Florida-based Blue Biofuels (BIOF) announced this week that a significant milestone has been made in advancing its Cellulose-to-Sugar (CTS) technology towards commercial scale with the production of its first batch of cellulosic ethanol, utilizing the cellulosic sugars created from biomass on its CTS pilot line. Entering into the next phase, BIOF has embarked on the funding process to establish production …
Defenbaugh Carries on Family Tradition
Nicholas Defenbaugh, a senior at Orion Technical College and a maintenance technician at Big River Resources, was one of eight students and young professionals who attended the recent 2024 National Ethanol Conference under the Robert Sather Memorial Scholarship program. Nicholas is carrying on a family tradition working at the plant in Burlington, Iowa which was started by his grandfather Ray …
Zeakal PhotoSeed Corn Could Help Meet SAF Demand
ZeaKal recently announced groundbreaking PhotoSeed™ technology in corn, designed to improve the crop’s oil and sustainability profile without compromising yield or protein. In first year replicated field trials, PhotoSeed increased corn oil composition by an average of 23 percent. PhotoSeed enhances a plant’s photosynthetic capacity, capturing more CO2 and sunlight. This additional carbon capture increases oil production without taking away …
Nebraska Farmer Advocates for Ethanol
When Nebraska farmer Jan tenBensel visits Capitol Hill offices, he represents a lot of voices as chairman of both the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the National Corn Growers Association Ethanol Action Team, but he believes it’s important for all ethanol advocates to make their voices heard wherever they are. “The importance of advocacy is that everybody can do it,” said …
Groups Urge EPA to Issue E15 Emergency Waiver
With ongoing challenges to America’s energy security and summer just around the corner, advocates for agriculture and renewable fuels are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to authorize the summer sale of gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol before May 1. The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, and …
Lawmakers Pressure Administration on Brazil Ethanol Tariff
Last week, U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) led two letters to the Biden administration – one to President Biden and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging greater action in developing new markets for biofuels exports, and a second to Tai and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack specifically requesting work toward a full repeal of the Brazilian …
EPA Committee Gives Ag Seat at the Table
EPA Administrator Michael Regan recently responded to recommendations from the agency’s Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC) on how EPA can best support the agriculture sector’s climate mitigation and adaptation goals. FRRCC consists of representatives appointed by the agency that provide independent policy advice and information on a range of environmental issues that are of importance to …
Farm and Biofuel Groups Urge Adoption of GREET Model
It has now been almost three weeks since Biden administration officials failed to meet a March 1 deadline to adopt the U.S. Department of Energy’s GREET model for the calculation of SAF tax credits (40B) under the Inflation Reduction Act, and groups representing farmers and ethanol producers who would benefit are getting impatient. A letter was sent this week to …
EPA Releases New Emissions Standards Favoring EVs
The Environmental Protection Agency released its final rule implementing new emissions standards for light and medium-duty vehicles that seeks to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by requiring approximately two-thirds of annual sales of new light-duty vehicles be EVs by the year 2032. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper says the new standards effectively disregard the carbon …
RFA Flex Fuel Hybrid EV Goes on Vacation
The Renewable Fuels Association’s flex fuel plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (FFPHEV) worked hard in 2023, so just ahead of the 2024 National Ethanol Conference in California last month, RFA’s Robert White decided to take it along on a family vacation as he drove from Kansas City to San Diego. White, who serves as RFA Senior Vice President for Industry Relations …