Sec. Vilsack Talks Biofuels at Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the Farm Progress Show in Iowa Tuesday, the first time he has visited the show since 2012.

Vilsack used the occasion to talk about some recent accomplishments, including expanding rural broadband, conservation and biofuel provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, new opportunities to improve nutrient management, an organic transition initiative, and $100 million in funding for higher biofuel blends infrastructure.

“We’re going to help over 1000 locations across the country – 600 storage tanks, 5000 dispensers, E15, E85. It really increases the opportunities there,” said Vilsack.

Listen to Vilsack’s remarks with questions from Max Armstrong and Jacqui Fatka with Farm Progress.
FPS22 Sec. Tom Vilsack (29:31)

Audio, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farm Progress Show, USDA

ACE Scholarship Winners Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is pleased to introduce its 2022 scholarship recipients – Heath Huschitt, Tyler Robert and Mallorie Schultz. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship through ACE’s Scholarship Program to help further their collegiate education.

Heath Huschitt; Tyler Robert; and Mallorie Schultz

Heath Huschitt is from Monroe, Wisconsin, and will be pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity at the University of Dubuque, Iowa. Heath participated in cross country, track, FFA, 4-H and Investment Club. This year, Heath served as the Monroe FFA Chapter Vice President and received the Dekalb award. Heath is the son of Erik and Heather Huschitt. His father Erik is the CEO and GM of ACE ethanol producer member Badger State Ethanol, LLC in Monroe, Wisconsin.

Tyler Robert is from Bellevue, Nebraska, and attends the University of Nebraska – Omaha, in Omaha, Nebraska, where he studies Civil Engineering. Tyler is a member of the Engineering Ambassador’s Network for the Nebraska College of Engineering, is Student President intern for the National Society of Leadership and Success and is a Geotechnical Engineering intern at the Schemmer Associates Inc. Tyler is the son of Adam Robert. His father is affiliated with ACE ethanol producer member Dakota Ethanol, LLC in Wentworth, South Dakota.

Mallorie Schultz is from Madison, South Dakota, and will be pursuing a degree in nursing at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mallorie is the daughter of Terry Schultz. Her father is affiliated with ACE ethanol producer member Dakota Ethanol, LLC in Wentworth, South Dakota.

ACE, Ethanol, Ethanol News

2022 National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2022 National Carbon Capture Conference and Expo will be held November 8-9 at the Iowa Event Center in Des Moines.

Produced by Carbon Capture Magazine and BBI International, the National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo is a two-day event designed specifically for companies and organizations advancing technologies and policy that support the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all sources, including fossil fuel-based power plants, ethanol production plants and industrial processes, as well as directly from the atmosphere. The program will focus on research, data, trends and information on all aspects of CCUS with the goal to help companies build knowledge, connect with others, and better understand the market and carbon utilization.

The conference is being supported by biofuels organizations including the Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, and Clean Fuels Alliance America.

ACE, biofuels, Carbon, carbon capture, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

USGC Promotes Ethanol and DDGS Exports

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) organized a mission to Brazil last week to learn about the market potential Brazilian corn ethanol has domestically and globally and about logistics faced by U.S. ethanol exporters to Brazil at the main ports situated in the northeastern part of the country.

The team included Duane Kristensen, Chief Ethanol Fuels, Inc.; Mackenzie Boubin, USGC director of global ethanol market development; Juan Sebastian Diaz, USGC regional ethanol consultant for Latin America; Danielle Ramos, government affairs coordinator with Suape Port; and Kelly Nieuwenhuis, Iowa Corn Promotion Board. They are pictured here with Danielle Ramos, government affairs coordinator with Suape Port; and Fernanda Burle with MJAB.

The Council has been active in Brazil advocating to reduce the duties applied to U.S. ethanol and to help certify ethanol plants under the RenovaBio program. In March 2022, Brazil decided to drop the common Mercosur duty of 20 percent on all ethanol imports until Dec. 31 as an effort against inflation. Council efforts this year have been aimed at turning this into a permanent decision.

This week, the council organized a group of representatives from the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, Ohio Corn Marketing Program and the Kentucky Corn Promotion Council to Sonora, Mexico, to check out some investments made by their organizations to increase utilization of DDGS.

