Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was tight-lipped last week at the Farm Progress Show when it came to details of the administration’s “small refinery waiver mitigation efforts” that President Trump “really wants to announce himself.” “I don’t want to steal the president’s thunder on that,” Sec. Perdue said during a listening session held Wednesday morning at Richland Community College on …
NCGA Tackles Waivers, Trade
While celebrating announcements about E-15, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) 1st Vice President Kevin Ross had the opportunity to share a pointed message with President Trump last spring regarding small refinery exemptions. But recent news out of Washington, D.C. about Renewable Fuels Standard waivers has Ross declaring there is still work to do. “There’s time for them to do things …
RFA: Docs Show EPA Ignored Recommendations
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is sharing documents that show the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disregarded Trump Administration recommendations regarding small refinery exemptions. Documents obtained by RFA show that the EPA ignored strong recommendations from within the Trump Administration to redistribute Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations lost to small refinery exemptions in the proposed rule for 2020 Renewable Volume …
Sen. Ernst Visits DuPont Biofuels Enzyme Plant
DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences hosted Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) at its plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa earlier this week. During a tour and town hall with employees, Sen. Ernst and DuPont leaders discussed the positive impact of strong national biofuels policy on America’s farmers, on the environment, and on consumer choice at the pump. “DuPont’s investments in new and advanced …
Nebraska Ethanol Board Offers E15 Workshop
The Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) is hosting a free workshop for fuel retailers Aug. 28 in Kearney, Nebraska. Attendees will hear best practices from fuel retailers who’ve seen success selling E15, a keynote from Ron Lamberty of American Coalition of Ethanol, and will learn about resources to make implementing and labeling infrastructure easy and affordable. Fuel retailers need to register …
Biofuel Retailers Have What it Takes
Mike Lewis co-founded Pearson Fuels in 2003 as an “alternative fuels” station in San Diego, California. Today, Pearson Fuels is the largest distributor of E85 in California, supplying over 140 locations and about 76% of the market. Receiving the Paul Dana Marketing Vision Award at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual conference last week, Lewis noted that Pearson Fuels …
Managing Costs During Tight Margins
Margins are tight in the ethanol industry, and for a number of reasons from political to regulatory to economic. John Christianson, Principal, Christianson PLLP, told those attending the 2019 American Coalition for Ethanol Conference that successful plants have to be strategic and focused. “It really comes down to leadership and it comes down to a laser focus,” said Christianson. “The …
Rep. Axne Calls for Investigation into Waivers
U.S. Representative Cindy Axne (D-IA), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, is calling for a federal investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) expansion of refinery exemptions from blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Rep. Axne chose Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) to hold a press conference yesterday, the same site where President Donald Trump triumphantly announced …
Fallout from EPA Refinery Waivers Continues
President Trump reportedly held a meeting with his cabinet Monday concerned about backlash from farmers over new small refinery waivers, but an EPA official added fuel to the fire yesterday by saying there was “zero evidence” of demand destruction for ethanol due to the numerous refinery exemptions allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. “To suggest that there is ‘zero evidence’ …
Legally Protecting Ethanol’s Market Share
Various legal battles are ongoing to protect the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and ethanol market share. An update on these efforts during the American Coalition for Ethanol Conference came from Bryan Stockton, Counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Stockton shared what he called “the good, the bad and the ugly,” celebrating the timely release of the long anticipated E-15 final …