The Renewable Fuels Association showed off its new 2022 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) at the Commodity Classic in Orlando last week, right down the road from where it debuted at the National Ethanol Conference the week before. The concept is to use this vehicle to demonstrate that ethanol (E85) and electricity can jointly power today’s vehicles. Students …
Ethanol Report on RFA and NCGA
The Renewable Fuels Association presented its annual Industry Award to the National Corn Growers Association this year in recognition of the close partnership between the two groups over the last 40 years in moving the ethanol industry forward. The award was presented at the 27th annual National Ethanol Conference in New Orleans in February, and last week RFA joined NCGA …
Secretary Vilsack Addresses #Classic22
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made only his second in-person appearance at a large agricultural event since taking office last year when he addressed the 2022 Commodity Classic in New Orleans Friday and thousands of corn, sorghum, soybean, and wheat farmers. He talked about the situation in Ukraine and being able to hear from the agriculture minister from that country …
RFA Promotes Higher Ethanol Blends at #Classic22
The Renewable Fuels Association is back in New Orleans this week at the 2022 Commodity Classic promoting higher blends of ethanol at the trade show. For one, they are giving farmers a chance to sign a letter to President Biden urging him to use more ethanol to help moderate soaring gas prices. “Today ethanol is selling for about a dollar …
Vilsack Sees Future for Renewable Fuels
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack sees a continued need for biofuels in the future. “Most of you will still be around 20 or 30 years from now and I think you’re still going to have a need for and a higher demand for renewable fuels,” said Vilsack in a virtual appearance concluding the 2021 Commodity Classic Special Edition last …
Propane Farm Incentive Program Expands
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) recently announced the addition of an agronomic heat treatment systems equipment category for its 2020 Propane Farm Incentive Program, which offers up to $5,000 off of qualifying propane-powered equipment. This year’s list of equipment includes irrigation engines, generators, water heating systems, building heating systems, flame weed control systems, and agronomic heat treatment systems. …
Ethanol Industry Anxiously Awaits EPA Decision on SREs
Ethanol stakeholders were hopeful that an announcement would be made on Friday about how EPA will deal with the recent court ruling on small refinery exemptions, but Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper says they are anxiously awaiting that decision. “We don’t know what exactly what EPA is going to do, but we know what they should …
USDA Secretary Talks Biofuels at #Classic20
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue had a lot to say about biofuels during his address at the 2020 Commodity Classic in San Antonio Friday. While no announcement has been made by EPA yet, Secretary Perdue confidently told the audience that the recent 10th Circuit Court decision will mean less small refinery waivers. “I think you will see those waivers …
Ethanol Report from Commodity Classic
Whether or not EPA can get to the finish line with a rule allowing year round sales of E15 before June 1 was a major topic of discussion last week, from hearings on Capitol Hill to the stage of the Commodity Classic in Orlando. First, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told the House Agriculture Committee that the rule would not be …
USDA Secretary Clarifies E15 Comments
Two days before he appeared at the Commodity Classic last week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told the House Agriculture Committee that rules allowing the use of E15 year round “probably will not be out for the driving season,” but he says newly confirmed EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler has “figured out” how to get it done by June 1. Perdue says …