On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit struck down three small refinery exemptions (SREs) that were improperly issued by Environmental Protection Agency under a May 2018 case brought against EPA by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the National Corn Growers Association, the American Coalition for Ethanol and National Farmers Union. The three refineries are owned by …
Ethanol Industry Mourns Loss of Ray Defenbaugh
The ethanol industry is mourning the loss this week of pioneer and advocate Ray Defenbaugh, who was a founding member, president, CEO, and chairman of Big River Resources, with facilities in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Defenbaugh served on the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) board since 2005 and was a member of the Executive Committee. “Ray’s contributions to rural America, the …
ACE Explains Mexico Ethanol Ruling
Last week, the Mexico Supreme Court ruled against the regulation allowing for higher ethanol content in gasoline, but American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Senior Vice President and Market Development Director Ron Lamberty explains that the decision was based on the way in which the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) implemented the change in 2017, not on the fuel. In July of …
Ethanol Report on New Trade Deals
Two major trade deals in one week last week are giving the agriculture and ethanol industries reason to be optimistic as we move into the “Roaring ’20s.” In this episode of The Ethanol Report, we hear from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper, President Donald Trump, USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and USDA …
Trump Addresses Farm Bureau For Third Year
President Donald Trump addressed farmer and rancher members of the American Farm Bureau Federation for the third year in a row Sunday, and promised to be back next year while continuing to fight for what is important to them. “My administration understands that if we want to stand up for America, we must stand up for American farmers,” said President …
USDA Deputy Secretary Addresses Iowa Biofuels Summit
USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky had the pleasure of announcing the Senate passage of USMCA to the crowd at the 2020 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday in Altoona, Iowa. “Just about 20 minutes ago, I’m proud to say that the Senate finally passed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement on a vote of 89 to 10,” said Censky as the crowd …
RFA CEO Offers Outlook for Ethanol’s Future at Iowa Summit
As the keynote speaker at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said “2019 sucked” but the industry is focusing forward now into the “Roaring ’20s.” Cooper offered four predictions for the new decade. 1. The battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard will continue and intensify 2. The use of low carbon fuel …
USDA Seeks Input on New Biofuels Infrastructure Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking input on the creation of a new Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to expand the availability of domestic ethanol and biodiesel by incentivizing the expansion of sales of renewable fuels. This Request for Information (RFI) solicits information on options for fuel ethanol and biodiesel infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived …
Ethanol Groups Optimistic as China Trade Deal is Signed
Ethanol organizations expressed optimism about the signing of the historic Phase One Trade Agreement with China Wednesday, despite China’s announced suspension of its E10 ethanol mandate last week. “We are very optimistic about the potential of this agreement for American agriculture and the renewable fuels industry—with the inclusion of ethanol and key co-products like distillers grains—and are looking forward to …
Has the U.S. Really Achieved Energy Independence?
Opinion by Scott Richman, Renewable Fuels Association Chief Economist From the RFA Blog The recent conflict with Iran and its proxies in Iraq has served as a reminder of the enduring potential for geopolitical risk to unsettle petroleum markets – not just globally but also in the U.S. While the U.S. has become significantly more energy-secure over the last decade, …