Membership News from RFA

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has announced the selection of Mark Gouthro to lead the association’s Technical Committee. Gouthro has worked as lab manager at E Energy Adams in Nebraska since 2016.

The Technical Committee is one of RFA’s four member committees on important ethanol industry topics, and focuses heavily on fuel specifications and standards such as ASTM International, National Conference of Weights and Measures, ISO, Canadian General Standards Board, and other international fuel requirements. RFA’s three other committees focus on Co-Products, New Uses, and Environmental Health & Safety. Participation in committees is an exclusive RFA member benefit.

Speaking of RFA members, the organization gained two new ones this week.

Heron Lake BioEnergy has joined RFA as its newest producer member. The Minnesota-based biorefinery produces approximately 59 million gallons annually, using about 21 million bushels of corn. The facility was recently acquired by Granite Falls Energy, and CEO Jeff Oestmann will represent both plants on the RFA Board of Directors.

RFA also welcomed StepOne Tech America as its newest associate member. Founded 10 years ago in Finland, the company develops and sells eFlexFuel E85 flex fuel conversion kits for the US market.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

MN Ag Commissioner Visits Granite Falls Energy

Cindy Zimmerman

Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen, front left, visits Granite Falls Energy

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen visited the Granite Falls Energy plant last week to gain a better understanding of the ethanol industry’s efforts in lowering its carbon footprint and its role in helping the state achieve its emission reduction goals.

“Our industry plays a vital role in strengthening Minnesota’s economy and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. During the commissioners tour of our plant, we briefed him on our efforts to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint, providing high-tech jobs and continuing our commitment to Minnesota’s agriculture industry,” said Jeff Oestmann, CEO of Granite Falls Energy.

He said Peterson was briefed on measures that can be taken to increase ethanol usage in Minnesota such as utilizing federal funding to increase biofuel infrastructure, require state fleet vehicles to use E15 or E85 (in the case of flex-fuel vehicles) and advance a clean fuel standard that would provide ethanol with a proper carbon credit using the GREET model.

Additionally, Oestmann said the commissioner was briefed on some of the challenges facing Minnesota’s ethanol industry such as a potential reid vapor pressure (RVP) ban on E15 in the summer months of 2022.

Granite Falls Energy began operations in 2005 and currently produces 70 million gallons of ethanol a year.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Sen. Grassley Sounds Off on RFS Deadline

Cindy Zimmerman

Yesterday, November 30th, was the deadline for the Environmental Protection Agency to release blending obligations for the coming year under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says missing it is bad news for the biofuels industry.

“The fact that this deadline is being missed is very unfortunate for farmers and biofuel producers because they’re facing uncertainty at the volume levels that have not even been proposed,” said Grassley during opening remarks of his regular weekly press call with agricultural reporters on Tuesday. “Even worse are the reports that EPA is planning to lower these RFS requirements, which would very much weaken the incentive to produce and blend biofuels.”

Last week, Sen. Grassley sent a letter urging President Biden to support his bipartisan No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act to hold the foreign oil producing cartel accountable for its anticompetitive behavior that elevates global oil prices.

Listen to some of Sen. Grassley’s comments here:
Sen. Grassley comments on late RVOs (7:11)

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Green Plains to Establish Monarch Fueling Stations

Cindy Zimmerman

Green Plains has announced monarch butterfly habitats will be established at its Shenandoah and Superior, Iowa biofuel facilities. The projects are part of the Monarch Fueling Station Project by Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium to create patches of native grasses and other pollinator-friendly plants for the monarchs as they migrate through the state. The initiative has established 19 fueling stations covering 48 acres since it kicked off in 2017.

The site in Shenandoah is 1.75 acres and seeding is expected to take place in the spring of 2022. “We’re happy to contribute to this statewide project,” said Cory Scamman, general manager, Green Plains Shenandoah LLC. “This initiative is doing great work to preserve an important species and we look forward to establishing a habitat on our property.”

