Ethanol stakeholder organizations submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency this week regarding the E85 Flexible Fuel Vehicle Weighting Factor (F-factor) for Model Year 2021 and Later Vehicles. Comments from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) support EPA’s new approach to maintaining some level of certainty for automakers, but would like to see the agency “provide a long-term floor and “more …
Ethanol Remains Top Priority with New NCGA President
It’s a new year for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) with new president John Linder of Edison, Ohio who took over the post on October 1. Linder, along with his brother, Mike, and wife, Cheryl, run a fifth-generation farm raising corn, soybeans, soft red winter wheat and soybeans for seed in central Ohio. In addition to traditional row crop …
Ethanol Report 9-21-20
Last week brought a flurry of good news for the ethanol industry in three major areas – exports, expansion of higher blends, and protecting the renewable fuel standard. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, we hear ethanol industry leaders comment on EPA denial of retroactive refinery waivers, Brazil’s 90 day extension of its ethanol tariff rate quota, and the …
RFA Pleased Gap Year Petitions Being Denied
The ethanol industry was pleased to hear Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is denying petitions for retroactive small refinery waivers for the 2011-18 compliance years. The Renewable Fuels Association welcomed the news that EPA is denying 54 “gap-year” small refinery exemption petitions and will deny the remaining 14 petitions once they are received from the Department of Energy. …
EPA to Deny Gap-Year Refinery Waivers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it is denying petitions for small refinery exemptions for past compliance years, the so-called “gap-filling” petitions for the 2011-18 compliance years. “This decision follows President Trump’s promise to promote domestic biofuel production, support our nation’s farmers, and in turn strengthen our energy independence,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “At the EPA, we …
President Trump Order to Help Grow E15
President Donald Trump tweeted an announcement out over the weekend directed at increasing availability and sales of 15% ethanol blended fuel. “Subject only to State approval, our important Ethanol Industry will be allowed to use the 10% Pumps for the 15% BLEND,” the president tweeted on Saturday morning, thanking several ethanol state senators including Joni Ernst of Iowa. He called …
RFA Provides Testimony to EPA Advisory Committee
EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee is meeting virtually this week to provide policy advice, information, and recommendations on a range of environmental issues and policies important to agriculture and rural communities. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper provided testimony on steps the EPA needs to take immediately to support U.S. ethanol producers and rural America. …
Ethanol Supporters Hopeful Waivers Will Be Denied
Ethanol supporters are encouraged by news this morning that President Donald Trump has directed EPA to deny retroactive refinery exemptions, as he promised Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa that he would. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), National Farmers Union (NFU) and American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) released a statement welcoming the news that petitions intended …
Ethanol Report 8-28-20
As the presidential election nears, the ethanol industry is watching closely to see which candidate will be more supportive of the Renewable Fuel Standard. As Democratic candidate Joe Biden released a strong statement of support for the industry this week, the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency continues to drag its feet on important decisions like the 2021 Renewable Volume Obligations …
EPA Working on 2021 RVO, Waiver Requests
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler says they are working to get the 2021 Renewable Volume Obligations “done as quickly as possible” and promises they will not be as late as the previous administration. “I remember there in the Obama-Biden administration they were actually two years late on setting the RVOs,” said Wheeler during a press call on Wednesday. “So …