New EU Report Supports Use of Food Crops for Biofuel

Cindy Zimmerman

A new report out of the European Union extols the benefits of using crops to produce biofuels and essentially dispels the notion of food versus fuel.

The report released from the nova-Institute and the European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA) says using “first-generation agricultural biomass, i.e. crops like cereals, sugar and oil plants, to produce bio-based energy and materials in Europe results in important benefits for food security, biodiversity, agriculture and climate-change mitigation.”

“Despite widespread concern and frequent policy pushback against the use of first-generation biomass for industrial applications, often originating from concerns of undermining food security, scientific evidence suggests that these concerns are largely misplaced,” the report states. “The debate is shaped by emotional and political arguments rather than robust data or a comprehensive understanding of the global food system.”

The new research highlights four key benefits to the EU from the use of biomass including food crops for non-food applications such as fuels, chemicals and materials:
Enhancing a resilient and competitive EU agriculture
Increased food security
Supporting climate change mitigation
Supporting biodiversity protection

Read the full report.

Biodiesel, biofuels, biomass, Ethanol, Ethanol News, International

RFA Elects 2026 Board and Leadership

Cindy Zimmerman

New RFA Chair Derek Peine, Western Plains Energy

At its annual membership meeting this week in Omaha, the Renewable Fuels Association elected Derek Peine, CEO of Western Plains Energy in Oakley, Kan., as chairman of the organization for 2026.

Peine has spent the last 25 years working in production, technical, and management roles within the agricultural processing and renewable fuels sectors. He also serves on the board of directors for the Renew Kansas biofuels association and the Collaborative Sorghum Marketing Transformation Program.

“I’m honored to serve as chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association and grateful for the trust our members have placed in me,” Peine said. “‘m excited to work alongside our members and stakeholders to expand biofuels’ role in driving economic growth, supporting rural communities, and strengthening America’s energy independence. Together, we’ll build on the progress we’ve made to capture the opportunities ahead.”

RFA Vice Chair Thomas Harwood, Al-Corn Clean Fuel

RFA’s board also elected Thomas Harwood, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont, Minn., as vice chairman.

Elected to continue in their RFA board leadership roles are Tim Winters, president and CEO of Western New York Energy, as board secretary, and David Zimmerman, CEO of Big River Resources, as board treasurer.

Elected to leadership of the Renewable Fuels Foundation for 2026 were Chairman Neal Kemmet, Ace Ethanol; Vice Chairman Eric Baukol, Redfield Energy; and Treasurer Wayne Garrett, Chief Ethanol Fuels. The foundation is dedicated to meeting the education, research and strategic planning needs of the U.S. fuel ethanol industry.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

POET Acquires 35th Processing Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels producer POET recently finalized its acquisition of Green Plains Obion in Tennessee, which will now be known as POET Bioprocessing – Obion, making it the company’s 35th bioprocessing facility in now nine states, and bringing its annual production capacity to 3.1 billion gallons of bioethanol.

POET also produces 15 billion pounds of high-protein feed ingredients, 1 billion pounds of corn oil used for renewable diesel, and 800,000 tons of bioCO2 used in food, beverage, and industrial applications.

The Obion facility was commissioned in 2008. It has an annual production capacity of 120 million gallons of bioethanol and sits on 230 acres, with ample corn storage and rail infrastructure.

“This acquisition strengthens our ability to serve southeastern markets and expands opportunities for farmers and rural communities across the region,” said POET Founder and CEO Jeff Broin. “With this new addition, we reaffirm our commitment to providing high-quality, American-made biofuels and bioproducts that create strong markets for farmers, fortify rural economies, and ensure a more secure energy future for our nation.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News

CE+P Secures Contractor for California Bioethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

California Ethanol + Power (CE+P) has announced a contract with Hoffman Construction Company to design and construct Sugar Valley Energy, a new ethanol biorefinery campus near the city of Brawley in Imperial County.

“This agreement is the culmination of months of cooperation and review, and along with diligent financing efforts will advance the project to the final stages of our development process,” said Dave Rubenstein, President and CEO of California Ethanol + Power.

