Minnesota made history May 1, becoming the first state to transform virtually all of the diesel supply for sale in the state to B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. “We often refer to Minnesota as a ‘trailblazer,’ but somehow that just doesn’t seem adequate anymore,” said National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Donnell Rehagen. “Upgrading …
RFA: Ethanol Saves Consumers at the Pump
After a long, cold winter many families are ready to hit the road and go somewhere warm and fun for summer vacation, but the Energy Information Administration is already warning drivers that they are likely to see the highest gasoline prices in four years. The good news is that ethanol is helping to offset higher prices at the pump, according …
May is Renewable Fuels Month in Nebraska
Nebraska drivers are being encouraged to get their motors running with savings on biofuels every Friday in May at retailers in three major cities to celebrate Renewable Fuels Month in the state. Select retailers in Omaha, Grand Island and Bellevue are offering discounts on ethanol blends and one location is discounting biodiesel as well. Renewable Fuels Month is coordinated through …
Senators Push President for E-15 RVP Waiver
With a growing number of “small refinery” exemptions being granted by EPA to not-so-small companies, a bipartisan group of senators is asking President Trump to allow 15% ethanol fuel (E-15) to be sold during the summer all over the country starting this year. In a letter to the president Monday, 18 ethanol state senators made two specific requests. First, they …
Biodiesel #1 for Green Fleets
And the survey says …. biodiesel is the top alternative fuel choice for fleet trucks. According to the latest Fleet Purchasing Outlook study conducted by the NTEA – The Association for the Work Truck Industry, 75 percent of fleet respondents planning to acquire trucks in 2018 anticipate maintaining or increasing use of diesel engine powered trucks, indicating that diesel is …
Report Says Icahn Refinery Received RFS Waiver
Reuters published an exclusive report today citing two anonymous sources who claim EPA granted a small refinery hardship exemption to CVR Energy, owned by billionaire Carl Icahn, the power behind last year’s attempt to dilute the Renewable Fuel Standard by changing the point of obligation. CVR Energy just released its 1st quarter earnings last Thursday, posting a net income of …
RFA Urges CARB to Use More Ethanol
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is urging the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to allow greater market access for ethanol blended fuel to help the state reach its climate policy objectives. According to comments submitted by RFA, ethanol has played a key role in the success of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and could do more if certain regulatory …
Ethanol Report on Pruitt and the RFS
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt has been “unapologetic” under questioning this week about granting dozens of small refinery hardship exemptions, and Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen believes he will continue to do so unchecked. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, Dinneen talks about how the exemptions have effectively cut the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) …
Pruitt Provides Vague Answers About RFS Exemptions
The budget for the Environmental Protection Agency was the topic of two separate House hearings Thursday, but lawmakers spent the majority of the time addressing other concerns with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was brought up immediately by House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Chairman John Shimkus of Illinois, who made it clear he would …
RFS Architects Question EPA Waivers
Two former senators who played key roles in developing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) are calling on Congress to investigate the EPA’s recent waivers to major refiners and failure to follow the law. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Jim Talent (R-MO) say EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s granting of multiple small refinery hardship waivers skirts the law and threatens to undermine the …