The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2018 as scheduled on November 30, with relatively little change from the July proposal, keeping the statutory 15 billion gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol. While that is good news, there is disappointment with volumes decreased or flatlined for cellulosic …
Biofuels Industry Reacts to Final RVO Numbers
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released today its final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2018. The agency finalized a total renewable fuel volume of 19.29 billion gallons, including 4.29 billion advanced biofuel – a slight increase from the proposal – and 288 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. The agency maintained the requirement for conventional renewable fuels …
Waiting for the Numbers
The biofuels industry is eagerly awaiting the highly anticipated release of 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) expected today. In July, the agency proposed a total renewable fuel volume of 19.24 billion gallons (BG), maintaining the conventional biofuel (corn ethanol) requirement at the 15 billion gallon level but reducing advanced biofuels (mostly biodiesel) to 4.24 billion gallons, …
Ethanol Production Hits Weekly Record
Weekly U.S. ethanol production hit a new record high this month. According to Energy Information Administration data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), ethanol production for the week ending November 17 averaged 1.074 million barrels per day (b/d)—or 45.11 million gallons daily, up 20,000 b/d from the week before. That is the highest rate of output ever recorded, beating …
Industry Thankful for EPA Obligation Point Decision
The ethanol industry got something extra to be thankful for the day before Thanksgiving as the Environmental Protection Agency followed through on the promise made by Administrator Scott Pruitt to deny a petition to change the point of obligation for compliance under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “Based on a wide range of stakeholder input and information provided as a …
No Back to the Future for the RFS
Guest contributor – Rachel Gantz, Renewable Fuels Association Do you remember the scene towards the end of “Back to the Future,” where Doc Brown is refueling the time-traveling DeLorean with banana peels and beer waste? That was biofuel before it was available at so many of our neighborhood gasoline stations. Nowadays, Doc Brown just needs to pull up to his …
S&P Global Platts Launches New Weekly Ethanol Assessment
S&P Global Platts has launched a new North-Northeast Brazil anhydrous ethanol assessment which reflects demand for greater transparency and a clearly defined methodology to help market participants understand the drivers of pricing. “The North-Northeast of Brazil is a region that is net short ethanol and therefore needs to import from the Center-South region of the country as well as from …
RFA Releases Ethanol Savings Calculator
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has just released an easy-to-use online calculator just in time for the holidays to help drivers find out how much money they can save by choosing ethanol blends like E15 and E85. Here’s how it works: Step 1 – enter retail prices for E10, E15 and E85. Prices from thousands of stations nationwide, along with …
DuPont Launches SYNERXIA® THRIVE for Ethanol Production
DuPont Industrial Biosciences has announced the launch of SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System to help ethanol producers increase yields. “With the new DuPont™ SYNERXIA® THRIVE Fermentation System, ethanol producers can now expect up to 4 percent higher ethanol yields in dry grind fuel alcohol facilities, when compared to conventional systems,” said Joseph DeSalvo, North America regional industry leader, DuPont Industrial Biosciences. …
Representatives Support Advanced Biofuels
Representatives Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), and Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), along with 16 other members of the House, last week wrote a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt supporting increased blending targets for cellulosic biofuels and biodiesel in the final 2018 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). The members represent largely urban and minority populated districts around the country. “Cellulosic ethanol is …