Located within the Imperial Valley’s vast agricultural basin, Sugar Valley Energy (SVE) is a shovel-ready multi-plant campus consisting of a sugarcane-to-ethanol biorefinery, bioelectrical power plant, and wastewater treatment and biogas production facility. The new campus will supply critically needed infrastructure for the region, excess power, biogas and wastewater treatment capacity for Imperial County communities. SVE also represents an economic boost for Imperial County and the region, with an investment of more than $1 Billion into its development and construction.

SVE will provide a long-term economically sustainable market for approximately 50,000 acres of sugarcane crop to produce the feedstock needed for its planned ethanol production. The project will secure long-term agreements with dozens of area farmers, providing a reliable and profitable crop for participating growers. Highly suited for growth in the Imperial Valley climate, sugarcane has a water requirement like the region’s existing dominant crops.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Senator Says E15 Should be Top Priority

Cindy Zimmerman

Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse, and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) at Ag Outlook Forum

When it comes to the price of corn right now, growing markets for exports is important, but Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) says year-round E15 should be the number one priority of the Trump administration right now.

“In an average year, we’re exporting two billion bushels of corn…this year we’re going to export 2.86 billion bushels of corn, so trade exports are up but the price of corn is still down, for a lot of different reasons,” said Marshall during the 11th annual Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City Thursday. “But, if we went to year-round E15, we would increase corn consumption by 2.5 billion bushels.”

Sen. Marshall says supporters in the Senate intend to get year-round E15 into some kind of must pass legislation this year, such as the National Defense Reauthorization Act or continuing resolution. “Anyone that cares about agriculture, that should be the number one ask of the White House right now is to support a year-round E15 bill,” said Marshall. “And it’ll pass if the president just says go.”

Marshall also commented on the future for sustainable aviation fuel and the 45Z tax credit, as well as a number of other topics during his conversation with Agri-Pulse Founder and Publisher Sara Wyant. Listen to the discussion here.
Sen. Roger Marshall at KC Ag Outlook Forum (34:05)

Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ag Secretary Highlights Pro-Biofuels Administration

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins headlined the 11th annual Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City this week, highlighting the Trump Administration’s work to benefit farmers and ranchers so far this year, including in the area of biofuels.

Rollins noted that ethanol continues to be a focus of new trade deals, such as the recent $700 million commitment from the United Kingdom. “In London, we arranged meetings between several of their largest ethanol buyers and our U.S. ethanol producers. Just in the short time we were there, our producers filled five percent more of the tariff rate quota just by us being in country on American ethanol. And in our meetings with importers, we heard that demand for American ethanol may increase as much as 50% in the coming year, most of that hitting early next year, which is good and welcome news for our farmers.”

In addition, Rollins says, they are working expeditiously on other ways to strengthen demand and new uses for biofuels here at home. “American corn and soybean growers fuel America and the world, and we will continue to ensure that they are able to do that, but at an even faster rate – we call it Trump time,” said Rollins. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we issued the highest RVO, the Renewable Volume Obligation proposal in history, which provides the most aggressive volumes for renewable diesel and ethanol ever seen and cuts the RIN credits in half for imported feedstocks, further showing our administration’s unprecedented commitment to this effort. We pushed our regulatory authorities as far as possible in April, when EPA Administrator Zeldin issued emergency E15 waivers, a move that our corn growers sure welcomed. And of course, supported extending the 45Z biofuel tax credits through 2029, while focusing the tax credits on North American sourced feedstocks, not Chinese used cooking oil and not Brazilian tallow.”

Listen to Rollins’ full comments at the event sponsored by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse here:
USDA Sec. Brooke Rollins at KC Ag Outlook Forum (35:04)

Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ethanol Production Drops as Stocks Increase

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. ethanol production hit a five month low last week, while ethanol stocks hit their highest level in almost two months, according to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending September 19.

