A new study by ABF Economics found that the ethanol industry in Minnesota contributed $2.13 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2015. The report also found the industry generated $7.37 billion in gross sales for the same year. This in turn generated $1.6 billion worth of income for Minnesota households, supported 18,116 full-time jobs and contributed $93 million …
RFA: Corn Ethanol Net Energy Improves
A new analysis from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) finds that the net energy balance of corn-based ethanol at dry mill ethanol plants averages between 2.6 to 2.8, a improvement over previous estimates. Recent estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), found net energy gains between 2.1 to 2.3. However, RFA says its analysis uses more current dry mill …
#FlexMyChoice Massages at #Classic16
Visitors to the 2016 Commodity Classic had the opportunity to voice their support for Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) and relax their aching muscles at the same time at the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) booth. It was the first opportunity for RFA to get their recently launched “Flex My Choice” campaign in front of the agriculture industry and Vice President of …
NCGA Identifies Ethanol as Driver for Demand
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) held a press conference this week during 2016 Commodity Classic to discuss several key issues facing the corn industry and highlight the efforts currently in place to create solutions to the challenges that have been facing growers. NCGA Present Chip Bowling, a corn grower from Newburg, Maryland, said that the most important action the organization …
RFA: API Understates Benefits of RFS
Is the American Petroleum Institute (API) changing its RFS tune? In a recent interview with POLITICO Pro Energy’s Morning Energy, API President and CEO Jack Gerard said his organization was pivoting its strategy toward reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rather than continuing to call for an outright repeal. A change of tune for sure but whether it’s on key …
Mid American Agri Products Adds Cellunator
Mid American Agri Products/Wheatland (MAAPW) has gone online with Cellunator from Edeniq at its ethanol and biodiesel facility located in North Platte, Nebraska. According to Edeniq, the technology will increase the plant’s 44 million gallons per year (MGPY) of ethanol production by pretreating the corn slurry to liberate additional starch. The MAAPW facility also produces three MGPY of biodiesel. The …
Growth, RFA Urge U.S. to Action Against China
Back on January 12, 2016, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MOFCOM) filed antidumping and countervailing duty cases against the U.S. distiller’s dried grains industry (DDG). This was not the first time the MOFCOM has filed antidumping charges against the U.S.; however, all earlier cases were dropped. Yesterday the ethanol industry including Growth Energy and the …
Veteran Reporter Rachel Gantz Joins RFA Team
Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) Journalist Rachel Gantz is joining the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) team on March 7, 2016. She will serve as RFA’s new communications director and spokesperson and in her role will communicate the organization’s key messages to reporters as well as assist in growing RFA’s media footprint. “I am excited to join the RFA staff and …
Berkeley Lab’s Enzyme Reduces Plant Lignin
One of the barriers to efficient second generation biofuels is creating a better way to break down the lignin in plants that is then converted to the sugars that create the building blocks of biobased products such as cellulosic ethanol, biomaterials and biochemicals. But this hurdle may be getting lower with research out of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Scientists have …
US Grains Releases New Portal, App
The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) has released a grains conversion calculator app and a U.S. grains-in-all-forms exports portal to help members of the global grain trade access critical information more easily. The U.S. grains-in-all-forms exports portal is an online calculator that converts volumes of exported U.S. commodities including ethanol and dried distillers grains (DDGs) into corn equivalents. This offers a …