USDA’s World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimate for December calls for greater corn use for ethanol, larger exports, and lower ending stocks. Corn used to produce ethanol is raised 50 million bushels to 5.5 billion, based on the most recent data from the Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report and weekly ethanol production data as reported by the Energy Information …
Ag Secretary Nominee Ready to Make Ag Great Again
After a fake news rumor late Friday naming a former U.S. Senator from Georgia, President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday nominated Texas native Brooke Rollins, president and chief executive officer of the America First Policy Institute, to become the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. “As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are …
Implementation Plan for SAF Challenge Released
The U.S. Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Agriculture have released the Implementation Framework for the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Grand Challenge Roadmap. The SAF Grand Challenge was launched in 2021 as a government-wide strategy for identifying new technologies to produce SAF on a commercial scale with the overall goal to produce three billion gallons per year of domestic SAF by …
Kip Tom Reflects on Trump Election
Indiana farmer Kip Tom is one of several names being floated as possible Secretary of Agriculture in the new Trump Administration. Tom runs a successful international farming operation and served as Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture during President Trump’s previous term. “When I think about President Trump and comparing 45 to 47, my perception is …
USDA Announces $239 Million for Domestic Biofuels
USDA this week announced the awarding of $39 million in grants to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 18 states, and an allocation making $200 million available through the new Biobased Market Access and Development Grants from Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds. Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced the awards and funding made possible through the Higher Blends Infrastructure …
USDA Celebrates $3 Billion for Climate-Smart Commodities
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack traveled to Pennsylvania last week to celebrate investing over $3 billion in 135 projects under the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities since its creation in September 2022. Vilsack highlighted the initiative’s success to date, including: – Enrollment of over 3.2 million acres of working land into climate-smart practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon. …
ACE Submits Comments on Climate-Smart Ag Practices
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) this week submitted virtual comments in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) request for information on the production of biofuel feedstocks using climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices. ACE CEO Brian Jennings emphasized the organization’s key priorities and encouraged USDA to continue engaging with Treasury and leverage ACE’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects …
RFA Surpasses $200 Million in HBIIP Grant Support
Over the past year, the Renewable Fuels Association has helped fuel retailers and distributors apply for more than $200 million in USDA grant funding under USDA’s Higher Blend Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) during the final application window for the program which closed September 30. The project applications facilitated by RFA represent the addition of nearly 6,300 higher-blend (E15-E85) dispensers in …
Ethanol Groups Urge Book and Claim for CSA
USDA received testimony Tuesday at a public consultation on climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and biofuel feedstocks urging federal agencies to embrace book-and-claim supply chain management approaches to decouple CSA carbon credits. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said in his testimony that innovative supply chain management solutions are needed to fully realize the benefits of CSA practices in the …
ACE Supports Continuation of USDA HBIIP Funds
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) has assisted fuel retailers and helped raise awareness of USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) over the past year through its flexfuelforward.com website, targeted digital advertising campaign and presence at multiple trade shows. The work allowed many prospective E15 and flex fuels retailers find information about applying for and obtaining part of the …