RFA reports that ethanol production was down 2.9% to a 19-week low of 1.02 million barrels/day, equivalent to 43.01 million gallons daily. Still, output was 3 percent higher than the same week last year and 7.5% above the three-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate decreased 1.0% to 1.07 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.37 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks bounded 3.8% to 23.5 million barrels, the highest level since the start of August. Stocks were 0.2% less than the same week last year but 3.1% above the three-year average. Ethanol exports scaled up 8.7% to an estimated 112,000 b/d (4.7 million gallons/day).

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

USGBC Visits Japanese Biofuels Customers

Cindy Zimmerman

USGBC Director of Global Ethanol Export Development Alicia Koch (leftmost) attended the 2025 U.S. Bioethanol Supply Conference in Japan

Staff and members of the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) recently traveled to Japan to participate in the 2025 U.S. Bioethanol Supply Conference, meet Japanese industry stakeholders and visit key sites in the transportation and energy sectors.

“The Council is eager to build on Japan’s status as a reliable export partner for U.S. agriculture by continuing to grow demand for bioproducts in multiple sectors as the next frontier in the trade relationship,” said Alicia Koch, USGBC director of global ethanol export development.

“By leveraging existing market share and consumer loyalty to U.S. products along with engagement from Council members and other domestic industry leaders, the Council can help ensure U.S. bioproducts are at the forefront of the market in Japan.”

Koch was joined by representatives from Council members Cargill, Eco-Energy, Illinois Corn, the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Marquis Energy, Nebraska Corn and Zeeland Farm Services to connect with policymakers and potential customers for U.S. bioproducts.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, International

Ethanol Groups Join Ag Secretary in UK Trade Visit

Cindy Zimmerman

As President Trump was meeting with King Charles in London this week, U.S. ethanol industry leaders joined Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Under Secretary Luke Lindberg were meeting with top officials in the United Kingdom to underscore the priorities of the U.S. ethanol industry while identifying opportunities to increase ethanol exports and open the U.K. fully to the U.S. market.

Rollins and Lindberg were joined by representatives of the Renewable Fuels Association, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), Growth Energy, and leading ethanol exporters who pointed to the immediate opportunity for ethanol as well as future growth potential toward E15 and beyond in the U.K.

In acknowledgement of the efforts by the USDA, the top three U.S. ethanol industry associations—RFA, the USGBC and Growth Energy—said jointly:

“The U.S. ethanol industry would like to thank USDA and Secretary Rollins for the opportunity to meet and discuss growth opportunities for U.S. ethanol in the U.K., as well as to acknowledge the importance the recent trade deal holds for American farmers. The industry looks forward to continued collaboration not only in the U.K. to meet a 1.4-billion-liter (370 million gallon) demand, but also to expand markets in Mexico, Asia and around the world to build increasing export potential for our homegrown fuel.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, International, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Survey Says Americans Support Year-Round E15

Cindy Zimmerman

A new poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Renewable Fuels Association shows strong support for legislation allowing year-round access to lower-cost 15 percent ethanol blended fuel, or E15. The survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters also showed a record level of support for the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Voter support for increasing availability of the E15 blend is at its highest level—72 percent—since RFA began quarterly polling in 2016. Two-thirds of respondents back the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, legislation to allow the nationwide year-round sale of the blend, while just 12 percent say they oppose the legislation and 21 percent had no opinion.

Roughly one-quarter of survey respondents say they have had the opportunity to purchase E15; and of those respondents, 62 percent said they purchased the fuel. Yet, slightly more than half of those surveyed have not had an opportunity to buy lower-cost E15, and another 23 percent were unsure if they have had that opportunity.

Voter support for the Renewable Fuel Standard policy is at 69 percent, the highest ever since RFA began quarterly polling.

The survey also shows continued support for the use of E85 flex fuel, with 68 percent of respondents backing the promotion and sale of flex fuel vehicles that can use either that blend or regular unleaded gasoline. Fifty-eight percent said they are very or somewhat interested in buying an FFV, compared to only 39 percent for electric vehicles.

Read more about the survey results.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA