More than 40 Minnesota high school students from Arlington’s Sibley East High School and Norwood Young America’s Central High School have visited Heartland Corn Products to learn more about ethanol production. Heartland Corn Products is one of the largest ethanol plants in Minnesota with an output of 108 million gallons a year and was built in 1995. During the tours, …
Senators Call for Increased RFS RVOs
This week Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and 17 others sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for them to follow the congressional intent of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by increasing blending targets (Renewable Volume Obligations/RVO) for 2017. The biofuels industry praised the senators for their call to action and released a joint statement. …
Greenbelt Explores Cuban Alt Energy Opportunities
Greenbelt Resources CEO Darren Eng recently took advantage of the new opportunities opening up between the United States and Cuba. He traveled to Havana, Cuba and while there met with several companies to discuss their exempt from embargo advanced modular technology that can produce products such as cellulosic biofuels and animal feed. Eng met with a representative from the Center …
US and Nigerian #Corn Growers Talk #Ethanol
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) staffers welcomed the director of the Nigerian Corn Growers Association for a series of meetings this week on how farmers in the two nations can work together to increase corn demand. Edwin Uche, director of the Nigerian Corn Growers Association, reached out for a meeting during the recent Maize Genetics Conference in Florida and …
House Members Urge Reduction in #Ethanol Tariffs
A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman this week urging him to examine opportunities to reduce any tariffs on U.S. produced energy, including ethanol, during the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-Tip) negotiations. “The U.S. ethanol industry has been unfairly targeted by the EU for increased duties (on ethanol) which have subsequently eliminated …
RFA, Growth Energy Join USGC
The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) membership is expanding. This month the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy became official members. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) and Al-Corn Clean Fuel also joined this month. USGC says their newest members, especially the ethanol trade organizations, will benefit them in multiple ways as they work together to increase global ethanol exports. Both …
Report Confirms Ethanol’s GHG Reductions
Earlier this month the European Commission released its new report, “The land use change impact of biofuels consumed in the EU,” (GLOBIOM). The study assessed the (indirect) land use change (LUC) impacts of biofuels demand expected as a result of Europe’s 2020 climate and energy policy. According to the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE), the study found that increased demand …
Lowes Removes ‘Ditch Ethanol’ Signs
The Renewable Fuels Association wrote a letter to Lowe’s CEO requesting that the “Ditch Ethanol” signs that were popping up on the Midwest be removed. Shortly after the letter was received, Lowes contacted RFA and said they were in the process of removing all the signs and they should all be gone within several days. The signs inaccurately warned consumers …
Chicago Thornton’s Locations Now Selling E15
Thornton’s will be selling E15 at 43 Chicago-area locations by the end of this month. The fuel retailer has branded the ethanol blend Unleaded15. “Unleaded 15 offers a great value to our Chicago guests, and supports our desire to provide the best possible fuel options,” said Jeff Gallic, Vice President of Fuel Supply. “Thorntons has offered E85 for years and …
RFA: Ditch the ‘Ditch Ethanol’ Sign Lowes
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is calling out Lowes for its “ditch ethanol” signage at stores. In a letter to Lowes CEO Robert Niblock, RFA CEO and President Bob Dinneen urged the removal of a sign appearing at several Midwest locations that inaccurately warn consumers not to use ethanol blends in small engines. Dinneen writes that the “Ditch the Ethanol” …