The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) staffers welcomed the director of the Nigerian Corn Growers Association for a series of meetings this week on how farmers in the two nations can work together to increase corn demand. Edwin Uche, director of the Nigerian Corn Growers Association, reached out for a meeting during the recent Maize Genetics Conference in Florida and …
House Members Urge Reduction in #Ethanol Tariffs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman this week urging him to examine opportunities to reduce any tariffs on U.S. produced energy, including ethanol, during the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-Tip) negotiations. “The U.S. ethanol industry has been unfairly targeted by the EU for increased duties (on ethanol) which have subsequently eliminated …
Lowes Removes ‘Ditch Ethanol’ Signs
The Renewable Fuels Association wrote a letter to Lowe’s CEO requesting that the “Ditch Ethanol” signs that were popping up on the Midwest be removed. Shortly after the letter was received, Lowes contacted RFA and said they were in the process of removing all the signs and they should all be gone within several days. The signs inaccurately warned consumers …
RFA: Ditch the ‘Ditch Ethanol’ Sign Lowes
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is calling out Lowes for its “ditch ethanol” signage at stores. In a letter to Lowes CEO Robert Niblock, RFA CEO and President Bob Dinneen urged the removal of a sign appearing at several Midwest locations that inaccurately warn consumers not to use ethanol blends in small engines. Dinneen writes that the “Ditch the Ethanol” …
Absolute Energy Celebrates 10 Years
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has congratulated Iowa ethanol producer Absolute Energy for celebrating its 10th anniversary. The company was formed in early 2006 and began construction of its St. Ansgar, Iowa, ethanol plant in June 2006. Production began February 2008 with an initial production capacity of 100 million gallons per year, but grew over time to its current capacity …
House Hearing Attacks #RFS
The House Oversight Subcommittees on Interior and Healthcare, Benefits and Administrative Rules held a joint hearing Wednesday to ostensibly examine the Renewable Fuel Standard but was basically an attack on the law. EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality Director Chris Grundler provided testimony at the hearing and attempted to explain the purpose and intent of the RFS, including what …
Trump and Cruz Rumble Over #Ethanol in Miami
The topic of ethanol came up in last week’s GOP debate in Miami, although it is unlikely to play a big role in the Florida primary this week. During the debate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) boasted that he campaigned against ethanol in Iowa because he wants to cut the size of government programs. “When I went to Iowa and campaigned …
#FlexMyChoice Fighting for FFV Future
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) launched a new campaign at the 2016 National Ethanol Conference (NEC) designed to help the industry voice support for flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs). The “Flex My Choice” effort is aimed directly at automakers, auto dealerships, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to the fact that automakers have begun to limit FFV models as the government …
China Leads in U.S. Ethanol Exports
According to Ann Lewis, research analyst with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), U.S. ethanol exports increased by 7 percent over December 2015 kicking off 2016 with a strong start. Using U.S. data, the increase marked a 14-month high with the industry shipping 87.1 million gallons (mg), with China taking the lead with a third of the market at 29.4 mg—rivaling …
RFA: Corn Ethanol Net Energy Improves
A new analysis from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) finds that the net energy balance of corn-based ethanol at dry mill ethanol plants averages between 2.6 to 2.8, a improvement over previous estimates. Recent estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), found net energy gains between 2.1 to 2.3. However, RFA says its analysis uses more current dry mill …