Two New Leaders for Next Gen Scientists for Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

Two new co-chairs have been chosen for the Next Generation of Scientists for Biodiesel.

Shyam Paudel, a chemical engineering Ph.D. candidate at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and William Gray, chemical engineering undergrad at Rowan University in New Jersey, are the two new leaders of the organization. They join one other sitting co-chair of the organization – Jennifer Greenstein, North Carolina State University, studying plant and microbial biology. A fourth co-chair, James Brizendine, recently graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology with a degree in environmental engineering.

Biodiesel, Science

E15 is Back and Retailers Hope it’s Forever

Cindy Zimmerman

Now that E15 is back from summer vacation, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) says retailers are hopeful it will be the last time they will have to deal with the restrictions caused by an outdated Reid vapor pressure (RVP) rule.

This is the seventh year retailers offering E15, like American Freedom Energy owner Glenn Badenhop in Ohio, have had to sell it as flex fuel or remove it from the pump from June through mid-September, hurting volume during the busiest time of the year and confusing customers when E15 “returns” in the fall.

“My customers love it. It’s clean, American, higher octane, costs less than regular, and it’s made by their friends and neighbors. What’s not to like?” Badenhop said. “We’re going to put E15 back in and trust the President will make the change he’s promised to make, so we don’t have to mess with this again next year. None of us want a bunch of drivers angry when gas prices go up over some old, useless federal regulation again next summer.”

“Ethanol costs almost a dollar less than gasoline right now, even without the RIN [Renewable Identification Number] value. That gives E15 and flex fuel retailers a huge advantage over their competition,” said Ron Lamberty, ACE Senior Vice President. “We know it’s making a dent in the market, because the Big Oil lobby has ramped up its misinformation campaign to keep E15 barriers in place.”

Despite the barriers, ACE reports that record growth and investment in retail infrastructure for flex fuels has occurred over the past two years, with over 1,400 locations in 29 states selling E15, and 90 percent of passenger vehicles on the road able to use the fuel.

ACE, E15, Ethanol

Doggett Named NCGA CEO

Congratulations to Jon Doggett, who has been chosen as the new chief executive officer for the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the fifth CEO in the organization’s 61-year history.

Doggett has served in the capacity of NCGA interim CEO since August 1st and as NCGA executive vice president since late 2014. Prior to that, he served as vice president of public policy, and has continuously managed the organization’s 11-person Washington, DC office and led its public policy efforts since joining NCGA in July of 2002.

“The Corn Board is thrilled to have Jon Doggett at the helm to lead the charge for Corn Growers and guide the organization forward,” said NCGA President Kevin Skunes. “We have a lot of serious issues impacting America’s corn farmers and rural communities right now. As such, Jon’s experience and leadership in the broader American agricultural industry, as well as the epicenter of national and international policy in Washington D.C., are invaluable to our organization.”

Doggett brings more than 30 years of agricultural policy and leadership experience to the position. Before joining NCGA, Doggett served 11 years at the American Farm Bureau Federation, where he was lead lobbyist on public policy issues, including ethanol, climate change, land use, conservation, and endangered species.

“As the premier association in the U.S. for nearly 40,000 corn farmer members and 49 affiliated state growers’ associations and checkoff organizations, we have a lot of work ahead of us,” notes Doggett. “I am ready now to be front and center in the trenches, side-by-side with our state and national staff, farmer leaders, dues-paying members and checkoff investors, to listen and ensure we are doing everything we can and are driving the same direction to advance our mission. Corn Growers mission is creating and increasing opportunities for corn growers, through enhancing corn demand and promoting our way of life and tools and technologies of growing corn, all in our noble quest and vision to sustainably feed and fuel a growing world.”

Jon attended the University of Montana majoring in journalism and finance. He is a certified Sea Kayak Instructor. Jon and his wife, Nancy, have two adult children and two precious grandchildren.

Doggett was recently on a panel at the American Coalition for Ethanol annual meeting. Listen to an interview from that event where Doggett talks about the trade situation, as well as his thoughts on Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and what it will take to please oil refiners so E15 can be approved year round –
Interview with Jon Doggett, NCGA

AgWired Energy, Audio, corn, NCGA

Ethanol Report Preview of Export Exchange 2018

Cindy Zimmerman

Around 500 attendees from at least 38 countries are expected to be at Export Exchange 2018, coming up October 22-24 in Minneapolis. The event, which brings together international buyers and U.S. sellers of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), was started in 2019 by the U.S. Grains Council and the Renewable Fuels Association.

In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, RFA Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper previews this year’s event and the impact trade negotiations with some of the biggest markets for U.S. DDGS might have on exports.

