Corn growers are pleased with the ruling last week by a Federal District Court judge in Fresno, California that the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and is therefore unconstitutional. The ruling is in response to a suit filed in December 2009 by the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy asserting that the LCFS violates the Commerce Clause by seeking to regulate farming and ethanol production practices in other states.
“This ruling reaffirms our position that the state of California violated the U.S. Constitution when it created a low carbon fuel standard punitive to farmers and ethanol producers outside of the state’s border,” said National Corn Growers Association President Garry Niemeyer. “Corn farmers are good stewards and advocates for thoughtful, fair strategies that will improve our environment through the advancement of biofuels. We hope that this ruling will lead to an inclusive discussion where regulators join other stakeholders to find effective renewable energy solutions.”
The judge ruled that the LCFS discriminates against out-of-state corn-derived ethanol and impermissibly regulates extraterritorial conduct and that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) failed to establish that there are no alternative methods to advance its goals of reducing GHG emissions to combat global warming.
At the end of 2011, the 
In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen comments on the year in preview and some of the top ethanol stories he expects to see in 2012.
Company officials say the plant closures are temporary and due to current depressed market conditions for ethanol. The two plants amount to 55 million gallons per year of production.
The two Republican presidential candidates who topped the Iowa Caucus in a virtual dead heat Tuesday night are both considered to be supporters of renewable fuels.
In honor of the cooperative’s 85th anniversary this year, a 
The renewal of the biodiesel tax incentive at the end of 2010 led to record production this year and a renewed optimism for the industry. Meanwhile, the ethanol industry saw the approval of E15 in newer vehicles at the beginning of the year, although it has yet to make it to the pump, and the end of 2011 means the end of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit and associated import tariff. 2011 was also a great year at the races, with NASCAR fueled with 15% American Ethanol.
