Two years ago ethanol producers were in the middle of the worst downturn in the industry’s history as the new COVID-19 pandemic put the country at a standstill and production dropped by 50 percent in a month. Under the CARES Act, $700 million was approved to help make up for those losses to producers, but that money has yet to …
Senators Press EPA Administrator on E15
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan appeared before the Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday to talk about the agency’s budget request, but some senators wanted to know what he was going to do and when he was going to do it to make E15 (15% ethanol fuel) available in the summer months this year. Both Sens. Joni Ernst …
Gevo Testifies at House Ag Committee Hearing
Gevo CEO Patrick Gruber presented testimony before the House Agriculture Committee this week on the future of climate smart crops and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) with updated carbon accounting and a system that rewards farmers for sustainable practices. “Net zero hydrocarbon drop in fuels are what the marketplace is interested in,” Gruber told the committee, outlining Gevo’s concept of a …
E15 Sales Reach Record Levels in 2021
Sales of E15 (15% ethanol fuel) hit a record 814 million gallons in 2021, according to a new analysis from the Renewable Fuels Association. The 2021 volume represents a 62 percent increase over 2020 and was nearly double pre-pandemic sales volumes in 2019. The analysis is based on recently released data for Minnesota and Iowa that show sales of E15 …
RFA Issues ‘Pump Up the Savings’ Challenge
Snap a photo of lower-priced, higher-ethanol blends at the pump could get you some free fuel. The Renewable Fuels Association has kicked off a new “Pump Up the Savings” sweepstakes encouraging consumers to share pictures of fuel prices when they fill up at the pump, showing the savings associated with ethanol blends like E15 and E85. Qualifying entries will be …
Senator Says Administration is Considering E15 Year Round
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) gave hope to the ethanol industry that sales of 15% ethanol blends may yet be able to continue in the summer months despite last year’s devastating court ruling. “The Biden administration is considering summertime sales of E15. Praise the Lord!” said the senator during his weekly call with agricultural reporters on Tuesday. “The president needs to …
Pearson Fuels Meeting Demand for E85 in California
Sales of E85 (85 percent ethanol blended fuel) are soaring to new heights in California as drivers of flex fuel vehicles are finding out they can pay a lot less for a fill up. “People are looking for a lower-priced, low carbon fuel and they have that with E85,” said Greg Jones, Director of Business Development at Pearson Fuels, which …
Biofuels Caucus Members Press Biden on E15
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) led the six bipartisan Co-chairs of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus and 23 additional Members of Congress in a letter to President Joe Biden Thursday urging him to prioritize homegrown renewable fuels as a replacement for Russian energy sources. The letter specifically asks the President to direct EPA to both allow the summer sales of E15 …
Reps Question Lack of Biofuels in Budget
Representatives from Iowa questioned Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young Tuesday on the lack of biofuels in the $6 trillion White House budget unveiled this week. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) both pressed Young on why there was no mention of biofuels in the budget. “I believe EPA will have more details when they …
Ethanol Report on How to Lower Gas Prices
With E15 selling as much 50 cents less than regular unleaded gasoline, it seems obvious that higher blends of ethanol can help lower prices at the pump. But so far, nothing is being done on the national level to unleash the power of biofuels to ease the pain of high gas prices. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, …