Ethanol Report Preview of Export Exchange

Subscribe to the podcast via RSS
Subscribe via iTunes

Audio, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Export Exchange, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Summer Restriction on E15 Sales Ends Sunday

Cindy Zimmerman

The kids are back in school now and this weekend E15 will be back at the pump.

The regulatory restriction, which President Trump has called “ridiculous” and “unnecessary,” that prevents gasoline retailers from selling 15% ethanol (E15) in much of the country during the summer will finally be lifted on Sunday, Sept. 16. This will once again allow consumers across the nation to have access to the higher octane, less expensive fuel.

President Trump has expressed support on multiple occasions this year for allowing year-round E15 sales, but EPA has yet to make it happen. Farm and ethanol groups wrote to the president this week, urging his administration to follow through and provide farmers and ethanol producers with expanded access to markets and new sources of demand at a time when agricultural and biofuel markets are struggling.

“EPA’s nonsensical restriction on E15 is preventing consumers from saving money at the pump precisely when prices are typically at their highest and is hamstringing further expansion in the marketplace,” said Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “Former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has already destructed demand for more than 2.25 billion gallons of biofuel. With the corn and ethanol industries hurting, EPA needs to act now to provide new value-added market opportunities and ensure consumers have consistent access to lower priced, higher octane E15.”

Just this week, the Minnesota Department of Commerce reported that only 2.86 million gallons of E15 was sold in the state in July–the lowest recorded since September 2017 and less than half of the volume sold just two months earlier in May, prior to the summer RVP ban kicking in.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

Iowa Biodiesel Board Elects Leaders

Cindy Zimmerman

The Iowa Biodiesel Board elected leadership during this week’s annual meeting in Des Moines.

Tom Brooks, general manager of biodiesel producer Western Dubuque Biodiesel in Farley, Iowa, was re-elected to lead the organization for the next year. Doug Lenhart, vice president of procurement and logistics at Iowa-headquartered Renewable Energy Group (REG) was elected secretary. He replaces Dawn Carlson, Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa. She remains on the board as a director.

The full slate of officers for the organization is:
• Chair: Tom Brooks, Western Dubuque Biodiesel (re-elected)
• Vice Chair: Brad Wilson, Western Iowa Energy (re-elected)
• Treasurer: Reed Herzig, Monsanto (newly elected)
• Secretary: Doug Lenhart, REG

The board also elected Dave Walton, a soybean farmer from Wilton, Iowa, serve on the board, replacing Ron Heck as the Iowa Soybean Association representative.

Biodiesel, Soybeans

CARB Internship Focuses on Cellulosic Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Foundation (RFF), Pacific Ethanol, and Aemetis co-sponsored a new internship this year at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for a college student to learn more about low-carbon cellulosic biofuels and their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The RFF is the research and educational arm of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

Diamond Coleman, a senior biology major at Occidental College in Los Angeles, was chosen for the internship this summer and focused her work primarily on cellulosic ethanol made from corn kernel fiber. “Previously, I have been consumed in laboratory research studies and this gave me a chance to get out of that box and expand my horizons,” Coleman said. “I was a sponge and absorbed as much information as I could about cellulosic ethanol production and the Low Carbon Fuel Standard.”

While at CARB, Coleman conducted and extensive literature review regarding cellulosic ethanol and compiled her findings into a comprehensive report that was shared with CARB staff and other industry experts. Through this work, Coleman said she developed a deep appreciation for the role that cellulosic ethanol from corn fiber and other feedstocks can play in reducing GHG emissions.

“Thanks to this internship, I learned about the numerous clean energy benefits of cellulosic ethanol,” said Coleman. “I am passionate about efforts to help clean the air and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and believe cellulosic ethanol from corn fiber can play a significant role. I greatly appreciate the opportunity afforded to me and want to thank the Renewable Fuels Foundation, Pacific Ethanol, and Aemetis for co-sponsoring my internship.”

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Aemetis is an advanced renewable fuels and biochemicals company focused on the production of advanced fuels and chemicals. Pacific Ethanol is the leading producer and marketer of low-carbon renewable fuels and high-quality alcohol products in the United States, headquartered in Sacramento.

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

USDA Expands Crop Forecast from Last Month

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2018 corn, soybean, and cotton crops are all forecast to be two percent larger than USDA predicted in August, in the latest crop production report issued Wednesday.

Corn production is now forecast at 14.8 billion bushels, up 2 percent from August and up 2 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average 181.3 bushels per acre, up 2.9 bushels from the August forecast and up 4.7 bushels from 2017. If realized, this will be
the highest yield on record for the United States.

