The unofficial start of summer is next week and the Renewable Fuels Association is giving people a chance to win $50 in free fuel per day all summer long just for reporting prices for higher ethanol blends around the country. Beginning on Memorial Day, RFA is launching the “Ethanol Days of Summer” contest, allowing anyone to report the price posted …
Kwik Star Adds 17 E15 Locations in Iowa
Kwik Star has recently added E15 to 17 of its Iowa locations, bringing the total E15 fueling locations for the state now to 121. Kwik Trip – which operates in Iowa under the name “Kwik Star” – intends to add E15 to almost all of its 550 locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa over the next few years. “Kwik Trip …
Branstad Confirmed as Chinese Ambassador
Biofuels interests are pleased with final approval of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as U.S. Ambassador to China by a vote of 82-13 in the Senate. “While we hate to lose such a passionate supporter for renewable fuels as governor, there are a number of vital trade issues with China that have a major impact on our industry,” said Iowa Renewable …
Cellulosic and Retail Companies Lobby for E15 Waiver
Cellulosic biofuel and retail fuel companies have joined the effort to urge the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to pass legislation that would extend the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol (E15) and allow sales of higher blends year-round across the nation. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act was introduced by …
Ethanol and Biodiesel Groups Testify on Trade Issues
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) both testified at a U.S. Department of Commerce hearing Thursday to provide input on a recent Executive Order concerning significant trade deficits. The NBB testified about the harm being caused to the U.S. biodiesel industry from increasing volumes of imports from Indonesia, while RFA was focused on China’s recent …
Fishing Tournament Owner Defends Ethanol Ad
As the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) expanded its boating and ethanol advertising campaign this week, the owner of a Missouri-based fishing tournament defended the ads against an attack by a boating organization. BoatUS sent out a scathing press release attempting to discredit RFA’s campaign and associated infographic by pointing out the “hard truth” as opposed to RFA “spin,” including: SPIN: …
Novozymes Expanding Nebraska Facility
On Tuesday, Novozymes announced a new $36 million investment at its Blair, Nebraska manufacturing facility, which produces enzymes for renewable fuels. “Nebraska’s biofuels industry has been a focus for my administration on trade missions because of the international investment we’ve seen here in Nebraska,” said Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. In 2015, Governor Ricketts visited Novozymes’ headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark to …
Ethanol Groups Comment on EPA Regs
Eliminating the unnecessary regulatory barrier to year-round sales of E15 tops the wish list of reforms that the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) requested from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) in comments to the agency Monday. “While there are a number of EPA regulations that need reforming, the most pressing is the agency-imposed restriction that denies consumers year-round access to E15,” …
USDA Boosts Corn Use for Ethanol Forecast
The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) global outlook for grains is forecasting an increase of 50 million bushels in the amount of corn used to produce ethanol this year. USDA Outlook Board Chairman Seth Meyer says factors contributing to the expected increase are higher gasoline consumption growth, reduced sorghum used to produce ethanol and higher expected blending. “We’ve been …
Branstad Signs Iowa Biofuels Infrastructure Bill
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed his last bills as governor of the Hawkeye State last week, including the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund bill (HF 643), which provides $3 million to fund the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. “Governor Branstad has been exceptionally supportive of funding renewable fuels and this infrastructure program. We thank him whole-heartedly for his leadership,” said Grant Kimberley, …