The ethanol industry is mourning the loss this week of pioneer and advocate Ray Defenbaugh, who was a founding member, president, CEO, and chairman of Big River Resources, with facilities in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Defenbaugh served on the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) board since 2005 and was a member of the Executive Committee. “Ray’s contributions to rural America, the …
ACE Explains Mexico Ethanol Ruling
Last week, the Mexico Supreme Court ruled against the regulation allowing for higher ethanol content in gasoline, but American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Senior Vice President and Market Development Director Ron Lamberty explains that the decision was based on the way in which the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) implemented the change in 2017, not on the fuel. In July of …
Ethanol Groups Optimistic as China Trade Deal is Signed
Ethanol organizations expressed optimism about the signing of the historic Phase One Trade Agreement with China Wednesday, despite China’s announced suspension of its E10 ethanol mandate last week. “We are very optimistic about the potential of this agreement for American agriculture and the renewable fuels industry—with the inclusion of ethanol and key co-products like distillers grains—and are looking forward to …
ACE Appoints Director of Member and Industry Relations
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has appointed Nick Fosheim, former executive director of South Dakota’s Lincoln and Minnehaha County Economic Development Associations, to serve as Director of Member and Industry Relations. ACE CEO Brian Jennings says Fosheim’s experience coordinating business attraction and retention efforts and connecting community organizations and staff to development resources makes him a natural fit to …
SD Farmer Provides Input for Clean Fuels Policy Paper
South Dakota farmer Ron Alverson believes in the future of corn ethanol as a low carbon fuel and that accurate carbon accounting is key to a successful and fair Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest. Alverson, who is past president of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and the SD Corn Growers, was a chief contributor to an ACE white …
New Report Outlines Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest
A new report details how a good clean fuels policy for the Midwest should be designed, recommending a “technology-neutral, portfolio approach that encourages a fair and competitive marketplace and benefits producers, consumers, agriculture, utilities, jobs, and public health.” The Clean Fuels Policy for the Midwest white paper is the result of nearly two years of analysis and stakeholder discussion by …
Badger State Ethanol Hits Billion Gallon Milestone
Badger State Ethanol (BSE) in Monroe, Wisconsin is starting 2020 by passing the 1 billion gallon milestone at its 85 million-gallon-per-year facility. BSE began production in 2002 with a nameplate capacity of 40 million gallons per year. To put 1 billion gallons in perspective, Erik Huschitt, CEO and General Manager of BSE, said, “In a vehicle that gets 23 miles …
Ethanol Groups Applaud House Passage of USMCA
Ethanol organizations are praising the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) yesterday on a bipartisan vote of 385-41. American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings says the new agreement solidifies a multi-billion-dollar export market while providing more certainty to farmers. “Canada is the most reliable export market for U.S. ethanol over the course of time, …
Ethanol Industry Mourns Loss of Randy Ives
The ethanol industry lost a pioneer and a great friend this week as Randy Ives, 63, of Omaha, Nebraska has passed away after a courageous battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Ives was a U.S. Grains Council (USGC) delegate and a key figure in the development of distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol market …
Comments Rolling in on RFS Rule
Comments are rolling in this week proposed supplemental rulemaking to the 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The deadline is Friday, November 29, which is a federal work day, but many groups are getting their comments in early this week to take two days for Thanksgiving. Most comments from biofuel supporters basically center on three …