Soybean production is forecast at a record 4.69 billion bushels, up 2 percent from August and up 7 percent from last year. Based on September 1 conditions, yields are expected to average a record high 52.8 bushels per acre, up 1.2 bushels from last month and up 3.7 bushels from last year.

All cotton production is forecast at 19.7 million 480-pound bales, up 2 percent from August but down 6 percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 895 pounds per harvested acre, down 16 pounds from last month and down 10 pounds from last year.

The new World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates also calls for larger production, increased domestic use, greater exports, and higher ending stocks for corn.

Feed and residual use and export demand projections were raised by 50 million bushels, with ethanol demand estimates raised by 25 million bushels. “As the increase to production projections more than offset these demand increases, the average farm price was decreased by 10 cents, with the new price range projected as $3.00 to $4.00 per bushel,” noted the National Corn Growers Association.

“Corn was the biggest surprise in this report,” said Brian Basting of Advance Trading, Inc., in his analysis during the MGEX Crop Conference call, adding that the “trade was actually looking for a decrease” in corn yield compared to August.

Listen to some of Basting’s analysis here: MGEX crop call comments from Brian Basting, Advance Trading

Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NCGA, USDA

Ethanol and Farm Groups Getting Impatient for Answers

Cindy Zimmerman

In the wake of repeated promises and assurances from the Trump Administration, but no actions, ethanol stakeholder groups are running out of patience.

In a joint letter to President Trump today, the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, National Sorghum Producers, American Coalition for Ethanol, Growth Energy, and Renewable Fuels Association urged the administration to act immediately to restore the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and allow year-round sales of E15 and other mid-level ethanol blends. The groups also expressed concern that any benefit from year-round E15 sales and proper implementation of the RFS could be nullified if refiners are given further regulatory bailouts that undercut the spirit and intent of the law.

The letter follows comments made by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Aug. 29 that President Trump was anxious to get an answer on the RFS and E15 to announce.

“He said…we need to get this RFS straightened out and get E15 twelve months,” said Perdue. “He wants something done quickly. He said, ‘you get with that EPA Administrator and bring me something next week that I can announce.'”

Perdue comments at FPS18 RFS Rally

The day before, in an exclusive interview with RFD-TV on August 28, President Trump said “I’m going to be making some statements on that very soon. We’re working very hard on the ethanol situation.” He also said it was “complex because as you take care of ethanol, someone else gets hurt.”

RFD-TV Interview with Pres. Trump comments on ethanol

Last week, which was the week Secretary Perdue said the president wanted something to announce, the secretary told reporters,”We’re working feverishly to resolve the RFS issue…I think we can resolve it to the satisfaction of both our ethanol industry as well as our refinery industry,” Perdue said.

Audio from USDA – Secretary Perdue comments on RFS issue progress

But the farm and ethanol groups say time is running out for rural America, as corn prices are below the cost of production, while ethanol prices, RIN credit prices, and ethanol profit margins are falling.

“Former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt already gave refiners far more than their end of a deal in the form of 2.25 billion gallons of biofuels demand destruction, and they are reaping the rewards of that windfall today,” the letter continued. “Now, with the corn and ethanol industries hurting, it’s rural America’s turn to get its end of the deal.”

ACE, AFBF, Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, NCGA, NFU, RFA, RFS

National Biodiesel Celebrates Ten Green Years

Cindy Zimmerman

NBB celebrates 10th anniversary of green headquarters

On Monday, September 10th, the National Biodiesel Board celebrated 10 green years in their Jefferson City office biulding.

“The National Biodiesel Board was started here in Jefferson City 25 years ago,” said Chief Executive Officer Donnell Rehagen. “This building has served NBB for the last ten years, allowing us to grow our industry across the nation.”

In 2008, NBB moved into their home in Jefferson City after remodeling a previously vacant building on the East side of town. The office itself was designed with sustainability in mind, with energy efficient indoor lighting, recycled carpet, and solar powered outdoor lights. NBB wanted to follow biodiesel’s lead with clean, green energy. Since moving into their celebrated space, the biodiesel industry has made significant strides and continues to see progress each year.

NBB cuts ribbon on new building – 9/10/08

AgWired reporter John Davis was there when the building was opened in 2008 and did a nice job documenting the event, complete with the ribbon cutting, a tour of the building, and comments from dignitaries.

Get a blast from the past and listen to some opening day 2008 comments from Missouri’s governor at the time, Matt Blunt, and (now former) Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO), who remains active in the biodiesel industry.

Missouri Gov Matt Blunt, 9/10/08

Rep. Kenny Hulshof, 9/10/08
Biodiesel, NBB