Recently appointed head of Syngenta Enogen Ron Wulfkuhle was at the recent National Ethanol Conference to talk about his new job and the increasing footprint of Enogen corn. Wulfkuhle, who was formally head of GreenLeaf Genetics, says he jumped at the chance to step into this role at the end of last year. “It’s a really cool place to be …
ACE DC Fly-in During Ag Week
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is holding its annual Washington, DC fly-in March 22-23 during National Ag Week – the first week of spring. ACE Director of Strategic Projects Shannon Gustafson says there will be lots going on in the nation’s capitol that week so it is a great time for ethanol supporters to be there. “We are trying …
Bipartisan Bill Would Allow E15 Sales All Year
U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) this week introduced legislation that would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent, which would allow retailers across the country to sell E15 and other higher ethanol blends all year. “It would also ensure a fair playing field for higher ethanol blends, …
RFA CEO Speaks Out
After sending the ethanol industry into an uproar this week over his talks with a Trump administration adviser about potential changes to the point of obligation under the RFS, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen visited the Commodity Classic in San Antonio to talk about the issue. “We remain opposed to changing the point of obligation because we …
#Ethanol Controversy Talk at #Classic17
The controversy that erupted this week within the ethanol industry over alleged backroom deals with the Trump administration to change the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has generated a lot of discussion this week at the annual Commodity Classic in San Antonio. The event is the annual meeting for thousands of corn, soybean, wheat and sorghum farmers from around the country. …
White House Denies RFS Change Plans
After a day of volatile grain trading based on news stories, the White House late Tuesday denied that there was an executive order in the works to change the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) made inquiries about the matter and issued a statement. “Based on conversations my staff and I had, there’s no reason to believe …
#Ethanol Officially Breaks Through the Blend Wall
The latest numbers from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that ethanol officially broke through the blend wall in 2016. The latest data shows U.S. ethanol production set a new record of 15.33 billion gallons (bg) last year and the average gallon of gasoline contained slightly more than 10 percent ethanol, according to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). “Driven by …
RFA Talking #Ethanol Regs with Trump Adviser
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen says he has been talking with a special regulatory adviser to President Trump about how they might work together on regulatory changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), but it involves compromising on the point of obligation issue. Dinneen issued a statement regarding a call he received from “an official with …
#Ethanol Helps Fuel Minnesota Economy
The ethanol industry contributed $1.98 billion to Minnesota’s economy last year, according to a new study released by ABF Economics and commissioned by the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association. This in turn generated $6.67 billion in gross sales for Minnesota businesses and supported nearly 18,000 jobs in 2016. “Minnesota’s ethanol industry remains a significant contributor to the state’s economy and supports thousands …
Media Viewpoints at #RFANEC
A year ago at the National Ethanol Conference, Rachel Gantz wore a media ribbon on her nametag. This year, the “hack turned flack” (as she describes herself on Twitter) is communications director for the Renewable Fuels Association and she sat down with a few of her media colleagues to talk about how the ethanol industry can do a better job …