Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are urging Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig to promptly process 2018-2019 claims for the biodiesel tax credit, which Congress retroactively reinstated at the end of 2019. “Timely payment of claims for 2018 and 2019 is necessary for the recovery of the entire biodiesel industry, including producers, blenders, and farmers,” the …
Buttigieg and Sanders Show Strong Biofuels Support
Initial Iowa Caucus results are showing Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders in the lead, both of whom profess strong support for ethanol and biodiesel, according to Biofuels Vision 2020. In fact, all of the top candidates are friendly to biofuels, including Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Biofuels Vision 2020 spent months asking …
Biodiesel Conference Wrap
The 2020 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo is a wrap and all of the content is now available on the Biodiesel Conference Blog. The conference, which was held Jan. 20-23 in Tampa, attracted more than 700 biodiesel producers, distributors, retailers, and other industry advocates from across the nation gathered in Tampa, Florida to set their sights on a new ambitious …
Comments Submitted for USDA Infrastructure Program
Biofuels organizations submitted comments this week on USDA’s proposed Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion of sales of renewable fuels and facilitating increased sales of higher biofuel blends (E15 or higher). The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) made a number of recommendations that USDA should consider in …
First Iowa County Requires B20 for New Diesel Vehicles
Dickinson County has become the first in Iowa to follow the lead of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds by declaring all new diesel vehicles procured by the county must be explicitly approved for the use of B20, 20% biodiesel. On December 3, 2019 Governor Reynolds signed an executive order declaring that new diesel vehicles procured by the state’s executive branch must …
Soybean Growers Show Biodiesel Support
American Soybean Association (ASA) CEO Ryan Findlay was on the program at the 2020 National Biodiesel Conference in Tampa last week, sharing his policy views for the new decade. A number of ASA directors were also in attendance showing their support for the biodiesel industry, which increases the value of U.S. soybean oil by 11 cents per pound and 63 …
Industry Celebrates Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension
Without question, the multi year biodiesel tax credit extension achieved at the end of 2019 was a tremendous victory for the industry. “No one is more relieved, excited and enthused to say we got it done – five years certainty through 2022!” said National Biodiesel Board Vice President of Federal Affairs Kurt Kovarik. “No other tax extender as large as …
New NBB Chair Optimistic for 2020
Renewable Energy Group (REG) CFO Chad Stone was elected as the new chairman for the National Biodiesel Board in November and he addressed the membership at the National Biodiesel Conference this week in Tampa. While 2019 was a disastrous year for the industry, which saw REG having to shut down a plant, Stone is very optimistic about biodiesel going forward. …
Plasma Blue Debuts at Biodiesel Conference
A novel process using electricity and liquid plasma to induce the transesterification process needed to produce biodiesel is generating a lot of interest at the National Biodiesel Conference this week in Tampa. The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council saw the potential for the technology, developed by scientists at the University of Minnesota, which could produce six gallons of biodiesel …
NBB CEO Meets with the Media
National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Donnell Rehagen met with members of the media at the National Biodiesel Conference after his state of the industry address on Tuesday. Many of the questions dealt with the biodiesel tax credit extension and when it will provide some relief for the industry. “Producers should be working on it as we speak to get those …