Corn Forecast Lower But Still Second Largest Crop

Cindy Zimmerman

The latest USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) report for corn calls for lower production, increased exports, reduced feed and residual use and larger ending stocks.

Production was revised downward by 49 million bushels on a reduced yield forecast. The new estimate for corn production is 14.78 billion bushels for 2018/19, which would still make it the second largest U.S. corn crop ever.

Meanwhile, ending stocks for corn came in at 1.8 billion bushels, which was also below average trade estimates. As a result, corn prices increased moderately following release of the report on Friday.

corn, USDA

Nebraska Ethanol Promotes Fuel the Cure

Cindy Zimmerman

All during October Breast Cancer Awareness month, Nebraska drivers can fuel cancer research by choosing American Ethanol blends at retail stations around the state participating in the Fuel the Cure program.

Fuel the Cure is a Nebraska awareness promotion designed to bring attention to the benefits of cleaner-burning American Ethanol blends available throughout the state. For every gallon of ethanol-blended fuel – E15 to flex fuel E85 – purchased between Oct. 1-31, the participating fuel station will donate 3 cents per gallon with proceeds to benefit the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

“Motorists have a choice of biofuels that significantly reduce pollutants,” said Sarah Caswell, Nebraska Ethanol Board administrator. “Gasoline contains as many as 300 different chemicals. Many of these chemicals are used to increase octane — but some are known and suspected to cause cancer. Higher blends of biofuel dilute the level of toxic additives in our fuel, which helps reduce pollution and the threat to public health.”

Participating retailers have pink handles on fuel pumps and signs for Fuel the Cure, which is sponsored by the Nebraska Corn and Ethanol Boards, along with Renewable Fuels Nebraska. For more information visit, fuelthecure.pink.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Casey’s Partners With Prime the Pump

Cindy Zimmerman

Casey’s General Store is partnering with Prime the Pump to expand its offering of E15 to potentially more than 500 locations over the next few years. Prime the Pump is a Growth Energy partner and nonprofit organization dedicated to helping to give more Americans the choice of E15 at the pump.

“Since first rolling out E15, we’ve seen the benefit the biofuel blend offers in terms of value for our customers and a competitive advantage for our business,” said Casey’s Director of Fuels Nathaniel Doddridge. “We’re excited to partner with Prime the Pump and Growth Energy to build on the success and accelerate our offering of E15 to even more of our customers.”

“We are thrilled Prime the Pump is entering into partnership with Casey’s and taking it to record-breaking heights to give more American drivers a cleaner burning, engine-smart option at the pump,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Casey’s has seen the value E15 brings to their business and to their customers, and will soon be the nation’s largest E15 retailer. This announcement underscores the critical need for lawmakers to approve year-round use of E15.”

Casey’s began offering E15 fuel at select stores in the Midwest in March 2017. Today, Casey’s is among the nation’s leading independent retailers including Kwik Trip, Sheetz, Kum & Go, Minnoco, RaceTrac, Thorntons, Protec Fuels, QuikTrip, Family Express, Holiday, Murphy USA, Holiday, Rutter’s, and Cenex offering E15 at more than 1,600 stations across 30 states. Find one near you at GetBiofuel.com.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy, Retailers

Novozymes Launches New Yeast Technology

Cindy Zimmerman

Novozymes has just launched its next yeast technology, Innova Lift, for the starch-based ethanol industry. The product follows the launch earlier this year of the yeast platform, Innova, and the first product, Drive.

Brian Brazeau, Novozymes’ Vice President for Biofuels Commercial says Lift targets ethanol plants with long fermentation times, “delivering greater tolerance to common stressors such as high temperature and organic acids.”

Innova Lift expresses a glucoamylase that is two times more effective at converting difficult-to-reach starch. When paired with advanced enzyme solutions, Lift also has the potential to significantly increase ethanol yields, reduce fermentation risks and eliminate costly inputs, while improving performance reliability.

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Novozymes

Registration Open for RFA National Ethanol Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Registration is now open for the Renewable Fuels Association’s 24th annual National Ethanol Conference (NEC), to be held Feb. 11–13, 2019 in Orlando. The theme for the 2019 NEC will be “Powered with Renewed Energy.”

The NEC is the most widely attended executive level conference for the ethanol industry. At the 2018 NEC, about 1,000 industry leaders and professionals attended, representing 37 states, the District of Columbia, and 17 countries. The conference provides an unequaled opportunity to engage key decision makers and industry executives about the latest technologies and government policies affecting the industry today. Speakers will address a number of topics including the impact of small refiner waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard, growth of higher level ethanol blends, and ethanol exports.

