A former steel mill worker pursuing a degree while working full-time in the U.S. ethanol industry is this year’s student scholarship winner to attend the Renewable Fuels Association’s National Ethanol Conference next week in San Antonio. Christopher Wense is a full time Ethanol Plant Operations Technician at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and is …
Senators Speak Out to Approve Northey Nomination
After nearly four months of having the nomination of Iowa’s Bill Northey to the U.S. Department of Agriculture held up by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) brought it up on the Senate floor Wednesday and called on other colleagues to back him up. Northey was nominated to be USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation in …
Harvard Professor Says RVP Parity Will Lower RIN Prices
A professor of economics at Harvard University claims that providing RVP parity for E15 would be the most direct way to lower RIN prices. A recent paper from economist Professor James H. Stock argues that providing RVP parity for E15 would facilitate increased ethanol blending, which in turn would drive increased generation and availability of RIN credits and ultimately lower …
Eight Ethanol Safety Seminars in Kentucky
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and TRANSCAER® are jointly hosting eight ethanol safety seminars in Kentucky during the month of February. The ethanol safety seminars are funded through a Federal Railroad Administration/ TRANSCAER® grant, in partnership with the Paducah & Louisville Railway. Registration is free and lunch will be provided. Registration is limited and Certificates of Completion will be awarded …
Over 30 States Broke Blend Wall in 2016
The latest data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) shows that gasoline consumed in 30 states and the District of Columbia in 2016 contained more than 10 percent ethanol on average, breaking through the so-called E10 Blend Wall. That compares to 2015 when the national average ethanol content was 9.91 percent and 25 states (plus the District of Columbia) …
Reaction to President Trump’s SOTU
President Donald Trump did mention energy in his first State of the Union address, albeit briefly. “We have ended the war on American energy, and we have ended the war on beautiful clean coal,” said the president. “We are now very proudly an exporter of energy to the world.” Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen appreciates the …
RFA: RFS Not to Blame for Refinery Bankruptcy
Philadelphia Energy Solutions, (PES) the largest oil refinery on the east coast, filed for bankruptcy protection last week, blaming the Renewable Fuel Standard for its financial problems, but Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen disagrees. In an op-ed in The Hill today, Dinneen says PES has no one to blame but itself. “PES operates one of the nation’s oldest refineries, …
Ethanol Report on RFA Educational Efforts
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is targeting boaters and future drivers in educational efforts for 2018 with the renewal of its co-title sponsorship of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail, and the launch of an on-line Ethanol in the Classroom program. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White talks about the importance …
RFA Cites Small Refiner Exemption Concerns
Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen sent a letter last week to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt expressing concern about a troubling “lack of transparency” in EPA’s management of the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) small refinery exemption provisions that could “destabilize the market for renewable fuels and undermine Congress’s goals for the RFS program.” EPA has the ability …
RFA Develops ‘Ethanol in the Classroom’ Program
The Renewable Fuels Association has developed a new on-line educational program designed to help tomorrow’s consumers get to know ethanol. The new “Ethanol in the Classroom” course provides a fun and interactive way for students to learn about the renewable fuel. The e-Learning program is broken down into different grade levels and after selecting the appropriate level, students choose a …