A lot of drama and speculation preceded the appearance of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue at Commodity Classic, thanks to some reports questioning his support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), so he wasted no time in stating his “unequivocal” support for the law. “I have not and will not support any policies in this country that diminish the demand, undermine …
Northey Confirmed But No White House Deal on RFS
Bill Northey is at last free to take the job at USDA that he was nominated for almost six months ago after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) lifted his hold on the nomination and allowed the confirmation Tuesday. The Senate confirmed Northey on a voice vote to become USDA’s undersecretary for farm production and conservation as Sens. Cruz, Pat Toomey (R-PA), …
Generating D3 RINS from Corn Kernel Fiber
Producing cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber is where many ethanol plants are heading. But getting EPA approval on that type of project is not always easy. Jim Ramm of EcoEngineers explained why he believes this is the future of the industry at the 2018 National Ethanol Conference. “It makes sense as an industry to maximize the return on the …
RFA Chairman Pleased With Conference Turnout
The 2018 National Ethanol Conference (NEC) saw a great turnout of people supporting the renewable fuels industry. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Chairman Mick Henderson said exports continue to be a priority, as well as creating parity for E15 in domestic markets. Henderson said being a part of a trade organization like RFA is important when it comes to affecting policy. …
Why Ethanol Should Care About Electric Vehicles
It might be surprising to see electric cars on the agenda at the National Ethanol Conference. But that was the subject of a panel discussion at the recent meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The panel included Tammy Klein, Future Fuel Strategies; Eva Rigamonti, Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA)/Steptoe & Johnson; and Leslie Hayward, Securing America’s Future Energy …
Corn Growers are Ethanol Strong
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and a number of state corn grower groups put in an Ethanol Strong showing at the National Ethanol Conference last week. Ten state corn grower organizations sponsored the NEC luncheon which featured political strategists Donna Brazile and Mary Matalin, two fellow New Orleans Catholics who hold different political views but are very close friends. …
Syngenta Enogen Footprint Growing
In the past two months, Syngenta has announced two agreements with major ethanol producers to use Enogen® corn enzyme technology at their plants, continuing to grow the footprint of this biotech corn output trait designed specifically to enhance ethanol production. In December, Green Plains Inc. of Nebraska partnered with Syngenta to expand its use of Enogen® corn across its 1.5 …
NEC Hosts International Ethanol Buyers for Third Year
More than 150 business-to-business meetings between domestic ethanol producers and international buyers from five countries were held at the Renewable Fuels Association’s National Ethanol Conference in San Antonio last week. It was the third year for the conference to host the event through the Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program (IBP), a joint government-industry effort to promote U.S. export sales. …
New Analysis Shows RIN Prices Could Fall
A new analysis from the University of Illinois shows conditions that caused high conventional biofuel (D6) RIN prices are changing rapidly and that “…it is not out of the realm of possibility for D6 RINs prices to fall back their pre-2013 level of just a few cents without making any changes to the RFS.” According to a release from the …
Ethanol Report from #RFANEC18
The Renewable Fuels Association 23rd National Ethanol Conference with the theme “Ethanol Strong” was held February 12-14 in San Antonio, Texas. The event featured the annual “State of the Industry” address by RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen, as well as panels and speakers on a number of important topics, from electric vehicles to RINs to the expanding export market. …