Ideal summer growing conditions have helped the U.S. corn crop bounce back from flood damage, according to the latest report from USDA. The August crop production forecast is now 12.3 billion bushels, nearly five percent higher than predicted last month. It is still down 6 percent from last year’s record, but up 17 percent from 2006. The big story in …
Ethanol Hearing to be Held in Omaha
The role of ethanol in rising food costs will be at the heart of a Senate Agriculture Committee field hearing August 18 in Omaha. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), who is a member of the committee, says the event will be a “pro-fact” hearing, not a pro-ethanol hearing. The committee decided to hold the hearing in the face of what Nelson …
Natural Gas Measure to Face California Voters
Besides the contest between Sens. McCain and Obama to see who will lead this country over the next four years, voters who go to the polls in California this November will decide if the state will fund some hefty rebates to people who buy cleaner-burning, natural gas-powered vehicles. This story from CNNMoney.com says the proposal could help put a million …
Basis of EPA Decision on Ethanol Waiver
The bottom line for the Environmental Protection Agency when it came to making a decision on the request for a partial waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard was the impact within the next year. According to EPA, “implementation of the RFS would have no significant impact in the relevant time frame (the 2008/2009 corn season), and the most likely result …
Ethanol Industry Pleased with EPA Decision
Reaction from the ethanol industry started coming out just minutes after the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would deny a request to cut the Renewable Fuels Standard. Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen calls the decision “an important victory for all Americans.” “Today’s EPA decision recognizes the importance of biofuels to the American economy,” Dinneen said in a statement. “The …
EPA Denies Ethanol Waiver Request
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it would deny a request by Texas Governor Rick Perry to reduce the Renewable Fuels Standard. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson says they carefully considered the more than 15,000 comments on the issue and found that “the RFS is not causing economic harm but is strengthening our nation’s energy security and supporting American farming …
EPA To Announce Ethanol Waiver Decision
The highly-anticipated decision by the Environmental Protection Agency on whether to grant a partial waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard will be announced Thursday afternoon. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson and Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Robert Meyers will hold a press conference at noon central time to officially answer the request from Texas Governor Rick Perry to cut the RFS ethanol …
Ag Secretary Addresses Florida Farm to Fuel Summit
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer traveled to Florida to address the third annual Florida Farm to Fuel Summit in Orlando. “This is the theme park capitol of the world, it is a city of dreams and the power of imagination,” Schafer told the group. “As we sit here in the land of imagination and dreams, it’s up to all …