The Renewable Fuels Association this week filed comments with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) urging the state to allow the sale of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol, as part of its efforts to enhance the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. “E15 is a critical near-term strategy for decarbonizing liquid fuels, which will continue to dominate …
ACE Honors HBIIP Program Manager
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 …
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 …
NASDA CEO Ted McKinney Sees Potential in SAF
Former USDA Under Secretary and currently CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Ted McKinney is optimistic about the future of sustainable aviation fuel as a market for U.S. biofuels, provided they have the opportunity under the upcoming 45Z tax credit. “Our ethanol and our soy diesel and renewable diesel and all the folks that are doing …
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 …
Ethanol Report on DC Board Meeting
Renewable Fuels Association board members had the opportunity this past week to meet with administration officials and lawmakers in both Houses and from both sides of the aisle to talk about priorities for the ethanol industry. The event included a timely talk with USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small about tracking climate-smart farming practices and hearing from EPA Administrator Michael …