Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) renewed his commitment to Congress renewing the biodiesel tax incentive… while he took a shot at the Grocery Manufacturers Association for what he says is a smear campaign by the group against biofuels. Grassley’s comments come on the heels of Tuesday’s vote, when the U.S. Senate came up just eight votes short of cloture to end debate on extending the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit.
Speaking to National Biodiesel Board members at their meeting in Washington, DC today, Grassley stressed just how important biodiesel is for America’s environment, economy and energy security.
“We ought to keep the dollars in the United States rather than send them over to the Arabs to shoot back at us.” In his capacity as the Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, he reiterated his desire to work in a bipartisan manner to pass an extender package that includes the biodiesel tax incentive.
Senator Grassley was also critical of the anti-biofuels public relations campaign that is being waged by the GMA. He noted that only one chief executive officer from the grocery industry, out of 15 invited, has accepted the invitation to meet with him and Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer to discuss the GMA’s multi-million dollar campaign to discredit biofuels.
“The biggest culprit behind the rising food cost is $135 barrel oil,” he said. “This campaign is led by an organization that should be a loyal member of the food chain. Instead, they are making biofuels the scapegoat to defend their own bottom line. The truth is that America’s family farmers are producing more food, and fuel, than ever before.”
“Lifting the biofuels incentives won’t ease food prices,” Grassley said. “By using less biofuel, we will in fact lift food prices. Who are they trying to kid?”
Buttons of many colors can be seen on hundreds of name badges walking around the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop creating a positive mantra for the ethanol industry.
The “Yes Ethanol” buttons are the creation of 
With a model of the Number 17 Team Ethanol car behind him, Rahal chatted with ethanol industry representatives about the season so far and the talent of driver Ryan Hunter-Reay.
It looks like the flooding in Iowa has not affected things at the 
While Cindy and thousands of people involved in ethanol production are attending the FEW in Nashville, I thought I’d share an interview I did at the recent 
This coming Thursday is national “Dump the Pump Day,” a day when drivers are encouraged to use public transportation instead of their own vehicles to save money and fuel. Some of those folks will be running on biodiesel, as many communities use the green fuel to run their buses.
On a panel addressing the issue at the 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Tuesday was Robert White with the 
Heavy equipment manufacturer Case has approved the use of B20 biodiesel for more than 85 percent of its products.
The annual “High Octane Award” was presented to David Kolsrud, president and CEO of 
The Award of Excellence for ethanol research was presented by Dr. Kevin Hicks with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service eastern research center. This year the award went to Dr. Jay Shetty, senior director of global applications and grain processing for