Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was tight-lipped last week at the Farm Progress Show when it came to details of the administration’s “small refinery waiver mitigation efforts” that President Trump “really wants to announce himself.” “I don’t want to steal the president’s thunder on that,” Sec. Perdue said during a listening session held Wednesday morning at Richland Community College on …
Sen. Ernst Visits DuPont Biofuels Enzyme Plant
DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences hosted Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) at its plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa earlier this week. During a tour and town hall with employees, Sen. Ernst and DuPont leaders discussed the positive impact of strong national biofuels policy on America’s farmers, on the environment, and on consumer choice at the pump. “DuPont’s investments in new and advanced …
Nebraska Ethanol Board Offers E15 Workshop
The Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) is hosting a free workshop for fuel retailers Aug. 28 in Kearney, Nebraska. Attendees will hear best practices from fuel retailers who’ve seen success selling E15, a keynote from Ron Lamberty of American Coalition of Ethanol, and will learn about resources to make implementing and labeling infrastructure easy and affordable. Fuel retailers need to register …
Rep. Axne Calls for Investigation into Waivers
U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, is calling for a federal investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) expansion of refinery exemptions from blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Rep. Axne chose Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) to hold a press conference yesterday, the same site where President Donald Trump triumphantly announced …
Fallout from EPA Refinery Waivers Continues
President Trump reportedly held a meeting with his cabinet Monday concerned about backlash from farmers over new small refinery waivers, but an EPA official added fuel to the fire yesterday by saying there was “zero evidence” of demand destruction for ethanol due to the numerous refinery exemptions allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. “To suggest that there is ‘zero evidence’ …
Ethanol Report on Hauk Designs Project
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has partnered with off-road Jeep designer Kenny Hauk of Hauk Designs to build a flex-fuel E85 Jeep Wrangler JL that will highlight the benefits of ethanol blends in high-performance vehicles. The special “Hauk Machines” Amazon Prime video series kicked off August 12 exclusively on RFA’s Facebook page with the first “mini-episode.” RFA Vice President of …
ACE Honors Randy Ives with Merle Anderson Award
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) presented its highest award to Randy Ives, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) delegate and a key figure in the development of distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol market development programs. The Merle Anderson Award, named after the founder of ACE, is given to individuals who display unmatched dedication and support to the organization …
Ethanol Industry Has What It Takes
It was a somber yet determined group of ethanol industry representatives that met last week in Omaha for the American Coalition for Ethanol 32nd annual conference, in the wake of the EPA granting another 1.43 billion gallons of refinery waivers. ACE CEO Brian Jennings says they had a tough and honest board meeting prior to the start of the conference. …
RFA Urges Australia to Choose Ethanol Over Petroleum Reserve
The head of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) sent a letter to Australia’s energy minister last week encouraging them to strongly consider U.S. ethanol imports as a cleaner, more affordable alternative to purchasing oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The letter, from RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper, cited news reports of Australia’s request for access to the U.S. …
ACE: Carbon and Octane Future for Ethanol
Low carbon and high octane are the future for ethanol, according to leaders of the American Coalition for Ethanol speaking Thursday at their annual conference in Omaha. ACE Board President Duane Kristensen of Chief Ethanol in Nebraska said that as the agriculture and ethanol industries are dealing with challenging market conditions, things have to change. “With uncertainty surrounding the RFS …