National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Kenneth Hartman Jr. this week spoke to officials at the White House, telling them that farmers are living through difficult economic times, but the administration and Congress can help by removing barriers so growers can access expanding markets for U.S. corn. “On behalf of my fellow corn growers, I spoke about the need to …
Export Exchange 2024 Concludes
Export Exchange 2024, sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), wrapped up Wednesday in Fort Worth as trade teams began visits across the country to key components of the agricultural value chain. “We are incredibly excited to see the impact that this week will have in the coming year as international stakeholders …
Ethanol Report with New RFA Chair
The Renewable Fuels Association recently held its annual membership meeting in Milwaukee and elected new officers, including Jeff Oestmann with Aztalan Bio. Oestmann has been actively involved in the ethanol industry for nearly 30 years and is excited to take on this new leadership role for RFA. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Oestmann discusses the current state …
RFA Surpasses $200 Million in HBIIP Grant Support
Over the past year, the Renewable Fuels Association has helped fuel retailers and distributors apply for more than $200 million in USDA grant funding under USDA’s Higher Blend Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) during the final application window for the program which closed September 30. The project applications facilitated by RFA represent the addition of nearly 6,300 higher-blend (E15-E85) dispensers in …
Ethanol Groups Urge Book and Claim for CSA
USDA received testimony Tuesday at a public consultation on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and biofuel feedstocks urging federal agencies to embrace book-and-claim supply chain management approaches to decouple CSA carbon credits. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said in his testimony that innovative supply chain management solutions are needed to fully realize the benefits of CSA practices in the …
Summit Next Gen Reports Progress on SAF Facility
Summit Next Gen recently closed on its site for the development of a planned ethanol-to-jet sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) production platform that will be the largest in the world. The 60-acre site is located on the Houston Ship Channel to leverage existing and planned marine, pipeline, rail and other logistics infrastructure to source ethanol feedstock for the facility and deliver …
ACE Supports Continuation of USDA HBIIP Funds
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has assisted fuel retailers and helped raise awareness of USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) over the past year through its flexfuelforward.com website, targeted digital advertising campaign and presence at multiple trade shows. The work allowed many prospective E15 and flex fuels retailers find information about applying for and obtaining part of the …
Iowa Awards $4 Million in E15 Grants
The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) last week awarded over $4 million in grants to add E15 (15% ethanol fuel) to 86 retail sites throughout the state. Under Iowa’s E15 Access Standard adopted in 2022, retailers have until January 1, 2026 to offer E15 for sale to Iowa motorists. Earlier this year, the Iowa Legislature streamlined E15 requirements and …
House Bill Introduced For Year-Round E15
Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Angie Craig (D-MN), together with Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Sharice Davids (D-KS), have introduced the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act which would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends up to 15 percent. The bill is …
Senators Launch Sustainable Aviation Caucus
U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Boozman (R-AR) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have launched the Senate Sustainable Aviation Caucus to promote the longevity of the aviation industry and the renewable fuels industry. “As the aviation industry strives for lower emissions and cleaner energy sources, the development and utilization of sustainable aviation fuel will be a critical element,” …