The organizations have been working with the Sonora Pork Producers Association, an MOU partner, in Ferropuerto on increasing the volume of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) among swine, poultry and cattle producers and will begin working closely with the Hermosillo Cattle Producers Association on conducting proper analysis of feed rations to fully utilize the value of U.S. corn.

Through this mission, the Council looks to maintain its long-term relationships with major grain importers and end users across Sonora, while solidifying strategic relationships in Mexico by working directly with organizations in U.S. corn-producing states.

USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand talked about the council’s efforts to increase exports of U.S. ethanol and co-products in this interview at the recent American Coalition for Ethanol conference.
ACE22 interview with USGC CEO Ryan LeGrand (7:34)

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, USGC

ACE Ready to Help Retailers With HBIIP

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) welcomed this week’s news that the application period is now open for latest round of USDA’s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP), which will provide $100 million in grants to pay up to 50 percent of the cost of equipment for station owners to add or upgrade to sell higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85.

Marketing higher blends was a big focus at the recent ACE Conference in Omaha, where they held a pre-conference retailers workshop, as well as retailer panel featuring Randy Gard, Bosselman Enterprises, and Jeff Wilkerson, Pearson Fuels.

Bosselman owns Pump & Pantry™ hometown convenience stores with locations throughout the state of Nebraska featuring quality Boss Fuel™ ethanol blends. “Simply put, we love ethanol at the retail level,” said Gard, who explained how Bosselman started with higher blends in 2016.

Pearson Fuels became a pioneer in the alternative fuel industry in 2002 and is the largest and fastest growing distributor of E85 in the state of California. “In a state like California, gasoline is on borrowed time, but California knows they still need liquid fuel,” said Wilkerson. With state regulations calling for lower and lower carbon intensity scores, he sees great potential for ethanol in the future.

ACE Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty says they are gearing up to help other retailers sell higher blends with this new round of funding. “We’ll again promote USDA’s biofuel infrastructure program with paid advertising, a new round of video tutorials we plan to film with the USDA HBIIP manager, and by helping retailers across the country submit applications.”

Listen to Gard and Wilkerson during the retailer panel at the recent ACE Conference.
ACE22 remarks Randy Gard and Jeff Wilkerson (25:58)

Listen to Ron Lamberty’s industry update from ACE
ACE22 Ron Lemberty remarks (14:17)

2022 ACE Annual Conference Photo Album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News

USDA Opens Applications for Higher Blends Funding

Cindy Zimmerman

L-R: Sec. Vilsack; Nathanial Doddridge, Casey’s; Sen. Duckworth

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week that applications are now being accepted for the latest round of funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). The program seeks to market higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by sharing the costs to build and retrofit biofuel-related infrastructure such as pumps, dispensers and storage tanks.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the announcement Tuesday at a central Illinois Casey’s General Store with Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Nathanial Doddridge, Vice President of Fuel for Casey’s General Stores. “Biofuels are homegrown fuels. Expanding the availability of higher-blend fuels is a win for American farmers, the rural economy and hardworking Americans who pay the price here at home when we depend on volatile fuel sources overseas,” said Vilsack.

Listen to the announcement here:
Sen. Duckworth and USDA Sec Vilsack (3:28)

“This investment by USDA in lower-cost, lower-carbon biofuels will benefit consumers across the country, while also creating new market opportunities for America’s farmers and ethanol producers,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper, who joined USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack for the announcement. “USDA’s previous investments in biofuels infrastructure yielded huge dividends for drivers this summer, as higher blends like E15 and E85 were the most affordable options at the pump.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty said the program helps make lower carbon ethanol blends available in more locations to help meet greenhouse gas reduction goals. “There are more than 20 million flex fuel vehicles on the road already and if we’re serious about decreasing transportation carbon emissions, more E15 and E85 fueling locations can help move the needle in weeks and months, not years,” said Lamberty.

ACE held a retailer workshop earlier this month in Omaha to help prepare them for the new round of funding and they are working on new video tutorials with the USDA HBIIP manager to assist retailers across the country in submitting applications.

