Ethanol Groups File New Lawsuit Over Exemptions

Cindy Zimmerman

Two major ethanol advocacy organizations are demanding transparency from the Environmental Protection Agency on the granting of small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy filed a joint lawsuit in federal district court, alleging that EPA and Department of Energy have “improperly denied agency records requested …. under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)”

“Because EPA and DOE both ignored our repeated requests for basic information on the exemptions, we had no choice but to take this legal action,” said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “America’s ethanol producers, who are experiencing economic hardship because of EPA’s mishandling of the small refiner exemptions, deserve to know what was happening behind the curtain at EPA.”

“EPA should come clean and provide the public with what it deserves – a full accounting of the stark increase in the number of small refinery exemptions it has granted in recent years,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We deserve to know why EPA has supercharged its approvals of these exemptions without reallocating lost gallons and making sure that RFS volumes are met each year.”

Both organizations have submitted several records requests dating back to April 2018 seeking information related to exemptions from the RFS that EPA has granted to small refineries in complete secrecy. EPA and DOE have failed to act within the timeframes required by FOIA and have improperly withheld the requested documents.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA, RFS

RFA Past President Preaches for Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

The preacher in Randy Doyal came out at a rally for E15 and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) this week at the Farm Progress Show.

Doyal, who is past president of the Renewable Fuels Association and CEO of Al-Corn Clean Energy in Minnesota, proclaimed to the crowd gathered at the rally that corn ethanol is actually created by solar power. “Farmers are out there planting a renewable solar collector every year – the best solar collector ever – those leaves collect sunlight and convert it into energy,” said Doyal in an interview after the rally.

Doyal was pleased that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue showed up at the rally so farmers and other ethanol supporters could thank him for what he is doing for them in the Trump Administration.

Listen to my interview with Doyal here: Randy Doyal, Al-Corn Clean Fuel, at FPS18 rally

2018 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farm Progress Show, RFA, RFS

Secretary Perdue Comments on Current Issues

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited the Farm Progress Show this week, making an appearance for everyone at the show to enjoy with Max Armstrong and Orion Samuelson in the VIP tent, followed by a press gaggle where trade was the number one topic, along with WOTUS and the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Asked about Canada and its dairy policy – “The president’s been pretty firm on this…We’re not asking Canada to do away totally with their supply-management system, but if they’re going to continue we want them to manage their supply.”

Regarding trade assistance to farmers – “It’s based on what is the tariff damage actually calculated. That’s why you see the difference between the soybean award and the corn award, because of the tariff damage.”

WOTUS court decision – “Administrator Wheeler now is working on a renewed WOTUS rule that will be affirmed in the courts to give our farmers certainty.”

E15 year round – “President called me this morning said let’s get it done.”

Listen here – FPS 18 Secretary Perdue press gaggle

2018 Farm Progress Show

Content Creation at the Farm Progress Show brought to you by Farm Progress Show content creation courtesy of John DeereCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience
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Secretary Sonny Shows Ethanol Support

A rally organized by corn and ethanol producers at the Farm Progress Show got the attention of USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey who stopped by to show their support. It was a last minute decision by the secretary, who brought greetings and another promise from President Trump, who called Perdue as he was driving on to the show grounds.

“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.’”

Organized by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and state corn growers, the rally included a number of other speakers, including:

IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw; Iowa corn grower Jim Greif; Iowa farmer Jerry Calease; NCGA president Kevin Skunes from North Dakota; RFA past president Randy Doyal of Al-Corn Clean Fuel; Iowa Biodiesel Board member Ron Heck; and Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Listen to it here: #FPS18 RFS Rally

Watch it here:


2018 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

AgWired Energy, Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farm Progress Show, RFS, USDA, Video

Helping Motorcyclists Fuel Their Knowledge of Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) had more help than ever before pumping E10 fuel and educating motorcyclists about ethanol at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip for the recent 2018 motorcycle rally. It was the tenth year that RFA has brought the ethanol message to nearly a half million bikers and those on hand to help included RFA board members, industry volunteers, and former interns.

