As USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was handing out Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) grants in Minnesota on Friday, the manager of that program was being honored by the American Coalition for Ethanol at their annual meeting in Omaha, where the Secretary had been just the day before. Jeff Carpenter, who has managed the HBIIP program under USDA Rural Development …
Christianson Receives Highest Honor from ACE
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) presented its highest honor, the Merle Anderson Award, to John Christianson, managing partner of Christianson & Associates, PLLP. The award was presented at the organization’s 37th annual conference last week in Omaha by ACE Board President Dave Sovereign, Golden Grain Energy, and board secretary Ron Alverson, Dakota Ethanol. Christianson has been a dedicated supporter …
USDA Marks IRA Anniversary with HBIIP Awards
To celebrate the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Minnesota to announce the funding of 160 projects in 26 states to expand access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels. USDA is providing $99.6 million through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and the Rural Energy for …
ACE Concludes 37th Annual Conference
The American Coalition for Ethanol concluded its 37th annual conference on Friday after a fast-paced day and a half of information and networking for the ethanol industry. “I think folks were energized to hear from the Secretary of Agriculture,” said ACE CEO Brian Jennings at the end of the event. “His unwavering commitment to getting some of these details right …
Summit Carbon Continues to Make Progress
Summit Carbon Solutions continues to make progress on the pipeline project that has a footprint in five states. Summit Carbon CEO Lee Blank told attendees at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual meeting this week that he believes the project will get to completion. “I know what this pipeline means to the ethanol industry today, and I know what …
ACE Wants Corn Ethanol to be the Gold Standard
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 37th annual conference kicked off in Omaha Wednesday with the theme “The Gold Standard.” “To future-proof our industry, steps must be taken to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” said ACE CEO Brian Jennings in his opening remarks. “That’s precisely what ethanol producers have been doing; innovating, optimizing, and becoming more efficient. During this time, …
Vilsack Addresses ACE Ethanol Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) this week for the first time since 2012 and he thanked them for the work they have been doing on the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCCP started in South Dakota in 2021 and recently received a $35 million investment through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service …
EPA’s Rod Snyder Steps Down
The head of EPA’s newly created Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced he was stepping down this week, after only five months in the new position. Rod Snyder became senior adviser for agriculture at EPA in October 2021 after serving as president of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture for seven years. EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced …
Vilsack to Speak at ACE Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be a keynote speaker at the American Coalition for Ethanol 37th annual conference in Omaha next week. Secretary Vilsack will speak on Thursday, August 15, at 9:00 AM Central. “Under Secretary Vilsack’s extraordinary leadership, USDA has provided critically important support to expand ethanol use and help ensure corn ethanol is part of the climate solution,” …
Court Decision Impacts RFS Small Refinery Exemptions
Ethanol industry leaders are disappointed and surprised by a U.S. Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit order on Friday vacating most of the EPA’s 2022 denials of petitions for small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard obligations, and remanding those petitions to EPA for further proceedings. While the court’s opinion remains under seal and is unavailable for public review the coalition …