Biodiesel Vehicles Wrapped Up for Christmas

Cindy Zimmerman

Five biodiesel users recently unveiled new vehicle “wraps” just in time for Christmas, that are helping to share their stories of sustainability and emissions reductions with area residents from Maine to the Midwest, thanks to help from the National Biodiesel Board (NBB).

“Our annual biodiesel vehicle wrap program provides matching funds to help biodiesel users promote their use of America’s Advanced Biofuel,” said Kaleb Little, NBB director of communications. “This year we were pleased to select five winners whose unique wraps are helping to showcase their commitment to reduced emissions and cleaner air.”

Among the wrap winners this year, Illinois’ B20 Club wrapped two box trailers for G&D Integrated, a trucking company based in Morton, Ill. An inaugural B20 Club member, G&D operates more than 400 vehicles on blends up to B20.

Maine Standard Biofuels based in Portland, Maine, wrapped the tank of their new oil truck which travels within 20 miles of Portland providing biodiesel and Bioheat to area customers. The company collects used cooking oil from over 1,000 restaurants and food manufacturers across New England.

Rockwood Summit High School (RSHS) in Fenton, Mo. wrapped their 1992 Ford F250, fondly known as “Old Brownie”. The pick-up is used for a biodiesel partnership program called Fuel Wash U. Brownie picks up waste vegetable oil from Washington University’s kitchens and transports it to RSHS’s facility where the recycled oil is processed into biodiesel.

Coastal Energy, based in Ellsworth, Maine, wrapped four pedal fuel trucks and one transport truck showcasing the HERO BX brand and the company’s green fuel initiative.

Broco Oil, based in North Reading, Mass., wrapped two, 6-wheel oil tanker trucks and a 10-wheel fuel oil transport truck that are used for Bioheat delivery to consumers over a 50 mile radius throughout the greater Boston area and the Merrimac Valley area of Massachusetts.

Read more from NBB.

Biodiesel, NBB

Biodiesel Board Hires New Regulatory Affairs Director

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has hired Kate Shenk as Director of Regulatory Affairs.

NBB CEO Donnell Rehagen says Shenk comes to NBB from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), where she led a regulatory affairs committee and developed analyses and comments on regulatory policies.

“Kate brings extensive knowledge of the regulatory policies that shape the biofuels industry’s growth,” said Rehagen. “Her addition to our Washington-based federal affairs staff will increase the biodiesel industry’s effectiveness in policy advocacy.”

Nbb is headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri and maintains a Washington office for federal affairs and work on regulatory issues surrounding international trade and the federal Renewable Fuel Standard.

Biodiesel, NBB

President Trump Signs Farm Bill

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump gave Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue a happy birthday Thursday when he signed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 with many members of the agricultural community in attendance.

“Mr. President, it is a great birthday present not only for me, but for all of agriculture, to give the producers, the ranchers, and farmers across America the peace of mind,” said Perdue. “Going forward, they can make their plans in 2019; make their lenders and bankers proud of what they can plan for.”

President Trump said, “With the passage of the Farm Bill, we are delivering to the farmers and ranchers, who are the heart and soul of America, all sorts of things that they never even thought possible. We are ensuring that American agriculture will always feed our families, nourish our communities, power our commerce, and inspire our nation.”

Listen to remarks at the signing here: Remarks by Pres. Trump and Secy Perdue at farm bill signing

Among those privileged to witness the farm bill signing was Mick Henderson, general manager of Commonwealth Agri-Energy in Kentucky and past chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), who says the new farm bill gives his ethanol plant owners some certainty going forward.

“Our business is 100 percent farmer-owned,” said Henderson. “Just crop insurance is critical for a farmer trying to handle the risk and that means a lot to our farmer owners.”

Henderson talks about the importance of the farm bill and the year that corn farmers and ethanol producers have had in this interview.
Interview with Mick Henderson, Commonwealth Agri-Energy, on farm bill signing

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, farm bill, Government, RFA

Ethanol Report for 2018

Cindy Zimmerman

2018 has been a busy and interesting year for the ethanol industry and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper reviews the top stories of the year in ethanol, including the new leadership at RFA, President Trump’s interest in the industry and E15, small refinery waivers, record exports and more.

Listen here – Ethanol Report on 2018

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Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA

Happy 11th Anniversary RFS2!

Cindy Zimmerman

Eleven years ago today, President George W. Bush signed the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) into law with the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

Since then, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says the United States has experienced cleaner air, greater energy security, revived economic activity in rural areas, and more affordable choices at the pump. “The RFS has unquestionably lived up to its promise,” said Cooper. “It has lowered consumer fuel prices, decreased reliance on imported petroleum, reduced emissions of harmful tailpipe pollutants and greenhouse gases, supported hundreds of thousands of jobs in rural America, and added value to the crops produced by our nation’s farmers.”

