Pandemic aid for biofuels producers may soon be on its way. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced implementation of additional aid to agricultural producers and businesses as part of the USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, including $700 million for biofuels producers adversely impacted by travel restrictions last year. “USDA is honoring its commitment to get financial assistance to producers …
Seed Companies Apply to do Cleanup at Ethanol Plant
A coalition of six seed companies has applied to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) to address environmental contamination at the AltEn facility located near Mead, Nebraska. The AltEn ethanol facility has been shut down since February after a digester spill and has been under investigation for environmental contamination caused by misuse of treated …
UK Prepares for E10 Petrol
The United Kingdom is gearing up for greener fuel starting in September with a national awareness campaign introducing E10 petrol which is blended with up to 10% renewable ethanol, double the current standard petrol blend E5. UK Transport Minister Rachel Maclean says the campaign “will not only make drivers aware of the changes we’re making, but will also show millions …
Chief Ethanol Joins Carbon Capture Effort in Nebraska
Chief Ethanol is joining the effort to develop carbon capture and permanent sequestration (CCS) in Nebraska. Chief Industries, Inc. is partnering with Catahoula, one of the largest investors in midstream infrastructure in North America, on carbon capture and sequestration projects at ethanol plants in Hastings and Lexington, with the goal to reduce the carbon intensity (CI) of each facility significantly. …
Support for RFS and Ethanol Grows in Latest Poll
A new poll finds that voter support for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has hit its highest levels in at least five years and support for the use of biofuels like ethanol remains consistently high, with a bipartisan majority of voters expressing a favorable opinion. The benchmark poll was conducted at the end of May by Morning Consult, a Washington …
Ethanol Report – RFA 40th Anniversary Feature on Bruce Heine
The Renewable Fuels Association was born in 1981 and RFA is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year by spotlighting some of the pioneers in the ethanol industry who were there at the beginning. Like Ron Miller in our first feature, Bruce Heine is another oil guy who started to see the potential of ethanol during the 1970s oil embargo and …
RFA Updates Best Practices Manual for Ethanol Rail Transport
At the request of the National Transportation Safety Board, the Renewable Fuels Association has published an update to its Best Practices for Rail Transport of Ethanol manual which helps promote regulatory compliance for the safe transport of ethanol via rail. “More than two-thirds of ethanol travels to the marketplace by rail, and rail transport plays a significant role in the …
E15 Soon to be Welcome in Nevada
Nevada drivers will soon be able to fill up with 15 percent ethanol-blended fuel. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has signed legislation to allow sales of E15, which passed the Nevada legislature in May with overwhelming support in both the Assembly and Senate. The bill requires the State Board of Agriculture to adopt rules governing sales of E15 by July 2022. …
Golden Grain Energy Holds Big Bin Bash
Golden Grain Energy (GGE) in Mason City, Iowa is now home to the world’s largest grain bin, built by Sukup Manufacturing Co. The bin measures 165 feet in diameter with a peak height of 155 feet, 7 inches and boasts a capacity of 2.2 million bushels. GGE held a Big Bin Bash this week to celebrate completion of the bin …
Flawed Land Use Change Study Results Corrected
A review by researchers at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) have found that two recent studies examining purported cropland expansion in the Midwest are based on a flawed methodology that “suffers from accuracy and certainty issues.” The SIUE authors found that the inherent defects in the methodology of studies by Zhang et al. and Lark et al., “severely hinder its …