When Nebraska farmer Jan tenBensel visits Capitol Hill offices, he represents a lot of voices as chairman of both the Nebraska Ethanol Board and the National Corn Growers Association Ethanol Action Team, but he believes it’s important for all ethanol advocates to make their voices heard wherever they are. “The importance of advocacy is that everybody can do it,” said …
Lawmakers Pressure Administration on Brazil Ethanol Tariff
Last week, U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) led two letters to the Biden administration – one to President Biden and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging greater action in developing new markets for biofuels exports, and a second to Tai and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack specifically requesting work toward a full repeal of the Brazilian …
Farm and Biofuel Groups Urge Adoption of GREET Model
It has now been almost three weeks since Biden administration officials failed to meet a March 1 deadline to adopt the U.S. Department of Energy’s GREET model for the calculation of SAF tax credits (40B) under the Inflation Reduction Act, and groups representing farmers and ethanol producers who would benefit are getting impatient. A letter was sent this week to …
Ethanol Industry Partners for Progress
Powered by Partnerships was the theme of the 2024 National Ethanol Conference last week in San Diego and the partners for the ethanol industry now include some brand new alliances and former adversaries. The Partnering for Progress panel at the conference included representatives from the petroleum industry, car makers, airlines, convenience stores, and farmers. Much of the conversation centered around …
Corn Farmers Express Concerns About EV Focus
Thousands of farmers from across the country signed a letter that was sent to President Joe Biden last week expressing concern that his administration is taking a short-sighted approach to addressing climate change by prioritizing the use of electric vehicles over biofuels, such as corn ethanol, as it works to drastically lower the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. “If we are …
NCGA Cobcast on Corn, Ethanol and the RFS
The latest episode of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Cobcast podcast features a discussion on how the Renewable Fuel Standard changed the corn industry and made ethanol one of the most important markets for corn. The podcast features agricultural economist Scott Irwin from the University of Illinois; Julie Busse, a member of the NCGA ethanol team; and Bradley Schad, …
Ethanol Remains Top Priority for Corn Growers
Ethanol remains a top priority for the National Corn Growers Association, as Minnesota farmer Harold Wolle, takes over as president of the organization this week. During a press conference Tuesday, Wolle talked about his goals over the next year, including support of the Next Generation Fuels Act in the House and Senate while making ethanol a go-to biofuel in the …
NCGA Calls on Members to Comment on CAFE Standards
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) this week called on its members to urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to provide a level playing field for biofuels such as ethanol by submitting comments on the agency’s proposed increase in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard. NHTSA has proposed that the CAFE standard, which regulates how much fuel a …
NCGA Tells EPA to Follow the Science on Ethanol
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) sent a letter last week to the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan addressing recent concerns raised by the agency’s scientific advisory board about the environmental benefits of ethanol. In the letter, NCGA CEO Neil Caskey noted that the research shows unequivocally that ethanol is important to addressing climate change. “There are no shortage …
Corn Growers Urge Treasury to Use GREET Model
As news reports last week indicated the Biden administration will delay a critical decision regarding qualifications for Sustainable Aviation Fuel until December, corn grower leaders sent a letter urging adoption of the industry standard to determine which biofuels lower greenhouse gas emissions enough to qualify for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. The letter sent to Treasury Secretary Janet …