Corn production for this year was cut by four percent in the latest forecast out this morning from USDA, a bigger drop than expected by the industry. Corn production is now forecast at 12.7 billion bushels, down 3 percent from last year’s record production of 13.1 billion bushels. Yields are now expected to average 155.8 bushels per acre, down 6.7 …
Ag Secretary to Make “Major” Biofuels Speech
Later this month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will give a “major speech on domestic biofuel production.” According to USDA, Vilsack will discuss the progress USDA and other federal agencies are making toward achieving the 36 billion gallon biofuel production goal mandated by the Renewable Fuels Standard and new efforts by the Obama administration to bolster the industry and reduce U.S. …
Study: More Fleets Using Ethanol & Biodiesel
A study from a group that represents fleet managers of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment shows that more fleets are using alternative fuels, and ethanol and biodiesel are high on the list of the fuels of choice. The survey from the NAFA Fleet Management …
RFA President: DDGS and Ethanol Markets Inextricably Linked
The President/CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association addressed the Export Exchange 2010 today and highlighted the importance of U.S. ethanol policy and expansion into foreign markets which is critical for the DDGS industry. You can read his full remarks here as well as listen to them below. In his remarks, Dinneen said, “As a nation, failure to continue the growth …
Export Exhange Conference Kicks Off
The Export Exchange 2010 got off to an official and social start this evening with welcoming remarks from U.S. Grains Council President/CEO Tom Dorr (left) and Renewable Fuels Association President/CEO Bob Dinneen. The conference is focused on connecting international buyers of DDGS and coarse grains with the U.S. market. I don’t know what the attendance totals are here but we …
Giant Sweet Potato May Be Viable Ethanol Feedstock
David Letterman is no stranger to ethanol. For several years, Team Ethanol competed on the Rahal Letterman Racing team. However, Letterman may not be well-versed in some of the more unique possible feedstocks that are being researched for ethanol, until this week. On Monday, Letterman was doing a special featuring giant vegetables and North Charleston native and horticulturalist, Janice Ryan-Bohac, …
Ethanol Report With New RFA Chairman
The board for directors for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) last week elected Chuck Woodside, General Manager of farmer-owned KAAPA Ethanol in Minden, Nebraska as the new chairman for the organization. The election was held at RFA’s Annual Membership Meeting in Washington, DC. Woodside succeeds Chris Standlee, Executive Vice President of Abengoa Bioenergy, who served for three one-year terms. Chuck …
Green Plains To Aquire Global Ethanol
Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Global Ethanol’s two operating ethanol plants located in Lakota, Iowa and Riga, Michigan. The two plants have a combined operating capacity of 157 million gallons per year (mmgy). The acquisition will increase GPRE’s annual production capacity by 31 percent bringing them to an annual ethanol …
Ethanol Production Drops Slightly
According to the Renewable Fuels Association, daily ethanol production for the week ending 9/24/2010 averaged 825,000 barrels per day (b/d) or 34.65 million gallon per day. These production numbers are slightly down from the previous week when the ethanol industry produced an average of 850,000 b/d and the four week average of 856,000 b/d. In addition, stocks of ethanol also …
White House Reaffirms Ethanol Support
Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Heather Zichal addressed the annual gathering of Renewable Fuels Association members yesterday. During her talk, she reiterated the President’s commitment to the ethanol industry regardless of feedstock or technology used. More specifically, Zichal addressed some of the current policies in place designed to expand the ethanol industry and the …