March 15 was Biodiesel Day in Minnesota, proclaimed by Gov. Mark Dayton in recognition of the 15 year anniversary of Minnesota’s biodiesel mandate becoming law in 2002. The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) was celebrating yesterday because they helped design that legislation which made Minnesota the first state in the nation to require 10 percent biodiesel, or B10, in diesel …
Ethanol Groups Praise Emissions Rules Review
President Trump announced Wednesday that the administration is reinstating the Midterm Evaluation of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) standards for the automotive industry, which is good news for the ethanol industry. “Today’s actions allow the opportunity for EPA to slow down, remove politics from the process, and take a more comprehensive approach to fuel …
More Retail Stations Selling Higher #Ethanol Blends
Last week, Iowa celebrated the opening of the state’s 100th retail station selling 15 percent ethanol blended fuel. Crossroads Convenience Store in Spencer is one of six stations owned by Wessels Oil Company, which has been in business since 1938 and has been offering higher blends of biofuels at their stores since 2014. The Spencer store is the retailer’s first …
AEM Study Shows Ag Economy Matters to Many
A new study shows that 27 percent of manufacturing in the U.S. is for farm equipment, employing more than 114,000 people and contributing 21 billion to the overall economy. “A lot of people forget that agriculture matters to folks who don’t live on farms,” said Nick Tindall with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) during a press conference at the …
Co-op Aiming to Boost Farmer Biodiesel Use
An Iowa farm cooperative wants to convince more farmers in the state to use biodiesel by showing just how well it performs. United Farmers Cooperative of Afton, Iowa compared the performance of two trucks with blends of 5 and 20 percent biodiesel (B5 and B20) performed and the B20 truck won. The four-month trial in 2016 had identical company automatic …
Soy Growers Honor Jobe for Service
The American Soybean Association (ASA) recognized former National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Joe Jobe with its Special Meritorious Service Award during the recent 2017 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. “Joe’s commitment and dedication helped build and grow a biodiesel industry that has benefited U.S. soybean farmers and many other agricultural stakeholders,” said ASA President Ron Moore, a soybean farmer …
Ethanol Safety Seminars for Montana in March
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), TRANSCAER® and Montana Rail Link are hosting free ethanol safety seminars at three locations in Montana this month for emergency responders. “Ethanol transportation in gasoline blends or denatured for future use is common in Montana. Understanding its uses, transportation modes, and response issues are paramount for our responders,” said Tony Bacino, manager of Safety and …
ACE Elects Executive Committee
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) board of directors recently elected officers and executive committee members for 2017. Officers re-elected to the Executive Committee include President Ron Alverson of Dakota Ethanol; vice president Duane Kristensen of Chief Ethanol Fuels; and Secretary Dave Sovereign from Golden Grain Energy. Brian Wilcox with Nebraska Public Power District was elected to serve as Treasurer …
Tom Daschle Visits Siouxland Ethanol
Former Sen. Tom Daschle joined over 300 shareholders of Siouxland Ethanol, LLC to celebrate the 10th annual shareholders meeting held in South Sioux City, Nebraska this week. “I am hopeful that 2017 will be another year where transformational change will occur within the ethanol industry. This is a dynamic industry and we need to build on the things in the …
Ethanol Keeps Growing Economic Impact
There were over 9,000 attendees at the 2017 Commodity Classic last week, about half of those farmers, and the majority of them can claim some of the direct or indirect jobs supported by the ethanol industry. According to the latest study by ABF Economics, the U.S. ethanol industry added $42.1 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2016 and …