Eight term Iowa congressman Leonard Boswell is continuing to support renewable fuels in his state despite losing his re-election bid in re-districting last year to Tom Latham. Boswell attended the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit last month because it is something he says he cares deeply about. “I am so wound up in things like renewable fuels, it’s just one of …
Ethanol Continues to be Job Creator
Despite facing major challenges in 2012, the ethanol industry still created more than 380,000 jobs and $43 Billion in Gross Domestic Product, according to the latest analysis conducted by Cardno-ENTRIX and commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). “The study reaffirms that this is an important industry for the overall economy but more importantly for rural America,” said study author …
Car Makers Take Stage at Ethanol Conference
Representatives from General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz talked “Future Fuels and Higher Octane” at the National Ethanol Conference last week in Las Vegas. Kristy Moore, Vice President, Technical Services, Renewable Fuels Association moderated the panel and said the manufacturers are facing some real challenges. “They are under significant pressure to create a vehicle that meets these regulatory …
President Calls for More Sustainable Energy
Citing a need for increasing jobs and combating climate change, President Obama pledged to do more to “speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy” during his 2013 State of the Union address. Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it. And we’ve begun to change that. Last year, wind …
Most Entertaining Panels at Ethanol Conference
As always, the Global Perspectives and Washington Insiders panels at the National Ethanol Conference were as entertaining as ever. The panels routinely feature representatives from other organizations that may not share the same viewpoint of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), allowing the opportunity for some interesting dialogue. Global Renewable Fuels Alliance spokesperson Bliss Baker served as the moderator/referee for the …
Abengoa to Use ICM Oil Separation System
The ICM Advanced Oil Separation™ System (AOS™) will be deployed at Abengoa Bioenegy plants Madison, Illinois and Mt. Vernon, Indiana. The AOS™ is a specially-designed combination of equipment that utilizes an ICM-proprietary, patented process to maximize the recovery of non-food-grade bio-oil from emulsion concentrate after the centrifugal separation of mid-stillage (syrup). Installation of the two corn oil extraction systems is …
“Phantom Fuel” is Real
It’s ironic that the “Phantom Fuels Reform Act of 2013” was introduced in the Senate on Thursday at the same time a panel discussion on “Dispelling the Myth of the Phantom Fuel” was going on at the National Ethanol Conference where four different cellulosic biofuels companies talked about how they will be making commercial quantities of the fuel this year. …
EPA Addresses E15 Issues
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a solution to address specific concerns about retail sales of 15% ethanol (E15) ensuring that gasoline with up to 10 percent ethanol is available at each station when also offering the higher octane fuel E15. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Director of Market Development Robert White explains that the solution will eliminate the need for …
Vegas is a Winner for National Ethanol Conference
Members of the Renewable Fuels Association are on the road home from Vegas ready to continue driving the industry forward after another uplifting National Ethanol Conference. About 1100 ethanol industry members attended the event, despite the challenging times facing them. “There’s a lot of enthusiasm here and there’s a lot of optimism,” said RFA CEO Bob Dinneen. “They are realistic …
Perspectives on the Future of the RFS
Representatives from corn growers, the oil industry, advanced ethanol and the investment community addressed the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) during the 18th National Ethanol Conference. The panel moderated by Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association included National Corn Growers Association CEO Rick Tolman, John Reese with Shell Oil Products, Advanced Ethanol Council executive director Brooke Coleman, …