Three major farmer and ethanol groups today called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally approve the use of E12 (12% ethanol) in the nation’s gasoline supply. The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) sent a joint letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson saying, “based on the EPA’s delay …
Peanut Growers Hear About Ethanol and Biomass
Southern peanut producers meeting in Panama City Beach last week heard about ethanol and producing energy on a local level. Growth Energy representative Dennis Weise talked to the farmers about how they can advocate for domestically produced energy by getting involved. “We have to get outside of the corn belt now, so it’s important that we talk to folks from …
Ethanol Tariff Tiff
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association UNICA this week drew attention to conflicting statements made in the past week by Growth Energy representatives about what they would like to see done with the tariff on foreign ethanol that is tied to the blenders tax credit under the Fueling Freedom plan introduced by the organization last week. In a post on the …
Pitching for Ethanol
Ethanol hit a home run at the Iowa Cubs game last night in Des Moines. With the help of Renewable Fuels Association chairman Chris Standlee of Abengoa Bioenergy throwing out the first pitch, the Iowa Cubs beat Oklahoma City RedHawks 8-5 Wednesday night in front of 9,088 fans on Ethanol Night at Principal Park. The promotional event featured ethanol information …
Railway to Test Montana Biodiesel
A switch engine in Havre, Montana is making the switch to 20 percent biodiesel for a year-long experiment to see how it works on trains in the Treasure State. On July 17, BNSF Railway celebrated the official start of the project where Montana State University-Northern’s Bio-Energy Center will test biodiesel produced by Earl Fisher Biofuels in one of two BNSF …
Marketers Back Renewable Fuels Bill
The nation’s major fuel marketing associations are advocating legislation that will help them sell higher blends of renewable fuels, including ethanol and biodiesel greater than E10 or B5. NACS – the Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing, along with NATSO (representing America’s Travel Plazas and Truckstops), Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA), and Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America …
Ethanol in Senate Ag Hearing Spotlight
Ethanol took the spotlight in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing Wednesday on the Farm Bill’s energy and rural development programs. Testimony at the hearing came from USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager, Growth Energy Co-chairman General Wesley Clark, National Alliance of Forest Owners president Dave Tenny, and New York dairy producer Eric Zuber. The discussion ranged from increasing the …
Renewable Energy Group Makes Acquisitions
Leading biodiesel producer and marketer Renewable Energy Group (REG) announced a couple of major acquisitions today that will improve the company’s access to used cooking oil supply for biodiesel production. The Ames, Iowa company is acquiring Tellurian Biodiesel of California and American BDF, a joint venture owned by Tellurian, Golden State Service Industries and Restaurant Technologies Inc. (RTI) that focused …
Ag Secretary Visits Ohio Ethanol Plant
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland toured the POET Biorefining plant in Marion, Ohio today and talked ethanol with industry stakeholders. Vilsack and Strickland took part in a roundtable discussion with representatives from POET, the Ohio Corn Growers Association, Ohio Ethanol Producers Association and the Ohio Department of Agriculture as well as the federal Farm …
Study Finds “Modest” Impact to Ending Ethanol Tax Credit
A study conducted by Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) has determined that the impact of ending the ethanol blenders tax credit and corresponding tariff would be “modest.” The report, Costs and Benefits to Taxpayers, Consumers, and Producers from U.S. Ethanol Policies, finds that “allowing the blender credit and tariff to expire would neither have the …