The 19th annual National Ethanol Conference was one of the best ever, with strong attendance and a program that rocked. Personally, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen thought the Led Zeppelin 2 concert for the networking reception was the highlight of the conference, but there were lots of other great acts. “It was a substantive agenda and …
Iowa E85 Sales Set Record in 2013
Iowans have purchased a record number of gallons of E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gas) in 2013. According to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), total E85 sales in 2013 reached 10,854,117 gallons, up nearly 20 percent from 2012 and an increase of more than 130,000 gallons from the previous record in 2011. The sales figures were reported by …
American Ethanol Expands Program
Ethanol Association Growth Energy is expanding their partnership of Richard Childress Racing and Austin Dillion for the 2014 NASCAR season as part of their American Ethanol program. Beginning with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2, Dillon will race the No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet SS in select races during the 2014 season. “American …
Corn Growers Vow to Protect the RFS
Now that the farm bill is a done deal, National Corn Growers Association Public Policy Vice President Jon Doggett says his organization has three main priorities for this year in Washington – protect the RFS, and protect the RFS, and protect the RFS. That may seem redundant, but that’s just how important the Renewable Fuel Standard is for corn growers. …
Abengoa Honored With RFA Award
To recognize the advancement of cellulosic ethanol in a pivotal year, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen presented the “RFA 2014 Industry Award” to Gerson Santos-Leon, the executive vice president of Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies. The award was given by RFA at the National Ethanol Conference this week in Orlando “in gratitude for the sustained vision, innovation, and …
NEC Breaking Down Blend Wall Panel
Tying in to the first part of the theme “Falling Walls, Rising Tides”, the second panel at the 2014 National Ethanol Conference was focused on Breaking Down the Blend Wall. The panel, moderated by Renewable Fuels Association Director of Market Development Robert White, featured infrastructure experts who discussed efforts underway to expand options for retailers and overall availability of ethanol …
EPA Director Addresses Ethanol Conference
The Director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency addressed the National Ethanol Conference on Wednesday morning on issues related to the Renewable Fuel Standard and EPA’s proposal for the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO). Chris Grundler was scheduled to be on a panel at the NEC Tuesday but had a conflict and …
Dazed & Confused at National Ethanol Conference
I never got to see Led Zeppelin live but last night I found out what it would have been like when Led Zeppelin 2 performed for the National Ethanol Conference. This band is fantastic. You can see what I mean in the video below (Dazed and Confused). Playing Jimmy Page on stage is Paul Kamp, founding partner of Leifmark and …
Greenbelt Resources: Why Small Is the New Big
On the surface it may seem like the technology for producing ethanol is pretty advanced. But when you talk with Darren Eng, CEO of Greenbelt Resources Corporation, they don’t believe today’s technology is near where it could be so they are continually striving for innovation. Unlike the traditional biofuel producers who look at producing 25 million plus gallons per year, …
Impact of RFS on Ethanol Industry
The first panel of the 2014 National Ethanol Conference dealt with the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on the ethanol industry – today and tomorrow. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Senior Vice President for Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper moderated the panel which featured remarks from Bruce Babcock, Cargill Chair of Energy Economics at Iowa State University and Steffen …