A Detroit-based fuel distribution company has received a $1.17 million grant to expand use of biodiesel for improved air quality in the metropolitan area. Waterfront Petroleum Terminal Company received the grant through the USDA High Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and plans to use the funds to add biodiesel storage tanks and equipment to its Dearborn fueling facility – increasing …
ACE Honors HBIIP Program Manager
As USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was handing out Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) grants in Minnesota on Friday, the manager of that program was being honored by the American Coalition for Ethanol at their annual meeting in Omaha, where the Secretary had been just the day before. Jeff Carpenter, who has managed the HBIIP program under USDA Rural Development …
USDA Marks IRA Anniversary with HBIIP Awards
To celebrate the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Minnesota to announce the funding of 160 projects in 26 states to expand access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels. USDA is providing $99.6 million through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and the Rural Energy for …
Vilsack Addresses ACE Ethanol Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) this week for the first time since 2012 and he thanked them for the work they have been doing on the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCCP started in South Dakota in 2021 and recently received a $35 million investment through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service …
USDA Forecasting Record Corn and Soybean Yields
The latest Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is forecasting record corn and soybean yields this year, with higher total production for soybeans and slightly lower for corn. Corn production is expected to be down 1% from last year at 15.1 billion bushels while soybean production is forecast to be 10% higher than 2023 at a …
Vilsack to Speak at ACE Conference
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be a keynote speaker at the American Coalition for Ethanol 37th annual conference in Omaha next week. Secretary Vilsack will speak on Thursday, August 15, at 9:00 AM Central. “Under Secretary Vilsack’s extraordinary leadership, USDA has provided critically important support to expand ethanol use and help ensure corn ethanol is part of the climate solution,” …
USDA Gets Climate Smart Farming Feedback
The U.S. Department of Agriculture received lots of input from biofuels groups this week on how to prove the impact of climate-smart farming practices on the greenhouse gas (GHG) net emissions estimates associated with the production of domestic agricultural commodities used as biofuel feedstocks, in response to a Federal Register request last month. The Request for Information is expected to …
Renewable Diesel Growth Impacts Feedstock Trade
USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) reports that tremendous growth in demand for renewable diesel over the past few years is resulting in significant impacts to global feedstock trade. Renewable diesel, like biodiesel, is produced from the same renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oils, animal fats, or used cooking oil (UCO). The difference is that renewable diesel is produced using a …
Ethanol Exports Bright Spot in USDA Outlook
The latest USDA export outlook has overall agricultural exports expected to be lower this year, but one of the bright spots in the forecast is ethanol, according to USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer. “For ethanol, we’re talking about a $3.5 billion export value rising to $4 billion in 2024,” said Meyer. “That’s about a 15 percent increase year over year …
GREET Model Update Expected Tuesday
The Biden administration is expected to finally release on Tuesday the long-awaited update to the GREET model to determine eligibility for feedstocks to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to news reports. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was in Michigan last week with House Agriculture Committee Member Elissa Slotkin to discuss various issues, including the pending GREET model changes. Brownfield …