Nine leading biofuel and farm organizations sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler Tuesday asking him for answers on what is seen as a new effort to undermine the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). During a Senate hearing last month, administration officials confirmed their consideration of retroactive small refinery exemptions (SREs) covering previous years. The “gap-filings” are …
Ag and Biofuel Groups Ask Congress for COVID-19 Relief
America’s top biofuel and farm advocates are calling on Congress to ensure the next round of COVID-19 relief includes U.S. ethanol and biodiesel production. A joint letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was signed by the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the National Biodiesel Board, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Corn Growers …
Coalition Opposes API Petition on 2020 RFS Obligations
A coalition of ethanol and farm groups sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday opposing the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) recent petition requesting reconsideration of the 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) final rule. API claims reconsideration of the 2020 RFS rule is necessary in light of the coalition’s recent Tenth Circuit court victory that overturned small refinery …
NCGA CEO Podcast on Future of Ethanol
This may be a tumultuous time for corn farmers and ethanol producers – but then again, the ethanol industry’s entire history has been a roller coaster ride. The latest episode of “Wherever Jon May Roam” with National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) CEO Jon Doggett revisits the battles that got us to this point with “the Godfather of Ethanol” himself, Bob …
Administration Will Not Appeal Tenth Circuit SRE Ruling
Biofuels stakeholders are celebrating some good news today with word that the Trump administration had made the decision not to request a rehearing of the recent unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that the EPA had “vastly exceeded its authority in granting exemptions from 2016 and 2017 RFS requirements to three refineries.” The challenge …
Coalition Launches Drop the Appeal Campaign
The Trump Administration needs to make a decision by March 23 whether to appeal the unanimous 10th Circuit Court decision against the EPA’s small refinery exemption program, and the coalition that brought the case has launched a new social media campaign urging the administration to drop the appeal. The coalition, made up of the Renewable Fuels Association, National Corn Growers …
Ethanol Report 3-16-20
What a difference a month can make! A month ago, the ethanol industry was celebrating the 10th Circuit Court decision that would require EPA to severely limit its small refinery exemptions, and coronavirus was still a problem somewhere else. Last week, just as COVID-19 started to fully hit the fan here in the United States, the Trump Administration snatched defeat …
Farmers, Biofuel Producers Urge Trump to Support RFS
Farmer leaders and biofuel producers from the Midwest today expressed their concerns about news that the Trump administration has reversed course and decided to side with oil companies in their court battle against biofuels. The debate centers around a unanimous court decision that would halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) abuse of Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel …
Ethanol Case Groups Disappointed in Appeal Extension
The four organizations involved in the case against the Environmental Protection Agency over granting of small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) are disappointed the Trump Administration has been granted more time to consider an appeal of the court decision siding with the plaintiffs. The petitioners in the case—the Renewable Fuels Association, National Corn Growers Association, American Coalition …
NCGA President Filled With Ethanol Pride
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president and Iowa farmer Kevin Ross had the chance last week to attend the National Ethanol Conference and celebrate recent wins with the industry, like the recent Tenth Circuit court decision. “Just a fabulous result for us and everybody in the industry,” said Ross during an interview last week at the National Ethanol Conference. “And …