Farmland flooding is taking its toll on the outlook for corn acreage, but record production is still anticipated. The latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates from USDA out today lowered corn planted area for 2011/12 by 1.5 million acres from March intentions to 90.7 million acres. “Planting delays through early June in the eastern Corn Belt and northern Plains …
Spotted in DC
This advertisement was spotted in Washington DC this week and is part of a Beltway campaign being deployed by the Renewable Fuels Group (RFA). The ethanol organization is also advertising on politically geared websites as well as in DC political magazines such as Roll Call. This is just one element of a broader campaign the group is currently engaged in …
ACE Invites Presidential Candidates to Energy Forum
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is inviting the candidates for the 2012 Presidential Election to participate in an energy policy forum in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday, August 24, 2011. As part of the open invitation, ACE sent an open letter detailing the ethanol industry’s position on the ethanol tax incentive (VEETC). Last month, former Minnesota Governor Pawlenty called …
Chicagoland Speedway President Talks Ethanol
The President of Chicagoland Speedway is Scott Paddock. He manages a beautiful racing facility. This is a bird’s eye view of the track before the NASCAR STP 300 race. I spoke with Scott who says they’re celebrating their tenth anniversary. We talked about the fact that we were about to see the inaugural STP 300 race as well as the …
7th Annual Biofuels Financial Conference Around the Corner
Despite high oil prices, the financial future of the ethanol industry could be a challenge due to high corn prices, fluctuating energy prices and uncertainty of the future of ethanol policies such as the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). To learn more about managing plant risk and to foster the environment for the biofuels industry to better work together, …
NASCAR Nationwide Series Says Ethanol Performing Well
The director of the NASCAR Nationwide Series is Joe Balash, pictured here before Saturday’s STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. He’s proudly displaying the American Ethanol name around the gas coupler on this car that just happened to be rolling by. That name is on all NASCAR cars. I talked with Joe before the race. He talks about how STP has …
Green Plains Builds Business
Green Plains Renewable Energy announced today its acquisition of a grain storage facility located in Hopkins, Missouri. The grain storage facility can house up to 2 million bushels of grain and was formerly owned by Horizon Grain of Hopkins, Inc and GS Grain LLC. The grain elevator is located about 45 minutes from Green Plains’ ethanol biorefinery in Shenandoah, Iowa. …
NASCAR STP 400 Winning Team Pleased with Ethanol
Brad Keselowski driving the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger won the inaugural Sprint Cup Series STP 400 at the Kansas Speedway Sunday where American Ethanol was prominently displayed. When asked during the post-race press conference about NASCAR using 15% ethanol fuel this year, Keselowski said he applauded NASCAR for its green initiative. “It’s just an added benefit that (ethanol) comes …
Childress Believes NASCAR Could Use More Ethanol
Former NASCAR driver and owner of Richard Childress Racing thinks the racing series could go to higher ethanol blends sometime in the future. Despite media attention regarding an “incident” between him and driver Kyle Busch on Saturday, Richard Childress was happy to come by the American Ethanol tent Sunday and voice his support for corn farmers and the domestically produced …
Corn Growers Proud of Ethanol in NASCAR
Corn growers are very proud to be a part of bringing the story of ethanol to the nation through NASCAR. I talked with National Corn Growers Association president Bart Schott (right) of North Dakota and NCGA chairman Darrin Ihnen of South Dakota who were at the Sprint Cup Series STP 400 at the Kansas Speedway Sunday where American Ethanol was …