At Superior they plan to establish the habitat on a field currently being used to grow hay. The plant will start by converting one or two acres but there is potential to expand the habitat by several acres. “I think it’s important to promote habitat for endangered pollinators like the monarch,” said Tod Smith, plant manager, Green Plains Superior LLC. “I’m looking forward to having a fueling station for them in the Superior area.”

The location and size of both habitats was decided in consultation with Habitat Establishment Coordinator Kevin Reynolds.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, pollinators

Thanksgiving Harvest Powers Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel

Cindy Zimmerman

As many of us are finishing up the turkey leftovers this week, some biodiesel producers are reaping a harvest of used cooking oil from the holiday.

National Biodiesel Board (NBB) members — such as Newport Biodiesel in Rhode Island, New Leaf Biofuel in San Diego and American GreenFuels in Connecticut — harvest and recycle used cooking oil into biodiesel and renewable diesel, helping to keep food costs down while lowering carbon emissions.

Many people will dine out on Thanksgiving while others choose to fry their turkey. Either of those options can support the clean fuels industry. NBB members are leaders in the circular economy, many of whom rely on local restaurants for their feedstock supply. These companies collect used cooking oil from area restaurants and recycle it to produce to high-quality biodiesel, which they sell to local businesses, governments, fleets and even use themselves. They’re keeping a waste product out of landfills and helping restaurants keep prices down by finding a second use for their waste product.

Biodiesel, NBB, renewable diesel

Bipartisan Defend the Blend Bill Introduced

Cindy Zimmerman

Representative Ashley Hinson (R-IA), together with Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL), Angie Craig (D-MN) and Ron Kind (D-WI), introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House this week that would keep blend levels under the Renewable Fuel Standard from being reduced after they are finalized.

The “Defend the Blend” bill would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from reducing the minimum applicable volume of biofuels into transportation fuel once the Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) levels are finalized for any given year. This would prevent the EPA from retroactively reducing 2020 RVO levels, which is an action the administration has been rumored to be considering.

“Rumors abound that the EPA is going to retroactively reduce biofuel blending requirements for 2020—before they’ve even set levels for 2021 and 2022; this would be detrimental to Iowa’s biofuel industry. My bipartisan bill will hold the Administration accountable for maintaining the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard and give biofuel and ethanol producers the certainty they deserve,” said Rep. Hinson.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said they strongly support the bill. “The Renewable Fuel Standard was intended to provide long-term market certainty and predictability for our nation’s ethanol producers, farmers, fuel retailers, and other market participants. Retroactively slashing renewable volume obligations long after they have been set would throw the RFS program into turmoil and reward a small group of defiant oil refiners for their bad behavior.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said, “The way the program has been carried out over the past few years has created uncertainty for not only biofuel producers and farmers, but for fuel retailers and oil refiners. The RFS was a well-written piece of legislation, and this bill would help keep EPA from continuing to play politics when it comes to administering the program.”

Additional co-sponsors of the bill include Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Mike Bost (R-IL), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Cindy Axne (D-IA), Jim Baird (R-IN), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Jake LaTurner (R-KS), and Darin LaHood (R-IL).

ACE, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Groups Pleased with Biofuel Provisions in BBB Act

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm and biofuel organizations are grateful this Thanksgiving Day week for key provisions in the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, which passed the House on Friday and was sent to the Senate.

The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the National Biodiesel Board, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union sent a joint letter to the chairs of the House and Senate agriculture committees thanking them for efforts to “build new markets for farmers and biofuel producers and help lower the carbon intensity of agriculture.”

“One of the most pressing challenges facing biofuel producers is ensuring that consumers have consistent access to higher-level ethanol and biodiesel blends, which are lower carbon and lower cost than petroleum fuels. The Biofuel Infrastructure and Agriculture Product Market Expansion provision in the BBB Act helps address this issue and contains much needed funding to ensure consumers have access to these fuels,” they wrote in reference to $1 billion allocated to upgrade refueling and distribution infrastructure meant for higher blends of ethanol.

