The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today updated the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program website to increase transparency and include new data and information for both stakeholders and the public. The data will provide new information for renewable fuel producers, fuel refiners, importers, and marketers including: The number of small refinery exemption petitions received, approved, and denied for each compliance year; …
Summer Restriction on E15 Sales Ends Sunday
The kids are back in school now and this weekend E15 will be back at the pump. The regulatory restriction, which President Trump has called “ridiculous” and “unnecessary,” that prevents gasoline retailers from selling 15% ethanol (E15) in much of the country during the summer will finally be lifted on Sunday, Sept. 16. This will once again allow consumers across …
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 …
Ethanol Report on Helping Refiners and Hurting Ethanol
The actions and inaction of the Trump Administration continue to hurt the ethanol industry and farmers, despite words and promises. Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) notes that an updated analysis from the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) shows the U.S. ethanol industry could lose 4.6 billion gallons of domestic demand and nearly $20 billion in sales revenue over the …
RFS Issues Being Worked on “Feverishly”
Speaking with reporters at the swearing-in ceremony for new USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Jim Hubbard, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue provided an update on what is being done to resolve issues surrounding the Renewable Fuels Standard. “We’re working feverishly to resolve the RFS issue,” said Perdue, who added that he has been working with EPA Acting Administrator …
Ethanol Groups File New Lawsuit Over Exemptions
Two major ethanol advocacy organizations are demanding transparency from the Environmental Protection Agency on the granting of small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy filed a joint lawsuit in federal district court, alleging that EPA and Department of Energy have “improperly denied agency records requested …. under the Freedom of …
RFA Past President Preaches for Ethanol
The preacher in Randy Doyal came out at a rally for E15 and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) this week at the Farm Progress Show. Doyal, who is past president of the Renewable Fuels Association and CEO of Al-Corn Clean Energy in Minnesota, proclaimed to the crowd gathered at the rally that corn ethanol is actually created by solar power. …
Secretary Sonny Shows Ethanol Support
A rally organized by corn and ethanol producers at the Farm Progress Show got the attention of USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey who stopped by to show their support. It was a last minute decision by the secretary, who brought greetings and another promise from President Trump, who called Perdue as …
NBB Seeks Higher Biodiesel Volumes
Comments filed by the National Biodiesel Board on the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2019 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2020 urge EPA to increase the volumes in both categories and to fully account for small refinery exemptions. In a letter accompanying the comments, Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for NBB, writes, “The biomass-based diesel industry has proven …
Ethanol Stakeholders Submit RFS Comments
Friday was the final day to submit comments to the EPA on proposed 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and ethanol stakeholders made sure they had their say. Despite the EPA specifically noting that comments on small refinery exemptions would be “deemed beyond the scope of this rulemaking,” every group commenting had something to say about the …