The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing Wednesday to examine the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Chairman Tom Carper (D-DE) said the committee has not held an oversight hearing on the RFS since 2016. “Since the implementation of the program, we’ve come a long way toward achieving our goals. Economic growth in agricultural communities has expanded …
RFA Refutes Negative Ethanol Land Use Study
Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper is challenging the results of a new study out of the University of Wisconsin that claims corn ethanol is worse for the environment than gasoline. Seeking to set the record straight, Cooper said the report, which was funded in part by the National Wildlife Federation, is based on “a series of worst-case …
Ethanol Report on New Hauk Designs Project
In the wake of the successful flex-fuel Jeep Wrangler project in 2019, the Renewable Fuels Association and the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council are working together with Hauk Designs on a new Can-Am X3 project running on low-carbon E85 fuel, to be featured on Season 4 of the popular Hauk Machines television program. In this edition of The Ethanol Report, we …
Nebraska Ethanol Forum Next Month
Biofuels’ stakeholders and experts from across Nebraska and the nation will join together next month for the annual Ethanol: Emerging Issues Forum March 23-24 in La Vista, Nebraska. The Nebraska Ethanol Board and Renewable Fuels Nebraska organize the forum, which is in its 16th year. It brings together ethanol producers and others integrally involved in production, technology, policymaking and marketing …
Pearson Fuels Opens 250th E85 Station
Pearson Fuels this week opened its 250th retail E85 flex fuel station in California. Greg Jones, Director of Business Development at Pearson Fuels, says the milestone is long overdue because of the pandemic, supply chain issues and material delays. “In 2022, we’re looking forward to resuming our rapid pace of opening 50–60 new E85 stations per year. We’re also fortunate …
House Members Urge Support for RFS
U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN) led several co-chairs of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus in sending a letter urging the Biden Administration to take steps to protect and strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The letter encouraged EPA Administrator Michael Regan to maintain the blending requirements for 2022, deny all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs), reconsider proposed retroactive cuts to previously …
RFA Releases Ethanol and DDGS Export-Import Reports
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has just released the latest statistical reports on U.S. exports of ethanol and distillers grains in 2021. The ethanol trade summary report shows that 1.24 billion gallons were exported in 2021, representing 8.3 percent of total U.S. ethanol production. While this is 5 percent lower than 2020, it remains the fifth-largest export volume in history …
American Coalition for Ethanol Staff News
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) announces the hiring of a new Communications Manager, and the shifting of Ron Lamberty’s role to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Ashley Borchert, former Digital Marketing and Social Media intern at Midcontinent Communications (Midco), replaces Katie Muckenhirn who took on the role of ACE’s Vice President of Public Affairs last fall. Borchert’s responsibilities include handling …
Strong Support for EPA to Deny Small Refinery Exemptions
The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to deny 65 pending small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions is strongly supported by the ethanol industry. In comments on the proposal, the Renewable Fuels Association noted that such an action would “restore confidence” in the Renewable Fuel Standard program, and would also ensure the SRE program complies with the Tenth Circuit Court’s 2020 decision moving …
USDA to Invest $1 Billion in Climate Smart Commodities
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Jefferson City, Missouri yesterday to announce $1 billion in partnerships to support America’s climate-smart farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. The new Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse …