It was April 12, 2022 when President Biden traveled to an ethanol plant in Iowa to announce an emergency waiver to allow the sale of 15 percent ethanol (E15) in the summer months – and once again the industry finds itself in the same situation a year later. In a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan last week, Renewable Fuels …
Senators Reintroduce Next Generation Fuels Act
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), together with Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), this week led bipartisan colleagues in reintroducing the Next Generation Fuels Act, legislation that would leverage higher-octane fuels to improve engine efficiency and performance. “Instead of continuing to buy more oil from foreign adversaries, we should be increasing the use of ethanol made …
EPA Holds Virtual Hearing on Proposed E15 Waiver
The Environmental Protection Agency held a virtual hearing Tuesday on the recently proposed rule for a permanent waiver to allow eight states to sell E15 year round. For ethanol stakeholders, comments boiled down to one message: EPA took too long to respond to the governors’ request and must do something immediately to implement a waiver before summer. Renewable Fuels Association …
Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act Reintroduced
Legislation that would allow the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10% was reintroduced in both the House and Senate this week. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led the reintroduction in the Senate of the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act this week, as Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Angie Craig (D-MN) and Rep. Dusty Johnson …
Iowa and Nebraska AGs Push EPA for E15 by Summer
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers started the challenge against the EPA’s illegally delayed decision regarding the sale of year-round E15 gasoline this week by sending an intent-to-sue letter demanding EPA change the proposed rule to allow for E15 sales this summer. The letter requests that the EPA issue a waiver allowing sale of year-round …
Ethanol Report on #RFANEC 2023 Highlights
The Renewable Fuels Association 2023 National Ethanol Conference coincided with the release of EPA’s proposed rule to allow year round sales of E15 ethanol, making it a very timely event with attendance back to pre-pandemic levels. This edition of the Ethanol Report podcast includes highlights from the NEC, including remarks from RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper; Ben Hengst, EPA …
Ethanol Groups React to EPA Proposal
EPA’s proposed rule released today in response to the request of several Midwest governors that would allow for year-round E15 in their states is a good news, bad news story, according to Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper. “While we’re glad to see EPA is finally taking action to approve the Governors’ petition, we’re frustrated and disappointed that …
RFA Analysis Says MN E15 Sales Even Higher in 2022
Minnesota sales of E15 last year were actually even higher than reported by the state, according to a new Renewable Fuels Association analysis of data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce reports 105.47 million gallons of E15 were sold in 2022, 21 percent more than the previous record of 87.11 million gallons …
2022 Minnesota E15 Sales Exceed 100 Million Gallons
The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association reports that annual sales of E15 fuel in Minnesota topped 100 million gallons last year for the first time ever. According to data from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, 105.47 million gallons of E15 were sold in 2022, 21 percent more than the previous record of 87.11 million gallons sold in 2021. “The record E15 sales …
Lawmakers Seek Immediate Action on Year-Round E15
With the 2023 summer driving season quickly approaching, a bipartisan, bicameral groups of lawmakers sent a letter this week to the Biden administration demanding immediate action to approve a petition from Midwest governors to allow the year-round sale of E15 in their states. The group of 31 U.S. Senators and Representatives, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Rep. Tammy …