Small refinery exemptions were not the topic of an EPA hearing Friday in Michigan, but many witnesses used precious seconds of their allotted three minutes to comment on how they are impacting an already stressed ethanol industry. “While RFS small refinery exemptions (SREs) are not the explicit subject of this rulemaking or today’s hearing, we feel compelled to remind EPA …
EPA Grants Another Small Refinery Waiver
With a new waiver announced this week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now granted a total of 35 small-refinery exemption (SRE) from the 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance year. Another 39 requests are still pending for 2018 exemptions. “If these exemption trends continue, they will fully and completely undermine the RFS at the expense of rural America and …
Flooding Takes Bite Out of Ethanol Production
Repair crews are working around the clock to get roads and railways impacted by flooding in the Midwest back in service, while the latest weekly ethanol supply and demand numbers show production down due to the disaster. According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), ethanol production for the week ended March 22 fell 29,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 2.9%, …
KAAPA Ethanol Celebrates 15 Years
Nebraska’s KAAPA Ethanol LLC is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week. The farmer-owned company operates two Nebraska biorefineries. Its Minden plant produces 80 million gallons of ethanol from 27 million bushels of corn per year and has 37 employees. The company’s Ravenna plant produces more than 125 million gallons of ethanol from 42 million bushels of corn per year and …
Ethanol Production Down, Stocks Record High
The latest Energy Information Administration data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending March 15, shows ethanol production edged 1,000 barrels lower to an average of 1.004 million barrels per day (b/d), or 42.17 million gallons daily. However, the four-week average ethanol production rate grew 0.2% to 1.015 million b/d—equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.56 billion …
Ethanol Report on Fueling Knowledge
Spring is here at last and after a rough winter in most of the country there are lots of people ready to hit the road and enjoy some warmer weather activities, like motorcycle riding and fishing, for example. In this episode of the Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White talks about some of the …
RFA’s Ruff Elected to TRANSCAER® Exec Committee
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Technical Services Manager Missy Ruff was recently elected to the six person TRANSCAER® Executive Committee, which manages the TRANSCAER® program. Ruff will serve a two-year term. “Missy is a strong advocate for proper ethanol safety training and has been an active TRANSCAER® participant for a number of years,” said TRANSCAER® Director Erica Bernstein. “Through RFA’s …
Biofuels Groups Rip EPA for More Small Refinery Waivers
Much to the dismay of biofuels organizations, yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency approved five more 2017 Small Refinery Exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and noted that two more petitions have been received for 2018 exemptions, bringing the total to 39. “It’s extremely disappointing and outrageous to see EPA once again allow oil refiners to undermine the RFS and …
RFA Addresses Current Ethanol Issues
There’s been a lot going on in the world of ethanol recently – EPA just released its E15 RVP/RIN reform proposal, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is expected to announce pending petitions for more small refiner exemptions, and EIA just released final 2018 data confirming ethanol demand destruction – just to mention a few. The Renewable Fuels Association held a media …
Ethanol Groups Pleased with EPA Rule Release
Ethanol groups are pleased EPA has finally released a proposed rule that would allow sales of 15% ethanol fuel year round, but with just 80 days to go until the start of the summer driving season, getting it done in time would be a record-breaking feat, especially since it is tied to controversial reforms for the Renewable Identification Number (RIN) …