USDA Forecasting Record Corn and Soybean Yields

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is forecasting record corn and soybean yields this year, with higher total production for soybeans and slightly lower for corn. Corn production is expected to be down 1% from last year at 15.1 billion bushels while soybean production is forecast to be 10% higher than 2023 at a …

corn, Soybeans, USDA

EPA’s Rod Snyder Steps Down

Cindy Zimmerman

The head of EPA’s newly created Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced he was stepping down this week, after only five months in the new position. Rod Snyder became senior adviser for agriculture at EPA in October 2021 after serving as president of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture for seven years. EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced …

ACE, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Vilsack to Speak at ACE Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be a keynote speaker at the American Coalition for Ethanol 37th annual conference in Omaha next week. Secretary Vilsack will speak on Thursday, August 15, at 9:00 AM Central. “Under Secretary Vilsack’s extraordinary leadership, USDA has provided critically important support to expand ethanol use and help ensure corn ethanol is part of the climate solution,” …

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Ethanol, Ethanol News, USDA

Amazon Joins SAF Coalition

Cindy Zimmerman

Amazon has joined the growing membership of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Coalition. “We are thrilled that Amazon has joined the SAF Coalition. Their addition to our growing membership marks a pivotal moment for our collective efforts to scale SAF production and create a more sustainable future,” said SAF Coalition Executive Director Alison Graab. “With a significant presence in the …

aviation biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, SAF

Business SAF Coalition Comments to USDA

Cindy Zimmerman

The Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel is urging the Biden administration to follow the approach the government uses for existing biofuel programs when it develops rules to quantify and verify greenhouse gas emissions from various feedstocks for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to determine the level of Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives available to SAF producers. “The BizAv …

aviation biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, SAF

Ethanol and DDGS Exports Down But Still Strong in June

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest export figures for the month of June were lower than the previous month but still strong for the year, according to the latest report from the Renewable Fuels Association. U.S. ethanol exports hit a record high for the month of June, reaching 145.9 million gallons (mg), though this marked a 6% decline from May. Shippers targeted just thirteen …

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Fluid Quip Commissions Largest MSC™ Protein System

Cindy Zimmerman

Fluid Quip Technologies (FQT) has completed the world’s largest MSC™ System to date at Tharaldson Ethanol in Casselton, North Dakota. This is the 12th system installed which is designed to expand the production of corn fermented protein, a high-quality protein ingredient in animal feed. “Our MSC™ Technology is critical to not only creating a high-quality protein ingredient for pet food, …

corn, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Facilities, livestock feed

Farmers Touting Tech to Lower Carbon Score

Cindy Zimmerman

Farmers discussed the potential for technology to help lower their carbon intensity (CI) scores at the recent Tech Hub LIVE conference in Des Moines. Brad McDonald, an Iowa farmer and Chief Operating Officer of Continuum Ag, talked about how incentives for adopting regenerative agriculture practices such as cover crops and no till to lower CI scores could generate a new …

Carbon, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farming, technology

Minnesota Awards $3 Million for E15 Infrastructure

Cindy Zimmerman

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture recently awarded over $3 million in infrastructure grant funding to 16 retail service stations in the state to increase access to Unleaded 88. “With the EPA’s recent decision to allow year-round E15 sales for 2024 and beyond, the MDA is pleased to partner with these service stations to expand access to this lower-cost, cleaner fuel …

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Verbio Starts Ethanol Production at Iowa Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Verbio officially began commercial production this week of corn-based ethanol at its biorefinery facility in Nevada, Iowa. The plant is a subsidiary of Germany-based Verbio SE and is the first industrial-scale biorefinery in North America to couple renewable natural gas and ethanol production. Verbio has installed a total capacity to produce 60 million gallons of corn-based ethanol per year and …

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RNG