Among the numerous benefits since signed into law, the RFS has:

● Helped clean the air. The greenhouse gas emissions avoided from using ethanol has increased four-fold from 12.7 million tons CO2e in 2007 to 55 million tons CO2e in 2018. Carbon monoxide and particulate matter emissions are down as well, as is the concentration of ground-level ozone.
● Boosted energy security. U.S. dependence on imported crude oil and petroleum products fell from 58% in 2007 to just 14% in 2018, thanks in large part to growth in the use of ethanol and other biofuels.
● Lowered fuel prices. Because ethanol is priced below gasoline and far below competing octane sources, the RFS has led to lower gas prices for consumers. One recent study found ethanol reduces spending on gasoline by $142 per American household.
● Supported jobs and economic activity. Since enacted, the number of jobs supported by the ethanol industry has increased by 53%–from 238,541 jobs in 2007 to 365,491 in 2018. Additionally, the industry generates more than $40 billion in GDP every year.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

Urban Air Initiative Releases Research Report

Cindy Zimmerman

A research project conducted by the Urban Air Initiative claims the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is failing to enforce the Clean Air Act by not taking steps to reduce toxic aromatics in transportation fuel.

The research project titled “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt” walks through the problems that toxic aromatics pose to public health and details the history behind the Clean Air Act and the efforts to improve gasoline quality while working to reduce our nation’s addiction to crude oil.

“The EPA is not fulfilling its mission to protect public health. Whether ignoring Congressional directives under the Clean Air Act or using bad science to discredit cleaner fuel options, it’s time for the public to demand change. With the potential of a national octane standard on the horizon, we cannot allow toxic aromatics to be the solution,” said Urban Air President Dave VanderGriend.

Recently, VanderGriend presented some of the UAI research, along with Trevor Hinz, ICM Industry Relations, and Doug Durante, Executive Director at Clean Fuels Development Coalition, Clean Fuels Foundation. Listen to it here –
Urban Air Initiative research presentation

Audio, EPA, Ethanol, Urban Air Initiative

NBB CEO to Keynote 2019 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit

Cindy Zimmerman

National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen will highlight the American success story of biodiesel and discuss what is on the horizon for the nation’s leading advanced biofuel on January 29th at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit.

“Year after year the biodiesel industry continues to outpace and outproduce expectations,” Rehagen said. “Supporting more than 64,000 jobs and reducing greenhouse gasses by up to 86 percent, biodiesel has been a great success for rural economies and our environment. The future is bright for biodiesel and I’m excited to discuss the opportunities that lay before us and some of the questions we must answer together as an industry.”

The 2019 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit will take place at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center on January 29, 2019. For registration and more information – IowaRenewableFuelsSummit.org.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Iowa RFA, IRFA Renewable Fuels Summit

USGC Releases Latest Corn Harvest Quality Report

A warm and moist growing season resulted in near-record yields and good quality for the 2018 corn crop, according to the U.S. Grain Council’s (USGC) 2018/2019 Corn Harvest Quality Report.

The report revealed the majority of 2018 corn crop conditions were rated as good or excellent during the growing season, leading to strong plant health, good kernel size and a projected crop of 371.52 million metric tons (14.626 billion bushels), the third-largest crop on record. Nearly 94 percent of tested U.S. corn samples rated at U.S. Grade No. 2 or better, thanks to a warm, wet vegetative period and a moderate pollination and grain-filling period. The drier, moderate temperatures during the second half of the growing season promoted healthy plants, good test weights and low kernel damage.

Average test weight of 58.4 pounds per bushel (75.1 kilograms per hectoliter) was higher than the five-year average and indicates good kernel filling and maturation. Average 100-kernel weight of 35.07 grams was lower than 2017, but above the five-year average.

All but one sample, or 99.5 percent of samples, tested below the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) action level for aflatoxin (20 parts per billion). One-hundred percent of the samples tested below the FDA advisory level for deoxynivalenol (DON), or vomitoxin, for chicken, cattle, hogs and other animals.

The 2018/2019 Corn Harvest Quality Report provides timely information about the quality of the current U.S. corn crop at harvest as it enters international merchandising channels. This information will be supplemented by a second report, the 2018/2019 Corn Export Cargo Quality Report, scheduled for early 2019, that measures corn quality at export terminals at the point of loading for international shipment.

AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, corn, Grains, USGC

Ten Years of Ethanol Market Growth

Growth Energy is celebrating ten years of advocating for ethanol since it was created in 2008. This edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast is the final installment of our series on the 10 year anniversary of Growth Energy and how the market for U.S. ethanol has grown in the past decade.

When Growth Energy was first formed in 2008, U.S. ethanol exports totaled just 158 million gallons. Last year, the total was 1.37 billion gallons and this year exports had already surpassed that amount by the end of October. Meanwhile, domestic demand has continued to grow and more retailers are starting to offer E15, with higher blends up to E30 positioned to provide the octane needed for more fuel efficient cars in the future.

This podcast includes comments from Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor, Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Global Markets Craig Willis, and President Donald Trump.

Growth Energy Driving Ethanol podcast 12-17-18

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AgWired Energy, Audio, Driving Ethanol podcast, Ethanol, Growth Energy

Two Scholarships Offered for National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

For the 10th consecutive year, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is partnering with the Renewable Fuels Foundation (RFF) to offer scholarships to students who are interested in attending the National Ethanol Conference (NEC), February 11-13 in Orlando.

Two scholarships are available to students in higher education to cover the cost of the conference, as well as airfare and lodging costs associated with attending the conference.

Interested students should submit a 500-word essay explaining how their attendance at the NEC will help them achieve their future goals. They should also submit two letters of recommendation and an up-to-date resume. Scholarships are only available to students who are attending a U.S.institution of higher learning or foreign students who are affiliated with the U.S. ethanol industry.

For full consideration, applications must be received by Jan. 7, 2019. For more information or to apply, visit: http://www.nationalethanolconference.com/scholarships/.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference