Most organizations weighing in on the final rule for required renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2019, and biomass-based diesel for 2020, released by EPA on Friday are disappointed. The rule maintains the 2019 conventional biofuels level at 15 billion gallons, in line with statute, while biomass-based diesel, advanced, and cellulosic categories all were increased …
NFU Radio Ad Urges E15 Action
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has launched a national radio ad campaign urging President Donald Trump to “keep his promises to family farmers by immediately implementing year-round E-15 and reversing the losses caused by the misappropriation of small refinery exemptions.” “Farmers are still at a net loss from Trump’s actions on biofuels,” the ad says, due to the EPA’s allocation …
Ethanol and Farm Groups Getting Impatient for Answers
In the wake of repeated promises and assurances from the Trump Administration, but no actions, ethanol stakeholder groups are running out of patience. In a joint letter to President Trump today, the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, National Sorghum Producers, American Coalition for Ethanol, Growth Energy, and Renewable Fuels Association urged the administration to …
NFU and Urban Air Initiative Join to Expand Biofuels Use
National Farmers Union, Farmers Union Enterprises and the Urban Air Initiative have announced the formation of a new alliance to expand the use of American-grown biofuels. The three groups intend to pursue a broad spectrum of advocacy and advertising activities in furtherance of social, regulatory and legislative solutions to current barriers that limit the amount of biofuels used in the …
NFU Raises Concerns About EPA REGS Rule
The National Farmers Union (NFU) and South Dakota Farmers Union are raising concerns that a proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule would ban the use of E16 or higher blends of ethanol in non-flexible fuel vehicles. The organizations sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt this week urging EPA not to finalize the proposed rule, Renewables Enhancement and Growth …
Farm and Biofuel Groups Sue EPA Over Lost Gallons
A coalition of biofuel and agriculture groups have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to change its regulations to “account for lost volumes of renewable fuel resulting from the unprecedented number of retroactive small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations recently granted by EPA.” The petitioners are the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Growth …
Ethanol Coalition Suing EPA Over Refinery Waivers
A coalition of farm and ethanol organizations has filed a lawsuit over the Environmental Protection Agency’s “secretive small refinery exemptions.” The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and National Farmers Union (NFU), with support of Farmers Union Enterprises, filed the suit late Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th …
RFS Waiver for Big Refiner Sparks Backlash
A Reuters report about EPA exempting one of the country’s largest oil refiners from complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) touched off a backlash from farm groups and ethanol organizations Tuesday. The National Farmers Union (NFU) was first to respond to the report that Texas-based Andeavor received small refiner economic hardship waivers for three of its 10 refineries that …
NFU President Joins Board of New Energy America
National Farmers Union’s (NFU) President Roger Johnson has joined the advisory board of New Energy America, a new organization created to promote clean energy jobs in rural America. As part of its launch last week, New Energy America released the first Fifty State Clean Energy Jobs Report, which shows that clean energy jobs outpace fossil energy jobs in 41 states. …
NFU Announces Biofuels Initiative
National Farmers Union (NFU) has announced an initiative “to advance federal policies that support homegrown and home-produced renewable energy sources.” “American family farmers and ranchers are facing a rapidly changing climate, a severely depressed farm economy, and deteriorating rural infrastructure and services,” said NFU President Roger Johnson during a press call to announce the effort. “Expansion of homegrown, renewable energy …