Biofuels groups offered testimony to the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday during a virtual public hearing for the proposed rule to establish required Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and percentage standards for 2023-25. “Overall, we believe the proposed ‘Set’ rule establishes a firm foundation for the future of the RFS and creates a pathway for sustainable growth in the production and …
MN Bio-Fuels Releases 2022 Annual Report
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) recently released its 2022 Annual Report to its members. “As the critical need to decarbonize transportation, reduce dependence on imported oil, and save consumers money at the pump grows, the leadership opportunities for biofuels grow, too. That’s why I was glad to join with our members and supporters at our annual report event to …
ACE Submits Feedback on IRA Implementation
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments this week to the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) on how funding in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for key NRCS conservation programs should be implemented to encourage farmer adoption of climate-smart practices. ACE CEO Brian Jennings and Jonathon Lehman, founder of the consulting group Cultivating Conservation, provided comments to NRCS, …
RFA Helps Retailers with Higher Blends Infrastructure Grants
Dozens of fuel retailers got help from the Renewable Fuels Association this year to apply for $100 million in matching grant funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) under the recently concluded signup period. RFA hosted webinars with more than 250 participants, thanks to the assistance of state retail organizations from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, …
Danforth Center Researching Water Use for Bioenergy Crop
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Principal Investigator Ivan Baxter is leading a new $16 million multi-institutional project on understanding of water use efficiency in sorghum as a bioenergy crop. “To be economically viable and have environmental benefits, crops used for bioenergy production need to be grown where the supply of water is insufficient or too inconsistent to support production of …
17th Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Next Month
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) is proud to present the 17th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. The 2023 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit is taking place on February 7, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Registration is free and required to attend. “The rapid changes occurring across the energy spectrum make the 2023 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit a can’t miss biofuels …
Biofuels Industry Provides Input on IRA for IRS
Biofuel stakeholder organizations provided input this week to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on implementation of specific provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) related to credits for carbon sequestration and clean fuel production. In its comments to the IRS, the Renewable Fuels Association stressed that, if implemented correctly, the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z) could lead to “transformative investments” …
Ethanol Industry Relieved Rail Strike Averted
Since more than 70 percent of the ethanol produced in the United States is transported by rail across the lower 48 states as well as into Canada and Mexico, the industry breathed a collective sigh of relief Friday as President Biden signed legislation passed by Congress to avert a major national rail strike. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper …
EPA Finalizes Canola Oil Pathways Rule for RFS
In addition to proposing new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and percentage standards for 2023, 2024, and 2025 this week, the Environmental Protection Agency also released a rule finalizing pathways for certain biofuels produced from canola/rapeseed oil. With this action, these fuel pathways will be eligible to generate Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), provided they satisfy the other definitional and RIN …
Clean Fuels Criticizes EPA Biomass Diesel Volumes
Clean Fuels Alliance America is criticizing the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2023 and beyond for “undercutting investments in biodiesel and renewable diesel capacity.” The minor increases for biomass-based diesel volumes in 2023, 2024 and 2025 are below the industry’s existing production and ignore the clean fuels industry’s significant investments in new capacity. The volumes provide …