I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about the ethanol industry that gets me jazzed up about biofuels and my latest spark: the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 26th Annual Ethanol Conference that kicked off tonight in Des Moines, Iowa. The opening reception was abuzz with the latest news and contagious optimism about the industry, despite Big Oil’s …
Growth Launches “You’re No Dummy” Campaign
In response to the major ad campaign funded by Big Oil in an effort to block higher blends of ethanol into the marketplace (such as E15), ethanol advocacy group Growth Energy has launched an advertising campaign called “You’re no Dummy“. The goal of the campaign is to help Americans better understand that the oil industry is trying to stop the …
Senators Call for Big Oil Investigation
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called on the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate possible anticompetitive practices by oil companies that limit consumers access to homegrown renewable fuels such as ethanol. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder and FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, Klobuchar, the Chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee, and Grassley, …
In Center Ring: Biofuels Versus Big Oil
The National Conference of State Legislators kicked off in Atlanta, Georgia yesterday and today the group has invited Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) along with Patrick Kelly of the American Petroleum Institute (API) to debate the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to Cooper, the invitation was extended because state legislators want to learn more about the program …
Big Oil Files Waiver to Cap Ethanol
Big Oil has been defeated time and time again in court related to the growth of the biofuels industry, but they have not been deterred. This week, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) filed a partial waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), requesting that total ethanol requirements be dropped to 9.7 percent. …
EZ Stop of Mapleton, Iowa Commits to E15
EZ Stop of Mapleton, Iowa will be offering E15 to 2001 and newer vehicles this fall. EZ Stop is located in Northwest Iowa at 401 South 4th Street in Mapleton. E15, a blend of gasoline and 15 percent ethanol, can be used by all 2001 and newer passenger vehicles, which account for about 85 percent of fuel use in the …
S.D. AAA Promotes TV Ad Supporting Ethanol
With Triple A (AAA) defending itself against comments made by a current Big Oil campaign that they don’t support ethanol, the organization is fighting back. South Dakota AAA has launched its own TV ad in support of ethanol. The South Dakota AAA office says a new campaign by the American Petroleum Institute (API) misrepresents AAA’s position on E15 and ethanol. …
We’re Sticking With E15
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released the results of a survey of Iowa’s E15 retailers showing there were zero complaints, zero lawsuits and zero engine problems in regards to fueling with E15. Big Oil has been engaged in an active campaign against E15 and is using scare tactics in an attempt to ward people off using the ethanol …
Pipelines to Iowa Could Shift Fuel Choice At Pump
According to a new study commissioned by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), a pending shift in the fuels carried in pipeline to Iowa will likely increase the cost of non-ethanol blended gasoline forcing retailers to choose between offering a relatively high priced traditional E0 (100 percent gasoline) and a lower-cost E15 (a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 …
NASCAR Driver Dillion Visits POET Plant
NASCAR® driver Austin Dillon visited POET-Biorefining – Portland (Ind.) as part of his American Ethanol Heartland Tour. Dillon toured the biorefinery, signed autographs and took part in a Q&A with POET team members and farmers. Dillon’s Midwest tour takes him from Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Along the way, he is making a number …