A group of Midwest senators led by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) dropped an amendment to appropriations legislation that would have prohibited the EPA from spending funds to include international indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions in the implementation of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Sen. Harkin withdrew his amendment after receiving a letter from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that promised …
Proposed EPA Regs Would Cost Corn Growers
A study commissioned by the National Corn Growers Association finds that proposed regulations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard would cost the ethanol industry as much as $420 million a year. The study found that the up-front cost to the ethanol industry for compliance with the new regulations could total $30 million, with …
Minnesota Governor Talks Ethanol
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty supports an increase in the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline to at least 15 percent and is hopeful about the future of next generation biofuels. The governor who might run for president in 2012 answered several questions about ethanol from reporters after helping celebrate the grand opening of the new
Midwest Senators Sponsor Ethanol Amendments
Iowa’s two senators and others from the Midwest are co-sponsoring amendments to legislation that funds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which would address two important issues facing the ethanol industry. Iowa Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with Ben Nelson (D-NE) introduced an amendment to the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that would prevent the EPA from going …
Ethanol Plant on the Auction Block
A partially completed 110 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Nebraska will go up for auction next month. Altra Nebraska, LLC began construction of this facility in 2006 and work halted in November of 2007 when additional financing could not be obtained due to economic challenges. The plant was expected to be one of Nebraska’s largest ethanol plants employing …
Don’t Penalize Biofuels
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a rule based on Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) that would penalize biofuel production such as corn-ethanol. The ethanol industry has banned together to fight this potential ruling, and today Growth Energy urged Congressional support of an amendment authored by Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. Specifically, the Harkin amendment to the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill, …
Pacific Ethanol Facing Stock Delisting
Pacific Ethanol will be booted from the NASDAQ unless its stock goes up soon. NASDAQ sent a letter last week notifying Pacific Ethanol that “it does not comply with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The NASDAQ Global Market set forth in NASDAQ Listing Rule 5450(a)(1).” The company has been given 180 calendar days, or until …
Brazil Proposes Sugarcane Zoning
In a pro-active attempt for the Brazilian ethanol industry to distance itself from ties to deforestation, the Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recently announced a legislative proposal called, “The Agro-ecological Zoning of Sugarcane,” that would in essence, “zone” where sugarcane could be grown and harvested throughout the country. The amount of sugarcane grown has increased significantly due to …