ACE, Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, USDA

Ethanol Report on Upcoming Export Exchange

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy are once again joining together to host the 2022 Export Exchange. U.S. suppliers of coarse grains and co-products, industry representatives and members of the grain trade are encouraged to register now for the event scheduled for October 12-14, 2022, in Minneapolis.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report, we hear from RFA VP Technical & Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis and US Grains Council President and CEO Ryan LeGrand about the current state of ethanol and co-products exports and why producers should attend the Export Exchange.

Ethanol Report 8-23-22 (15:11)

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Export Exchange, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, USGC

ACE Explores Ethanol’s Expanding Role in Carbon Market

Cindy Zimmerman

As Congress was passing sweeping legislation last week with provisions targeted on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the American Coalition for Ethanol was holding its annual conference focused on ethanol’s role in turning down carbon intensity.

ACE CEO Brian Jennings says the Inflation Reduction Act “recognizes the role farmers and biofuel producers can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and validates the work ACE has put forth to position corn ethanol as a meaningful part of the climate solution.”

Among several sessions focused on carbon reduction, the final panel at the ACE conference offered more insight into the world of carbon sequestration strategies to achieve GHG reductions and provide significant return on investment for low carbon producers.

ACE Board Member and farmer Ron Alverson moderated the panel with Jim Pirolli, Chief Commercial Officer, Summit Carbon Solutions and Scott Rennie, CEO, Vault 44.01.

ACE22 remarks Jim Pirolli, Summit Carbon Solutions (23:57)

ACE22 remarks Scott Rennie, Vault 44.01 (23:05)

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Carbon, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farming

Bill Includes Farms and Biofuels for Climate Action

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm and biofuel organizations are pleased with provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law by President Biden Tuesday, including new funding to encourage agricultural conservation programs and advance biofuels.

“Through this legislation, Congress and the administration recognize that farmers’ voluntary climate-smart agricultural practices are an important part of addressing climate change,” said Brooke Appleton, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) vice president of public policy. “We are also particularly pleased to see Congress and the administration acknowledge that low-carbon biofuels like ethanol are needed to help decarbonize transportation and improve energy security.”

The law allocates $19.9 billion for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs and $1 billion for additional conservation technical assistance. For biofuels, the legislation includes $500 million for infrastructure for greater market deployment of higher blends of biofuels as well as new tax credits based on carbon reduction to incentivize clean fuels and new sustainable aviation fuel.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says the bill puts ethanol on a sustainable path for growth and investment. “Several provisions within this bill are very important to the U.S. biofuels industry and will result in American families having greater access to low-carbon, more affordable, domestically made renewable fuels. We look forward to helping the administration implement the key provisions within this legislation.”

RFA Senior VP, Government & Public Affairs, Troy Bredenkamp summarizes the provisions in the bill that help farmers and biofuel producers contribute more to a low carbon future.
RFA's Troy Bredenkamp on Inflation Reduction Act (3:51)

Audio, biofuels, corn

USDA Forecasts Lower for Corn

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA has lower forecasts this month for corn production, supplies, exports, and ending stocks.

The August Crop Production report from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates corn production down 5% from last year, forecast at 14.4 billion bushels while soybean growers are expected to increase their production by two percent from 2021 to 4.53 billion bushels.

In this month’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, the 2022/23 U.S. corn outlook is for lower supplies, reduced feed and residual use, slightly higher food, seed, and industrial use, smaller exports, and lower ending stocks. Projected beginning stocks for 2022/23 are 20 million bushels higher based on a lower use forecast for 2021/22, where a reduction in corn used for ethanol is partially offset by greater use for glucose and dextrose.

The season’s first survey-based corn yield forecast, at 175.4 bushels per acre, is 1.6 bushels below last month’s projection. Total U.S. corn use for 2022/23 is reduced 45 million bushels to 14.5 billion. Feed and residual use is lowered 25 million bushels based on a smaller crop. Corn used for glucose and dextrose is projected higher based on observed use during 2021/22. Exports for 2022/23 are cut 25 million bushels to 2.4 billion. With supply falling more than use, ending stocks are lowered 82 million bushels to 1.4 billion. The season-average corn price received by producers is unchanged at $6.65 per bushel.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Feed, USDA