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 Subcommittee Hearing on Advanced Biofuels
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment held its fourth hearing this year aimed at addressing issues related to fuels and vehicles, this time focusing on advanced biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Among those who testified at the hearing on Friday were Advanced Biofuels Association president Mike McAdams, National Association of Truck Stop Operators representative Robin Puthusseril, …
Lamberty Focused on E10 in Mexico and E15 in US
Right after the Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) wrapped up in Omaha this month, word came that a Mexican federal court overturned an injunction blocking ethanol blends from climbing to 10 percent from 5.8 percent, allowing most of the country to move forward with E10 blends. That was very good news as American Coalition for Ethanol senior vice president Ron Lamberty …
Enogen-Enhanced Cellerate Technology Advancing Biofuels
The Advanced Biofuels Conference ran in conjunction with the 2018 Fuel Ethanol Conference last week in Omaha and several sessions were sponsored by Cellerate® process technology, enhanced by Syngenta Enogen corn. Miloud Araba, Technical Services for Enogen, participated in two panels to discuss how Enogen and Cellerate are helping move advanced biofuels forward. “Cellerate allows producers to get more ethanol, …
EPA Decision Boosts Isobutanol
In news that was somewhat overshadowed during his Midwest tour last week, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced the registration of isobutanol as a fuel additive for blending into gasoline at levels up to 16 volume percent from the previous 12.5 percent blend level. Pruitt issued a letter of notification on June 12 to Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC registering isobutanol “after …
ACE Awards 2018 Scholarships
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has announced the winners of its 2018 scholarship program recipients. Keithen Drury, Brett Galles, and Emma Baker will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to help further their collegiate education. Keithen Drury from Blue Hill, Nebraska, is pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Keithen is the son of …
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 …
White Energy Teams with Occidental for CO2 Study
Occidental Petroleum Corporation and White Energy are teaming up to evaluate the economic feasibility of a carbon capture, utilization and storage project. The project would capture carbon dioxide (CO2) at White Energy’s ethanol facilities in Hereford and Plainview, Texas, and transport it to the Permian Basin, where Occidental would use it in its enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. Occidental injects …
BASF and Lallemand Partner for Ethanol Plant Products
BASF Enzymes LLC and Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits (LBDS) have partnered to help add value to ethanol producers. As part of the collaboration, BASF will use its enzyme portfolio for applications in liquefaction and fermentation in order to maximize fermentation performance. LBDS will use its TransFerm yeast product line that provides increased ethanol yields and reduces the need for …