According to USDA, global corn production for 2011/12 is projected at a new record high of 867.5 million tons, despite a smaller crop here in the U.S. The latest World Agricultural Supply Demand report estimates the U.S. crop was down 3.5 million tons this year compared to last year, but foreign corn production is expected to be 43.4 million tons …
Doing the Ethanol Shuffle
There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles. No, it’s not a new dance, this shuffle is all about the “confounded realignment of the global ethanol trade.” Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper wrote about the “Ethanol Shuffle” this week on the RFA E-xchange …
IRFA Elects 2012 Board of Directors and Officers
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) elected its new 2012 Board of Directors and executive committee during its annual meeting last week. 2012 IRFA Board of Directors include Brad Albin, Renewable Energy Group, who will serve as president; Rick Schwarck, Absolute Energy, vice president; Steve Bleyl, Green Plains Renewable Energy, treasurer and Brian Cahill, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, secretary. Monte …
Ethanol Industry Wants Cellulosic Incentives Continued
Advanced biofuel producers are calling on Congress to take action now to ensure that tax incentives for cellulosic ethanol continue past 2012. In a letter to Congressional leaders, the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) asked for a multi-year extension of the Cellulosic Biofuels Producer Tax Credit (PTC) and the Special Depreciation Allowance for Cellulosic Biofuel Plant Property, both of which are …
Ethanol Groups Oppose Legislative Proposal
A number of ethanol supporting organizations recently sent a letter to the chairman and ranking members of the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committees urguing them to oppose a proposal by Reps. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) that would delay commercialization of next generation ethanol. The groups, which includ Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, the American Coalition …
Pacific Ethanol Raises $8 Million in Stock Sale
Pacific Ethanol reports that they have entered into a “definitive purchase agreement with a group of institutional investors to raise $8.0 million in a private placement transaction.” In addition, the company has signed purchase agreements to acquire an additional 7% interest in the Pacific Ethanol production facilities, according to a company news release. Of the net proceeds from the financing, …
Ethanol Exports Remain Strong
The latest government data on exports for October shows continued strong demand overseas for U.S. ethanol. According to the data, exports of denatured and undenatured ethanol which are not eligible for VEETC totaled 121.4 million gallons. That is just short of the record 127.4 million gallons of exports set in July 2011. On the Renewable Fuels Association E-xchange Blog, RFA’s …
GROWMARK Perspective on Energy Policy
2011 has been a challenging year for getting anything done in Washington DC, including as it relates to both agriculture and energy policy. “In agriculture, when it comes to energy, we want reliable, economically competitive sources,” says GROWMARK government affairs director Chuck Spencer. “As a country, what we are looking for is energy security and that’s going to come from …
Iowa Already Sets E85 All-Time Sales Record
Third quarter sales reports of E85 in Iowa indicate that 2011 sales have already exceeded total sales during 2010, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. As of September, Iowa retailers sold 9.8 million gallons of E85 during the first nine months of 2011, exceeding the 9.3 million total gallons sold last year. The Iowa Department of Revenue says sales …
POET Continues to Cut Water Use at Ethanol Plants
POET is now more than 75 percent of the way to achieving its water reduction goal of one billion gallons annually by 2015 at the company’s ethanol plants. This year POET reduced water use by more than 770 million gallons compared to 2009 by using the company’s Total Water Recovery System at their 18th ethanol production facility, POET Biorefining in …