinery exemptions allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. “To suggest that there is ‘zero evidence’ …