Recent actions by EPA have effectively reduced the Renewable Fuel Standard conventional renewable volume obligation (RVO) for 2016 by more than 1 billion gallons, and the agency appears poised to take similar actions to effectively reduce the 2017 and 2018 conventional RVOs by comparable amounts, according to Renewable Fuels Association Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper. In a blog post last …
Show Me Ethanol Celebrating 10 Years
Show Me Ethanol (SME), a dry-mill ethanol production facility located in Carrollton, Missouri is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The plant broke ground in March 2007 and began commercial production in May 2008. Today, the facility produces more than 60 million gallons of ethanol and 160,000 tons of distiller grains animal feed per year. SME marked the occasion in …
Siouxland Ethanol Educates Tomorrow’s Drivers
Pam Miller, Board Chair and Director of Industry and Investor Relations for Siouxland Ethanol in Nebraska, recently visited a local fifth-grade classroom to educate the next generation of drivers about ethanol. Using the Renewable Fuels Association’s “Ethanol in the Classroom” curriculum as a guide, Miller says the students at Harney Elementary in South Sioux City Community Schools sat with rapt …
NCGA President Working Hard for Ethanol in DC
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president Kevin Skunes has probably spent more time in Washington DC over the past month or so than on his farm in North Dakota working hard to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the important market of ethanol for corn growers. Last week, Skunes joined the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) in visits to …
First of Three Ethanol Safety Webinars Next Week
Next week, the Renewable Fuels Association and TRANSCAER® will be holding the first of three ethanol safety webinars for ethanol emergency response teams. The webinars are scheduled for April 4, May 23, or July 25. The “Train the Trainer” webinars are funded through a Federal Railroad Administration/TRANSCAER® grant. A single webinar can train a group of individuals, who can then …
Iowa Blender Pump Program Demand Exceeds Funding
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) is already out of funding for 2018, but many more retailers are interested in offering higher blends in the state. During the third of its four scheduled meetings, the RFIP board awarded funds to 15 projects for retailers around the state to install the necessary equipment to offer higher blends of ethanol and …
Ethanol and Biodiesel Groups Oppose PES Settlement
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) both submitted comments to the Department of Justice yesterday opposing the proposed bankruptcy settlement agreement with Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES). RFA commented that the proposed settlement agreement, which covers the refiner’s Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for January 2016-April 2018, should be rejected “because the terms are patently unfair, unreasonable, …
Ethanol Report on Custom Ethanol Chopper
Several hundred lucky motorcycle lovers got the chance to see a brand new, E85-capable American Chopper designed by Paul Teutul, Jr. when it was unveiled at East Kansas Agri-Energy on Saturday. The rest of the world will have to wait until the sweet ride officially debuts on the new season of the Discovery Channel’s American Chopper this summer. Discovery Channel …
Growth Energy Formally Protests PES Settlement
Growth Energy has filed comments with the Department of Justice formally objecting to a proposed bankruptcy settlement between the Carlyle Group’s Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would absolve the refinery of key obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “The proposed settlement sends the wrong message to industry stakeholders, implying that there are …
ACE 10th Fly-in Conquers the Hill in the Snow
Neither snow nor rain kept the American Coalition for Ethanol fly-in teams from completing their appointed rounds last week on Capitol Hill. While the federal government was shut down for the snow, Congress was still open and surprisingly few pre-arranged meetings were cancelled. ACE members were even able to sit down with several members of Congress, including Sen. Heidi Heitkamp …