Well, here’s news that probably won’t upset too many people I know. I’m actually amazed that this didn’t happen much sooner. Of course this had to happen during a pretty much vacation week for the ZimmComm Team and many, many other folks. Here’s some industry reaction on the announcement. I think you can sum it up that everyone is pretty …
Upcoming Ethanol Plant Educational Opportunities
Enrollment is now open for the 2018 Alcohol School, September 9-17 in Montreal. Now in its 37th year, The Alcohol School has a tradition of educating fuel ethanol and distilled beverage producers in the science of alcohol production. This week-long program has become the industry’s premier educational event, covering a variety of timely industry topics. The Process Safety Boot Camp …
Happy Independence from High Gas Prices
A record number of Americans are traveling this week for the July 4th holiday and as we celebrate our nation’s independence, we can also celebrate our independence from high gas prices thanks to ethanol. According to AAA, a record 39.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more by automobile for Independence Day, five percent more than a year ago. …
Increasing Profit Margins for Ethanol
Ethanol production has become a key market for U.S. corn, but margins are often tight. New technology would allow existing ethanol plants to convert a part of their production into making plant-based chemicals that have higher values, with profits that could be passed along to corn growers. “We know that ethanol today is a commodity that has been really pressed …
Driving Ethanol Podcast on EPA Actions
EPA’s proposed rule for 2019 biofuel obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) maintains conventional renewable fuel volumes at 15-billion gallons and increases the advanced biofuel standard by almost 600 million gallons over 2018, which looks good on the surface, but fails to assure that those gallons will actually be blended. In this edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast, Growth …
Ethanol Production Continues Strong
U.S. ethanol production is continuing at a strong and steady pace, hitting a new four week high for the year, according to the latest Energy Information Administration data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. Last week, ethanol production averaged 1.072 million barrels per day (b/d) or 45.02 million gallons daily. Output grew 8,000 b/d over the week before, climbing to …
Growth Energy Reacts to EPA Proposal
Growth Energy remains committed to making sure the Renewable Fuel Standard moves forward, despite EPA’s proposed volumes for 2019 that essentially move the program backward. Growth Energy Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley says EPA’s proposal this week for 15 billion gallons for conventional biofuels in 2019 fails to ensure those gallons will, in fact, be blended. “By neglecting …
Corn Growers Winning with Enogen
Corn prices are barely at break-even levels right now, so every advantage a grower can get to make a little extra per bushel is well worth it these days. Steve Stenzel of Hamburg, Iowa has been growing Enogen corn for four seasons now and he says it has worked out very well for him. “We’ve been very happy with the …
Report Contradicts EPA Chief
Yet another revelation in the Environmental Protection Agency small refinery exemption saga came to light this week, thanks to the investigative journalism of Reuters, reporting Tuesday that EPA “consistently ignored recommendations from the Department of Energy (DOE) to reject or limit waivers to oil refiners seeking exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).” This contradicts what EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt …
Ethanol Report on EPA RFS Proposal
At one time, the ethanol industry would have been thrilled with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal for 2019 RFS blending requirements, which maintains the 15 billion gallon statutory level for conventional biofuels and increases the levels for advanced biofuels. But that was before EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt started handing out small refinery exemptions like Halloween candy resulting in over …