RFA president Mick Henderson with Commonwealth Energy in Kentucky was there last year and had enjoyed it so much he made a return visit. “This is a wonderful place to make direct contact with people who use ethanol fuels, E10, in a motorcycle,” said Henderson. “We’re all here to support the same initiative and good story to tell.”

Audio – Interview with RFA president Mick Henderson, Commonwealth Energy

Brothers Austin and Evan Ludowese each attended Sturgis during internships with RFA, one in 2015 and one in 2014, and they have seen some big changes since that time.

“I think the attitude towards ethanol being here has changed dramatically,” said Austin.

“The biggest thing from when it started until now is that there just was no information about it before,” added Evan.

Audio – Interview with former RFA interns Austin and Evan Ludowese

Doug Brandmahl is a general contractor from Virginia who met RFA’s Robert White by chance in 2009, the first year that RFA had a presence at Sturgis. “So I helped him out that week and this is the tenth year so I came back to help him celebrate,” said Brandmahl. “It’s really grown, he’s done a great job.”

RFA’s presence has grown from just having some signs and giving away t-shirts to now having a permanent pump location that is open year round and being a major sponsor at the Buffalo Chip and for the annual Legends Ride.

Audio – Interview with RFA volunteer Doug Brandmahl

2018 Sturgis Rally Ethanol Promotions Photo Album

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Motorcycle, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, Sturgis

Weather Causes Early End to FPS18 Day One

There’s always something new at Farm Progress Show and this year a big storm caused something that has never happened before – an evacuation and shut down of the show before noon.

Rain had been in the forecast for the day, but everyone was hoping it would either miss us or not be too bad. However, when the storm was within minutes of hitting, reports of hail, strong winds, and lightning in the area forced organizers to shut everything down and and try the get people out as quickly and safely as possible. Unfortunately, the downpour created muddy conditions in the parking areas almost immediately and dozens of vehicles become stuck in the mud, which made leaving a lot more difficult.

Day two is like day one all over again, since everyone is now a half day behind and struggling to reschedule activities scheduled for yesterday afternoon, plus we have Secretary Sonny on the grounds starting at noon.

Watch this video from the Bayer tent as Pam Fretwell was moderating the farmer panel and got the word to tell everyone to evacuate.

2018 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Content Creation at the Farm Progress Show brought to you by Farm Progress Show content creation courtesy of John DeereCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by GrowmarkCoverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience
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Iowa RFA Hosts 10th Annual Biofuels Tour

Cindy Zimmerman

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) recently hosted the 10th Annual Biofuels: Science and Sustainability Tour, taking nearly 40 participants representing members of Congress from around the country on a biofuels journey through the state, including visits to an ethanol plant, biodiesel plant, family farm, soybean crush facility, and an Iowa fuel retailer.

The tour began at the Iowa State Fair with an address from Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on the importance of renewable fuels and agriculture to the state.

Tour attendees visited Renewable Energy Group’s (REG) newly-expanded biodiesel plant in Ralston and toured the LANDUS Cooperative soybean crush facility next door which supplies the soybean oil REG uses to make biodiesel at the Ralston plant.

The group also heard from National Biodiesel Board Director of Public Affairs and Federal Communications Paul Winters, who discussed federal policies relating to the biodiesel industry – including the biodiesel blenders tax credit and the RFS.

Renewable Fuels Association Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper gave a presentation on how ethanol as a source of fuel octane during a visit to Little Sioux Corn Processors, a 165 million-gallon-a-year ethanol plant in Marcus. Attendees learned about how conventional ethanol is made from corn starch as well as how the plant produces cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber. The tour also included information about ethanol co-products dried distillers grains (DDGs) – a high-protein animal feed – and corn oil, which can be used to produce biodiesel.

IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw concluded the tour with a presentation on the importance of ethanol to rural economies in the state and the need for a stable Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as well as year-round sales of E15.

