The Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative spoke to attendees at the National Ethanol Conference this week about the trade outlook for ethanol. Ambassador Doug McKalip said had just returned from Guatemala where he spoke with government officials about ethanol. “It was clear to me that the government of Guatemala is very much dedicated to meeting its goal …
RFA Honors USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack
Following his remarks at the National Ethanol Conference today in San Diego, the Renewable Fuels Association presented its 2024 Industry Award to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in recognition of his many years championing renewable fuels both in Washington and at home in Iowa. In his time at USDA, Sec. Vilsack has been a strong and effective proponent of the …
RFA Provides Free E85 in San Diego for Military Community
The Renewable Fuels Association used the opportunity this week of the National Ethanol Conference in San Diego to partner with Pearson Fuels and offer free fill-ups of E85 fuel for flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) driven by military veterans, active-duty servicemembers and spouses with an ID on Monday. The event put a focus on RFA’s new Veterans for Renewable Fuels initiative …
Partnerships Move the Ethanol Industry
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper this week addressed the biggest crowd for the National Ethanol Conference since before 2020, stressing the importance of partnerships and the need for critical questions to be answered soon. The theme of this year’s NEC is “Powered by Partnerships” and Cooper reflected on the ethanol industry’s many victories and advancements over …
RFA Study Shows Ethanol Continues Positive Economic Impact
As ethanol producers gather this week in San Diego for the 2024 National Ethanol Conference, they can celebrate a great year for the industry in 2023. As inflationary pressures eased and demand boomed for low-carbon ethanol and its co-products, the ethanol industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy remained strong in 2023, according to the latest economic impact analysis conducted for …
ACE Elects 2024 Executive Committee
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board of Directors last week elected its Executive Committee for 2024. Re-elected to serve as officers on the 2024 Executive Committee are: Dave Sovereign, President – Chairman of Golden Grain Energy’s Board in Mason City, Iowa and also serves on the board of Absolute Energy in St. Ansgar, Iowa. Troy Knecht, Vice President – …
Ethanol Worth $2.5 Billion to Minnesota Economy in 2023
Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association has just released a new study by the University of Minnesota Extension shows the ethanol industry contributed $2.5 billion to Minnesota’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023. According to the study, the industry produced 1.35 billion gallons of ethanol in 2023, resulting in $6.6 billion in economic activity and supported 20,914 jobs. The industry also generated $1.3 …
Corn Farmers Express Concerns About EV Focus
Thousands of farmers from across the country signed a letter that was sent to President Joe Biden last week expressing concern that his administration is taking a short-sighted approach to addressing climate change by prioritizing the use of electric vehicles over biofuels, such as corn ethanol, as it works to drastically lower the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. “If we are …
RFA Reports Record Ethanol Industry Export Value
According to new reports from the Renewable Fuels Association, the value of the U.S. ethanol industry’s exports hit a record level of just over $7.1 billion in 2023. The volume of ethanol exports was the third-highest level on record at 1.43 billion gallons in 2023, while exports of distillers grains shipments registered at 10.8 million metric tons, slightly down from …
Ethanol Report Preview of NEC
The Renewable Fuels Association National Ethanol Conference is the nation’s most widely attended executive-level conference for the ethanol industry, and this year’s conference February 19-21 in San Diego is anticipated to be one of the largest in recent years. Nearly 1,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the conference with the theme “Powered by Partnerships” to reflect the deeply collaborative …