At one time, the ethanol industry would have been thrilled with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal for 2019 RFS blending requirements, which maintains the 15 billion gallon statutory level for conventional biofuels and increases the levels for advanced biofuels. But that was before EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt started handing out small refinery exemptions like Halloween candy resulting in over …
EPA Releases 2019 Biofuel Proposal
The Environmental Protection Agency released its proposal for 2019 biofuel obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Tuesday, maintaining the statutory level for corn ethanol while increasing advanced biofuels, but failing to address the small refinery exemptions that have decimated demand and effectively lowered the required amount of biofuels to be blended. Under the proposed rule, conventional renewable fuel volumes …
House Democrats Demand Answers from EPA
Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Committee on Agriculture led by Reps. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Cheri Bustos (D-IL) are demanding that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt provide additional information regarding his agency’s “failed implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).” A letter signed by a dozen Democrats presents a series of questions seeking information …
RFA’s Cooper on EPA Actions
As EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was kicking off his three state ethanol tour last week in Kansas, he was the main topic of a panel discussion on “Surveying the Health of Renewable Fuels Policy under the Trump Administration” was being held at Fuel Ethanol Workshop in Omaha. Renewable Fuels Association Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper was among the panel participants …
Pruitt’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Ethanol Tour
Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen channeled author Judith Viorst in an editorial post Friday summarizing EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s ethanol “Redemption Tour” last week. Day 1 of his Redemption Tour had Pruitt telling ethanol producers his role was to provide stability to the market only to be told the company he was visiting would be shutting down a brand …
Pruitt Visits South Dakota Farmers
Farmers and ethanol producers in South Dakota held a good old fashioned tractor rally in Sioux Falls as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt met with farmers in Reliance about 200 miles west. A crowd of about 250 carried signs as speakers called on the administrator to cease granting waivers to refiners causing demand destruction for both corn and ethanol. “Corn prices …
Pruitt Visits with Kansas Corn and Ethanol Producers
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt got an earful from Kansas corn and ethanol producers during a visit yesterday to East Kansas Agri-Energy (EKAE) in Garnett. After touring the plant Tuesday morning, Pruitt sat down with a roomful of farmers and ethanol supporters who told him they were “mad as hell” about EPA efforts they believe undermine the RFS law. The EPA …
Driving Ethanol Podcast from FEW18
The past two years have been among the most challenging for the ethanol industry, and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor has been at the front lines of the battles which are continuing stronger than ever. In this edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast, Skor reflects on her two years at the helm of the industry organization and talks about what …
Plenty for Ethanol Industry Panel to Discuss
A panel discussion on “Surveying the Health of Renewable Fuels Policy under the Trump Administration” gave participants plenty to talk about during the opening session of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop on Tuesday in Omaha. The panel included Geoff Cooper, executive vice president of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA); American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings; and John Fuher, vice …
Ethanol Report on EPA Lawsuits
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has joined a coalition of biofuel and agriculture groups in a lawsuit against EPA over lost volumes of renewable fuel resulting from retroactive small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations. RFA is also a petitioner in a lawsuit filed last week over three specific small refinery exemptions granted by the agency. “EPA Administrator …