Iowa Governor Terry Branstad made national headlines Tuesday at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit with his comments about presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during an impromptu press conference. “He is heavily financed by Big Oil,” Branstad said about Cruz. “I think it would be very damaging to our state…and I think it would be a big mistake for Iowa …
Secy Vilsack: Continue to Tout Biofuel Benefits
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, spent the morning back in his home state of Iowa (Vilsack is a former Iowa Governor) to kick off the 10th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. He began his remarks by saying its great to be back in Iowa and great to be back in front of folks who understand the importance …
IRFA’s Shaw: We Will Not Retreat
“Today, Iowa’s renewable fuels industry – the entire renewable fuels industry quite frankly – is at a fork in the road. We must decide whether to retreat, or whether to fight for victory. I know we will not retreat. It is simply not in the farmers DNA. So we fight,” said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels …
Why Chris Soules Supports Ethanol
Iowa native and farmer Chris Soules rose to fame as The Bachelor and his participation in Dancing With The Stars. He has since used his status to spread positive messages about biofuels including ethanol. I spoke with Chris recently to learn why biofuels are so important to him and why he has leveraged his notoriety in partnerships with several ag …
NBB Challenges EPA Rules on Argentinian Biodiesel
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is challenging the federal government’s rules on the import of Argentinian biodiesel. This article from the NBB’s ally, the American Soybean Association (ASA), says NBB filed a legal brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that says the way the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is handling Argentinian biodiesel violates …
Oregon Starts Push for Renewable Diesel
The state government in Oregon is using a combination of incentives and technical expertise to support adoption of renewable diesel. This news release from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) says some of the results of the initiatives include reduced emissions and a decrease in fleet maintenance for the Eugene Water & Electric Board, which began testing this innovation in …
Biofuel Industry’s United Stand
The biofuel industry continues to maintain its united front on encouraging legislative support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) especially during the presidential campaigns. Leaders from the renewable fuels and agriculture community released a public letter to allies outlining their support for America’s Renewable Future (ARF) to protect the RFS. The letter urges Iowa voters to turn to ARF to …
Neste’s Renewable Diesel to Power Super Bowl City
Plenty of jaw-dropping action from this weekend’s NFL playoffs, as we get closer to knowing who will be playing in in Super Bowl 50. While we don’t know the final match-up just yet, we already know that the game’s host city, San Francisco, is scoring ecological points by running on renewable diesel. This news release from Neste says its NEXBTL …
IA’s Biofuels Industries Could Help Biochem Industry
The lessons Iowa has learned in making ethanol and biodiesel could serve the state well in an effort to make bio-based chemicals. This article from the Des Moines Register says, though, a new report indicates a state tax credit is needed to help the Hawkeye state take a slice of the country’s $250 billion chemical market with greener replacements. “If …
Biodiesel Production Record Set in Iowa
Already the nation’s leader in biodiesel production, production of the green fuel in Iowa hit record levels in 2015. This news release from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) says despite policy uncertainty for nearly all of 2015, Iowa biodiesel production set a new annual record of 242 million gallons, topping 2013’s record of 230 million gallons. “It must be …