The Renewable Fuels Association has filed petitions in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging two rounds of small refinery exemptions (SREs) granted by the Environmental Protection Agency last month. On August 3, EPA granted SREs for the 2023 and 2024 RFS compliance years totaling 160 million RINs. Then on August 31, EPA granted 29 more SREs …
Governor Signs California E15 Bill
Over the weekend, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation to help Californians access lower-cost E15 fuel, 15% ethanol blended, an option that can diversify the state’s fuel supply. The Governor signed Senate Bill 795, the “E15 Clean-up Act,” into law following the legislature’s unanimous passage of the bill on August 31. The bill removes a regulatory barrier to implementing …
USDA Announces New American Biofuels Trade Outlook
The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week released the American Biofuels Trade Outlook, a plan that builds upon 2025’s record U.S. ethanol export performance, removes restrictions to American biofuels, and secures new market opportunities for U.S. farmers. “American farmers are fueling the future, and the American Biofuel Trade Outlook outlines the USDA’s exact plan to ensure that success continues, and …
Farm Bill with E15 Reported Out of Senate Ag Committee
The Senate Agriculture Committee met Wednesday for the first time in over a month to re-vote on the Agriculture Act of 2026 – the farm bill, including E15 – and pass it along party lines by a vote of 12 to 11. Republicans prevailed on the vote this time with the presence of both Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. …
CARB Gets E15 Comments Ahead of Hearing
Ethanol stakeholders provided comments this week to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ahead of a public hearing next week to consider proposed amendments to the state’s reformulated gasoline regulations to support the voluntary sale of gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol. Comments from the Renewable Fuels Association urge CARB to move quickly to finalize proposed regulations allowing the …
USDA Report Highlights Ethanol Export Wildcards
U.S. ethanol exports set new volume and value records over the past two calendar years and are ahead of last year’s record pace through June of this year, but a new USDA report indicates there are a handful of wildcards that could greatly impact exports throughout the rest of the year. According to a new report from USDA’s Foreign Agriculture …
ACE Welcomes Ben Rhodes to Team with Ron Lamberty
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has announced that Ben Rhodes, currently serving as executive director of the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB), will become chief marketing officer (CMO) for ACE beginning September 28. At the same time, ACE’s current CMO Ron Lamberty, who has served the organization for more than 25 years, will take on the new title of Chief …
RFA Providing E15 Education for California Retailers
The Renewable Fuels Association was in San Diego, California this week at the annual conference of the California Fuels and Convenience Alliance (CFCA) talking with retailers about the details of selling E15, now that a technicality in last year’s legislation to allow the lower cost fuel has been fixed. RFA has been front-and-center at the CFCA trade show with an …
Study Says Gas Prices Would be Higher Without Ethanol
Nationwide regular gasoline prices over Labor Day weekend 2026 set a new holiday record and crossed $4 per gallon for the first time on Labor Day, but they would be higher if not for ethanol, according to a new study just completed for the Renewable Fuels Association. Prepared by George Hoekstra, a 35-year veteran of the petroleum refining industry, the …
Bayer and Neste to Scale Canola for Biofuels
Bayer has joined forces with Neste, a leading producer of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, to jointly scale Bayer’s newgold® winter canola for biofuels production. The collaboration will enable Bayer to significantly expand acres of winter canola in the Southern Great Plains of the US, strengthening the oilseed supply potential of lower-carbon-intensity feedstocks to meet the growing global demand …