U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), along with Joni Ernst (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), are introducing bipartisan legislation to identify the standards required to meet the definition of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accuracy Act of 2023 would require the federal government to use …
Nebraska Governor Signs New Law to Boost E15 Sales
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed new legislation this week that contains provisions to increase consumer access to E15 fuel in the state, boost higher blend ethanol tax credits, improve the NextGen program and cut red tape for food trucks. During the signing event, Governor Pillen hosted a food truck from Norfolk at the Governor’s Residence to drive home the benefits …
ACE Opens Registration for 36th Annual Conference
“Everything Counts” is the theme for the 36th annual American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) conference, August 23-25, at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center and registration is now open. “ACE continues working to ensure farmers and ethanol producers are in a position to obtain valuable clean fuel credits for the many steps they are taking to improve ethanol’s carbon score,” said …
Comment Period for Eight State E15 Waiver Ends
The comment period for EPA’s proposed rule issued in response to petitions by the governors of several Midwest states to remove the 1-pound per square inch Reid vapor pressure waiver for summer conventional gasoline containing 10% ethanol ended yesterday, almost exactly one year to the day since it was requested. EPA is proposing to remove the 1-psi waiver in Illinois, …
Ethanol Industry Pans Proposed Emission Standards
Ethanol industry stakeholders panned the Environmental Protection Agency’s new proposed federal vehicle emissions standards released today as the deadline looms for taking action to allow uninterrupted sales of 15% ethanol fuel this summer. “While we certainly share the Biden administration’s goals of increasing vehicle efficiency and reducing carbon emissions from transportation, we strongly disagree with policy approaches that arbitrarily pick …
Couser Provides Grassroots Input to EPA
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan recently appointed members for the Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC), including Iowa livestock producer and ethanol investor Bill Couser. Established in 2007, the FRRCC provides independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agriculture and …
First Timers at ACE Fly-in
This year was the first time Bill and Kathy Howell attended the American Coalition for Ethanol DC Fly-in and they welcomed the opportunity to meet with Congressional lawmakers and staff to talk about ethanol. Howell just became manager and CEO of Adkins Energy, an ethanol and biodiesel production facility in northwest Illinois, about six months ago after a four year …
ACE Members Happy to be Back on the Hill
This year was the 12th year that the American Coalition for Ethanol led a fly-in on Capitol Hill, but the last one was four years ago so members were very pleased to be back in person. “Congress just opened up about a month a half ago,” said Rick Schwarck, President and CEO of Absolute Energy in St. Ansger, Iowa. “Face …
USDA Under Secretary Stresses Support for Ethanol
USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie spent an hour with members of the American Coalition for Ethanol last week, answering questions on various topics and stressing the administration’s support for biofuels. “I hope you know this administration has a strong commitment to ethanol,” Bonnie began. “There’s a lot of alignment between things that can be good …
ACE Fly-in Gives Lawmakers Ethanol Education
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa is possibly the biggest supporter of ethanol in Congress, but he can always use more information to share with his colleagues who may disagree. During the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Fly-in this week, Golden Grains Energy chairman Dave Sovereign, who is also a farmer and a fuel retailer near Cresco, Iowa, gave the senator …