A Federal District Court judge in Fresno, California has sided with America’s ethanol industry in ruling that the State of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and is therefore unconstitutional. In a joint statement, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen and Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis said: “The state of …
Top Ethanol Stories of 2011
Ethanol industry developments in 2011 have set the stage for a new era. The Renewable Fuels Association has identified five top stories for the ethanol world from 2011 that will change the future. They are: 1. EPA approval of 15 percent ethanol for use in 2001 and newer vehicles 2. The end of the blenders tax credit and secondary tariff …
USDA Report Shows No Cropland Growth for Ethanol
The amount of land in the United States devoted to growing crops declined between 2002 and 2007, which indicates that increased ethanol production is not using up more land. According to the report, “Major Uses of Land in the United States 2007,” total cropland was down by 34 million acres in 2007 to its lowest level since 1945. Cropland accounted …
RFA Seeks Answers in 2012 RFS Delay
Today, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) wrote to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson seeking an explanation for the delay in releasing the 2012 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements. According to statute, volume requirements for the coming compliance year were due by November 30th. The entire letter from RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen to Administrator Jackson is as …
Holiday Greetings from the Renewable Fuels Association
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) sends holiday greetings to all.
Doing the Ethanol Shuffle
There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles. No, it’s not a new dance, this shuffle is all about the “confounded realignment of the global ethanol trade.” Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper wrote about the “Ethanol Shuffle” this week on the RFA E-xchange …
Ethanol Industry Wants Cellulosic Incentives Continued
Advanced biofuel producers are calling on Congress to take action now to ensure that tax incentives for cellulosic ethanol continue past 2012. In a letter to Congressional leaders, the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) asked for a multi-year extension of the Cellulosic Biofuels Producer Tax Credit (PTC) and the Special Depreciation Allowance for Cellulosic Biofuel Plant Property, both of which are …
Ethanol Groups Oppose Legislative Proposal
A number of ethanol supporting organizations recently sent a letter to the chairman and ranking members of the U.S. Senate and House Appropriations Committees urguing them to oppose a proposal by Reps. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) that would delay commercialization of next generation ethanol. The groups, which includ Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, the American Coalition …
Ethanol Exports Remain Strong
The latest government data on exports for October shows continued strong demand overseas for U.S. ethanol. According to the data, exports of denatured and undenatured ethanol which are not eligible for VEETC totaled 121.4 million gallons. That is just short of the record 127.4 million gallons of exports set in July 2011. On the Renewable Fuels Association E-xchange Blog, RFA’s …
US and Brazil Spar Over Ethanol Trade Policy
Brazilian and U.S. ethanol interests are challenging each other over ethanol trade policy. The U.S./Brazil Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote a joint letter to Congress last week asking that the U.S. secondary tariff on imported ethanol be allowed to expire as scheduled at the end of the year, together with the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). …