Read a full recap of the tour from Iowa RFA.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, NBB

Senators Ask EPA to Increase Biodiesel Volumes

Cindy Zimmerman

A bipartisan group of nearly 40 U.S. Senators led by Patty Murray (D-WA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have sent a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase volume obligations for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel and ensure any small refiner economic hardship exemptions are appropriately accounted for in its final rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The EPA’s June 2018 proposal would raise the biomass-based diesel volume for 2020 to 2.43 billion gallons and increase the advanced biofuel volume for 2019 to 4.88 billion gallons.

“While these proposed increases are encouraging, these volumes continue to underestimate the existing potential of the biodiesel and renewable diesel industries in our states,” the senators wrote. “We believe the biodiesel industry can do more and that EPA should demonstrate more confidence in the RFS program’s ability to drive growth. Increasing biomass-based diesel and advance biofuel volumes would encourage investment in capacity and new fuel development. Further, EPA must accurately account for small refiner economic hardship exemptions in the final rule. … It is critical that EPA appropriately account for any small refiner economic hardship exemptions that it reasonably expects to grant during the 2019 compliance year in the final rule, or EPA will not be able to fulfill its duty to ensure RVOs are met.”

Read the letter.

National Biodiesel Board vice president of federal affairs Kurt Kovarik thanked the senators for their support and particularly calling for EPA to account for small refiner hardship exemptions.

“NBB estimates that the exemptions granted by EPA for 2016 and 2017 reduced demand for biodiesel and renewable diesel by about 300 million gallons,” said Kovarik. “That lost demand is equal to or greater than the annual production of some of the nation’s top biodiesel producing states, including Washington, Missouri, North Dakota and Iowa. The volumes that EPA sets are meaningless if the agency does not ensure they are met at the end of the year.”

Biodiesel, EPA, NBB

ACE Conference Looks at Future Fuels

Carrie Muehling

Ethanol continues to prove its value based on high octane and low carbon qualities, and has a potential role to play regarding new fuel economy and emissions standards proposals from the Environmental Protection Agency.

That was the message during a panel with Marty Ruikka of The ProExporter Network and John Eichberger of the Fuels Institute during the 2018 American Coalition for Ethanol Conference in Minneapolis, Minn.

“U.S. corn yield increases two bushels per acre per year, a 90-million-acre yield increase equals 470 million gallons ethanol,” Ruikka said. “Alongside this rapid rate increase, ethanol exports are continuing to grow and ethanol production capacity. The industry needs to continue to make sure there are new markets available for the increase.”

Panelists also shared thoughts regarding future demand for liquid fuels and electricity in the United States.

“Liquid fuels remain the lifeblood of the market, more than 90 percent of vehicles on U.S. roads in 2035 will run primarily on liquid fuels,” Eichberger said. “Demand will decline over time with improved efficiency, electrification, etc. but there is the potential to leverage high octane fuel for greater efficiency, presenting possible opportunities for ethanol.”

Listen to the “Future Fuels” panel here: ACE18 Future Fuels panel

2018 ACE Conference Photo Album

ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol

Getting Ethanol ‘Up to Spec’

Carrie Muehling

Fuel quality and ensuring the safe arrival of ethanol to its destination were among topics on the program during the first session of the 31st annual American Coalition for Ethanol conference in Minneapolis.

Kristy Moore of KMoore Consulting led a panel called “Up to Spec,” looking at international fuel specifications and how American ethanol could further penetrate global ethanol markets.

“Looking globally, where can ethanol make a difference? Where are there regulatory markets?” asked Moore. “Where are there economic advantages?”

Moore pointed out that while introducing ethanol to global fuel markets is a top priority for the industry, it needs to be a continued focus for ethanol producers and stakeholders.

Listen to Moore’s entire presentation here: ACE18 Kristy Moore, KMoore Consulting

2018 ACE Conference Photo Album

ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol