Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins heard a lot about the ethanol industry’s need for year-round, nationwide E15 during her trip to Iowa yesterday, starting with her visit to the Elite Octane ethanol facility in Atlantic, Iowa. “We’re very bullish for the next three years with President Trump leading the way. The seeds of policy change to drive profitability for our …
USDA Secretary Announces HBIIP Funding in Iowa
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited an Iowa ethanol plant Monday to announce USDA will release obligated funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. That funding had been included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Secretary Rollins made the announcement at Elite Octane in Atlantic, Iowa, along with an …
New Research Evaluates Gasoline as Carcinogen
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated the carcinogenicity of automotive gasoline and some oxygenated gasoline additives and published findings last week in The Lancet Oncology. The Working Group evaluated automotive gasoline as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) on the basis of sufficient evidence for cancer in humans and the combination of sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental …
Secretary Rollins to Visit Ethanol Plant
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will be in Iowa Monday, March 31, with a full schedule that includes a visit to an ethanol plant. Secretary Rollins will start the day with at Elite Octane in Atlantic, Iowa, where she will be joined by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Iowa …
Back to the Future with the RFS
For the first time in 20 years, the Senate has a strong ethanol champion as Majority Leader in Sen. John Thune (R-SD). The last time was another South Dakotan, Democrat Tom Daschle, who was instrumental in crafting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Jonathon Lehman, who has been the American Coalition for Ethanol lobbyist for many years, served as Counsel to …
ACE Members on Capitol Hill
Members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) are on Capitol Hill this week with a laundry list of topics to discuss with Congressional offices, but topping the list is year-round, nationwide E15. “It’s time to get this done, it’s overdue. We came so close last year. Let’s not let that momentum fall by the wayside,” said ACE CEO Brian …
Sen. Thune Calls for Farm Bill and Year-round E15
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) took to the floor yesterday to urge Congress to help farmers who are struggling. “Many commodity producers are bracing for the prospect of serious financial losses this year,” said Thune. “These challenges are real. That’s why last December, Congress approved relief funding for agriculture producers hit by economic headwinds, as well as those affected …
Ag and Biofuels Groups Seek Exemption to Shipping Rules
The United States Trade Representative‘s office is holding public hearings this week on proposed actions in the Section 301 investigation of China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance that would result in new fees being imposed on Chinese vessels. The first hearing was held on Monday, March 24 and the second will be on Wednesday, March …
Supreme Court Hears Arguments in SRE Venue Case
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine where challenges to small refinery exemptions (SREs) decisions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be brought. The renewable fuels industry argued in favor of the petitioner, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the case versus Calumet Shreveport Refining, and other refineries. The Renewable Fuels Association …
Groups Provide Climate Smart Ag Comments
Biofuels groups submitted comments this week to USDA on its interim rule for climate-smart agriculture guidance to support the new 45Z tax credit for clean fuel producers. The Renewable Fuels Association emphasized the importance of policies that empower farmers while ensuring a robust and efficient renewable fuels market. RFA highlighted the benefits of a book-and-claim supply chain management system, which …