Advocates also pointed to lifecycle analysis illustrating how improved farm practices continue to drive down the carbon intensity of farming, and therefore the overall carbon intensity of biofuels.

Ag group, Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Muckenhirn Excited About Expanded Role with ACE

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol‘s new Vice President of Public Affairs Katie Muckenhirn is excited about her expanded role with the organization to support the nation’s ethanol producers.

Muckenhirn, whose maiden name is Fletcher, will continue to manage the organization’s media relations, while assuming a larger role in ACE’s public policy efforts and planning of ACE’s Washington, D.C. fly-in and annual conference. She has been with ACE since 2017 after nearly three years of writing and editing for BBI’s Ethanol Producer Magazine, Biomass Magazine and Pellet Mill Magazine and providing event support for the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo.

Chuck Zimmerman interviewed Katie at last week’s National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) annual Trade Talk about her new role.
Interview with Katie Muckenhirn, ACE (2:11)

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ag Secretary Expects “Certainty” From EPA for Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

On the day last week that the Environmental Protection Agency proposed extending the deadlines for refiners to comply with Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told farm broadcasters that the biofuels industry can expect “certainty” from the Biden EPA.

Answering a question about what role renewable fuels can play in climate change, considering EPA has yet to issue proposed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) and E15 is essentially back to being banned in the summer, Vilsack said it’s an important role and producers will see support coming from Washington in a number of ways. “I think you’re going to see it in the certainty of the RVOs that basically the EPA puts out,” said Vilsack. “In the past, the previous administration set a number but that number, you could never trust it because there were waivers being granted in a very significant way…which significantly reduced that number.”

Vilsack continued that he believes, from statements Administrator Michael Regan has made, that “when they fix a number, they’re not going to provide a lot of waivers in the way in which the previous administration did.”

The secretary also mentioned COVID aid still expected from the administration, and resources for the industry in the Build Back Better bill.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack biofuels comments 3:53

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NAFB, USDA

Biofuels Groups Frustrated by EPA RFS Delays

Cindy Zimmerman

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday additional extensions for oil refiners to comply with already delayed Renewable Fuel Standard obligations from 2019 and 2020, which were previously extended in April, further frustrating biofuels organizations still waiting for the agency to issue 2021 and 2022 RFS rules or the 2023 volumes or announced decisions on pending small refinery exemptions.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says it’s long past time for refiners to demonstrate compliance with their 2019 and 2020 renewable volume obligations. “There’s no good reason for EPA to kick the can down the road again, which only adds uncertainty and instability to the marketplace. Refiners and the EPA need to respect and meet deadlines, and we likewise call on EPA to immediately publish the long-overdue renewable volume obligations for 2021 and 2022. We had hoped things would be different under this administration, but EPA continues to miss its deadlines and create confusion in the marketplace.”

Cooper spoke to farm broadcasters meeting in Kansas City Thursday about this and other issues the ethanol industry is facing.
Interview with RFA CEO Geoff Cooper (10:50)

American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings was also at NAFB Thursday where he said the announcement from EPA is an enormous disappointment. “It’s hard at this stage to hide the frustration we have with the EPA,” said Jennings. “There’s a growing sense of frustration that the RFS continues to be mismanaged, (and) politicized.”

Listen to an interview with Jennings from NAFB here:
Interview with ACE CEO Brian Jennings (6:18)

National Biodiesel Board Vice President of Federal Affairs Kurt Kovarik added, “The Biden administration and EPA are sending the wrong signals on fuel availability and gas prices. The uncertainty they are creating for the RFS will undermine biodiesel and renewable diesel producers, blow up demand for cleaner fuels, and derail the nation’s progress toward carbon reductions. This is simply a gift to refiners who have ignored the RFS obligations for more than a year and a half and are demanding the administration bail them out. EPA needs to finalize RFS rules now.”

ACE, Audio, Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NBB, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA