Sen. Thune Calls for Farm Bill and Year-round E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) took to the floor yesterday to urge Congress to help farmers who are struggling.

“Many commodity producers are bracing for the prospect of serious financial losses this year,” said Thune. “These challenges are real. That’s why last December, Congress approved relief funding for agriculture producers hit by economic headwinds, as well as those affected by natural disasters.”

But, Thune says, that is only temporary relief and no substitute for a new farm bill and the stability nationwide E15 could provide. “When I became Majority Leader, I made it clear that a full and updated farm bill would be a priority for the new Republican majority. Secretary Rollins has been clear that this is a priority for the Trump administration as well….As is a stable biofuels policy, including year round access to E15 and timely and meaningful updates to the renewable volume obligations that matter to ethanol producers in America’s heartland.”

Sen. Thune floor speech 4:35

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ag and Biofuels Groups Seek Exemption to Shipping Rules

Cindy Zimmerman

The United States Trade Representative‘s office is holding public hearings this week on proposed actions in the Section 301 investigation of China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance that would result in new fees being imposed on Chinese vessels. The first hearing was held on Monday, March 24 and the second will be on Wednesday, March 26.

More than 100 agricultural and biofuels organizations sent comments in a letter to USTR seeking an exemption for agricultural exports from both newly proposed fees on Chinese vessels and graduated sourcing requirements for U.S. built and flagged vessels “until such time as our nation’s ship production can meet the requirements needed to keep U.S. agriculture competitive in the global market.”

“While we support President Trump’s effort to rebuild the United States position and power in global shipping, we are worried the current fees and timelines cannot be achieved without substantial economic harm on the farm and in rural America,” the letter stated. “These are not idle concerns. U.S. commodity prices and agriculture exports have already been negatively impacted due to uncertainty regarding when trade actions would become effective. Vessel operators have told U.S. exporters they intend to pass on 100 percent of the cost of the port fees.”

The Renewable Fuels Association was one of the groups signing the letter and president and CEO Geoff Cooper says shipping transportation is vital to ethanol exports, which hit record levels last year. “Efficient, reliable, and timely export transportation service is critical to the viability of our industry, and the imposition of these fees would be devastating to our marketplace. We urge the U.S. Trade Representative to recognize the vital importance of American agriculture products to the world economy, and grant the requested exemptions.”

Ag group, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, Trade, transportation

Supreme Court Hears Arguments in SRE Venue Case

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine where challenges to small refinery exemptions (SREs) decisions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be brought.

The renewable fuels industry argued in favor of the petitioner, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the case versus Calumet Shreveport Refining, and other refineries.

The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy jointly intervened on EPA’s behalf, urging the court to reject an argument by refineries that would allow them to “forum shop” for more favorable venues to challenge recent SRE denials despite clear direction from Congress that those decisions should be adjudicated in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

“Congress clearly intended to streamline review of SRE decisions to ensure consistency and uniformity for assessing SRE petitions,” said RFA and Growth Energy in a joint statement. “Today, the American biofuels industry came together to argue in front of the nation’s highest court, and to defend farmers and ethanol producers from the oil industry’s attempts to create an inefficient and fractured body of law governing the SRE program.”

The Supreme Court had previously remanded a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which held that challenges to the SRE denials at issue were properly brought before it but several other circuit courts disagreed, finding instead that the D.C. Circuit is the proper venue for these SRE challenges and creating the “circuit split” on venue that the Supreme Court is poised to resolve.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, RFS

Groups Provide Climate Smart Ag Comments

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels groups submitted comments this week to USDA on its interim rule for climate-smart agriculture guidance to support the new 45Z tax credit for clean fuel producers.

The Renewable Fuels Association emphasized the importance of policies that empower farmers while ensuring a robust and efficient renewable fuels market.

RFA highlighted the benefits of a book-and-claim supply chain management system, which would allow farmers to sell the emissions reduction value of their on-farm practices separately from their physical crops, thereby ensuring flexibility in the grain market while still incentivizing sustainable farming.

RFA also argued for including enhanced efficiency fertilizers as an eligible practice in the final rule.

The American Coalition for Ethanol highlighted the importance of ensuring the guidelines are fully integrated into the implementation of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit and adopted consistently in state and regional clean fuel programs. ACE also emphasized the need for continuous improvement of the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC) accounting for specific crop yield, climate, soil, and management-specific estimates of nitrogen use efficiency and nitrous oxide emissions, as well as making updates based on real-world data, such as findings from ACE’s own USDA-funded Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects.

Clean Fuels Alliance America recommends USDA incorporate intermediate oilseed crops – such as winter canola – as a conservation crop rotation practice and update the USDA FD-CIC model to include these crops. Clean Fuels also urges USDA to ensure that the standards and requirements in the CSA program are complementary to the requirements for other USDA programs, particularly crop insurance.

ACE, Biodiesel, canola, Clean Fuels Alliance, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFS, USDA

Ethanol Report on Industry Roots

Cindy Zimmerman

The theme of the recent 30th National Ethanol Conference was Back to Our Roots and it was a celebration of how the industry started and how it’s going.

One panel featured a walk down memory lane with some industry pioneers who talked about the early days and how the roots of the ethanol industry were firmly planted by farmers. Included in this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast are comments from Karol King, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE); Rodney Jorgenson, Al-Corn Clean Fuel, MN; Todd Brown, Dakota Ethanol, SD; Rod Gangwish, KAAPA Ethanol, NE; and Dave VanderGriend, CEO, ICM, Inc.

Ethanol Report 3-19-25 17:55

Audio interviews, presentations and photos from the NEC can be found in the conference virtual newsroom.

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, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Distillers Technology Council Rebrands

Cindy Zimmerman

Distillers Grain Technology Council has dropped the grain in the name for greater inclusion of producers to continue to deliver on its mission to increase awareness of the value of distillers products.

The Distillers Technology Council (DTC) is the new name for the non-profit organization which serves the fuel ethanol industry, the beverage alcohol industry, the livestock industry, and other affiliated organizations and individuals. The work of the organization focuses on improving the quality, value, and utilization of distillers products for use in animal feeds.

The group was founded in the 1940s as the Distillers Feed Research Council (DFRC) to assist the beverage distillery industry develop uses for their non-fermentable waste materials. In 1996, it expanded to also address the growing needs of the fuel ethanol industry, and the Distillers Grains Technology Council was born. In 2024, the Board of Directors recognized the evolution of the beverage and ethanol/biorefinery industries and the coproducts it produces and decided another name change was in order.

In addition to the name change, DTC had some other news to share. For nearly 80 years, the DTC has hosted an annual symposium on distillers products arising from the beverage and ethanol/biorefinery industries, but this year that will not happen.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control, we have had to cancel this year’s April 14-16 2025 Symposium in Bloomington, MN. Please mark your calendars for our 2026 Symposium scheduled for April 13-15 in Indianapolis, IN. The DTC is invigorating the agenda of the Symposium, making it a do not miss event!

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, livestock feed

Groups Want Final 2026 Biomass-Based Diesel Volumes

Cindy Zimmerman

Organizations supporting biomass-based diesel are urging EPA to establish robust, timely Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and beyond.

Members of Clean Fuels Alliance America, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, North American Renderers Association, and U.S. Canola Association sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin this week asking that EPA propose and finalize the 2026 biomass-based diesel volume at 5.25 billion gallons, along with a commensurate increase in the advanced biofuel volume.

“Setting these volumes for 2026 and establishing consistent growth for 2027 and beyond based on the industry’s investments and projections will ensure that American consumers can access affordable and clean transportation options. These volumes will support farm security, create jobs and economic opportunity, and further President Trump’s goal for U.S. energy dominance.”

AFBF, Ag group, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, EPA, RFS

National Biodiesel Day Celebrates Industry Growth

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite many challenges, biodiesel and renewable diesel have seen extraordinary growth in recent years, and Clean Fuels Alliance America is celebrating that progress today on National Biodiesel Day.

March 18 is the birthday of Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine and was a proponent of using plant oils to fuel vehicles and one of the forefathers of the biodiesel industry.

“Rudolf Diesel set out to change the world,” said Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen. “He was a fierce advocate for the use of vegetable and nut oil as fuel. He saw it not only as a tool to break up the oil monopoly but as an opportunity for economic growth in rural communities.”

Today, that vision is being realized like never before. Biodiesel and renewable diesel consumption hit the 5-billion-gallon mark last year for the first time and are now 9% of America’s diesel fuel supply.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance

EPA Releases Final Rule for E15 Waiver Delay for SD and OH

Cindy Zimmerman

The Environmental Protection Agency has released the final rule to extend the date for Ohio and nine counties in South Dakota for year-round E15.

In response to a request from the Governors of Ohio and South Dakota, EPA renewed the extension of the effective date of the removal of the 1-psi volatility waiver because the agency “finds that there would be an insufficient supply of gasoline in Ohio and nine counties in South Dakota if the removal of the 1-psi waiver were to go into effect as currently required on April 28, 2025.”

Therefore, we are renewing the extension of the effective date by one year to April 28, 2026, for the entire state of Ohio, and the following nine counties in South Dakota: Butte, Custer, Fall River, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, and Perkins.

“This goes back to some of the fear-mongering from the petroleum industry,” said Robert White of the Renewable Fuels Association in a recent interview. “There was an actual statement that if South Dakota continued down the path with these seven other states, that there would not be fuel available west of the river…unfortunately the governor fell for that and asked for the delay.”

White says that is why a legislative fix through Congress for year-round, nationwide E15 is so important.

Classic 25 - Robert White, RFA 10:27

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

U.S. Ethanol Groups Working With Viet Nam

Cindy Zimmerman

Leaders from the Renewable Fuels Association, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and Growth Energy this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Petrolimex, the largest petroleum distributor in Viet Nam, to promote the implementation of greater ethanol usage in that country.

The MOU follows the Viet Nam Ministry of Industry adopting a directive in December 2024 that aims to boost fuel ethanol utilization across the country. The directive outlines plans to promote the use of E5 RON92 and E100, develop new pricing mechanisms for ethanol blended gasoline, and coordinate potential amendments and technical regulations and standards for fuels.

U.S. ethanol industry leaders signing the MOU included RFA General Counsel and Vice President, Government Affairs Edward S. Hubbard, Jr.; USGC Chairwoman Verity Ulibarri; and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

“This event is a big first step toward building Viet Nam’s capacity to leverage fuel ethanol so the country may take advantage of all the benefits ethanol provides. It promises to deepen our bilateral economic cooperation and trade between our countries. The U.S. ethanol industry is excited to work with the leaders in Viet Nam to bolster Petrolimex’s and Viet Nam’s fuel ethanol supply chain and infrastructure.”

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