“As a producer and executive, RFA’s NEC provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to interact with colleagues in a fun, relaxing atmosphere,” said RFA Board Chairman Neil Koehler, co-founder and CEO of Pacific Ethanol. “It’s also a great value, as we’re able to conduct a tremendous amount of business in under two days, while hearing from informative speakers on the most important issues of the day. NEC is another example of RFA’s leadership and commitment to grow the ethanol industry,” he added.

For more information and to register, visit www.NationalEthanolConference.com and make sure to follow NEC on Twitter, at @EthanolConf.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

New RFA Chair Says Increasing E15 Grows Ethanol Market

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol was in need of a “growth story” and getting year round E15 will definitely help, according to new Renewable Fuels Association Chairman Neil Koehler, CEO of Pacific Ethanol.

“It’s about market share, and limiting ethanol to ten percent blends has been, in effect, restraint of trade,” said Koehler.

Koehler was featured on Fox Business just as the announcement was made official. “It’s very positive for our business, we are the world’s sixth largest ethanol producer,” he said, as the company’s stock ticker was shown heading upwards.

A second part to the administration’s action is to provide more transparency in the market for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINS) and Koehler says that could be done in a number of different ways, but previously floated ideas such as RIN price caps or counting exports “appear to be off the table.”

Koehler discusses the importance of year round E15 in this interview –Interview with RFA chair Neil Koehler, Pacific Ethanol

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Huge Crowd Turns Out for President Trump in Iowa

Cindy Zimmerman

With a background of green hats saying “Make Farmers Great Again,” President Donald Trump basked in the warmth of a huge crowd from Iowa and Nebraska during a rally in Council Bluffs on Tuesday night after an announcement that the administration was moving forward with rulemaking to allow 15% ethanol to be sold year round.

“We are unleashing the power of E15 to fuel our country all year long,” President Trump said to great applause, noting that he kept his promise to them.

During his 90 minute speech, Trump frequently urged the crowd to get out and vote, especially for Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who was thrilled with the turnout. “Mr. President, thank you for year round E15,” said Reynolds. “Our farmers thank you, Iowans thank you and we are grateful. Promises made, promises kept.”

Rally sound bites from Pres. Trump and Gov. Reynolds
Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ethanol Stakeholders Welcome E15 Announcement

Cindy Zimmerman

Christmas came very early this year for ethanol stakeholders who have been pressing for sales of E15 to be allowed year round, as President Trump announced he was instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to initiate a rulemaking process that would extend the summer Reid Vapor Pressure waiver to E15.

“What it really means is that we’re helping our farmers,” said President Trump to reporters asking questions as he arrived in the Midwest for a rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa – adding that “there is no negative impact” on the environment by allowing E15 to be sold all year. “In fact, there are those that say, you do this and the air is cleaner, I agree with that,” Trump said. Pres. Trump comments on E15 to reporters

Following the announcement, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor hosted a telephone press conference with Iowa farmer Kelly Nieuwenhuis, Iowa ethanol producer Delayne Johnson with Quad County Corn Processors, and E15 retailer Mike Lorenz, Sheetz.

Listen to or download here – Growth Energy E15 press conference

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings thanked the president for making good on his promise and asked EPA to work quickly on rulemaking. “The President’s decision will not prevent Big Oil from stonewalling year-round E15, so we encourage Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to expeditiously publish a legally-defensible approach for extending RVP relief to E15 in the Federal Register for public comment and to finalize the rule before the 2019 low-RVP season kicks-in.”

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) CEO Geoff Cooper says the announcement should help expand availability of E15 nationwide. “This is the right signal to the marketplace at just the right time, as both farmers and renewable fuel producers desperately need new market opportunities and sources of demand.”

RFA Chairman Neil Koehler, CEO of Pacific Ethanol, was featured on Fox Business just as the announcement was made official. “It’s very positive for our business, we are the world’s sixth largest ethanol producer,” said Koehler, as the company’s stock ticker was shown heading up. “Now we have a growth story because of this announcement.” RFA chairman Neil Koehler, Pacific Ethanol, on Fox Business

Koehler added that the announcement was great news also for American farmers, and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Lynn Chrisp agrees.

“Earlier this year, the President correctly described this barrier as ‘unnecessary’ and ‘ridiculous’,” said Chrisp. “The President also faced pressure to fix this regulatory problem through a bad deal that would have been harmful to farmers. He made the right decision to move this common-sense regulatory relief on its own, and farmers are very grateful.”

ACE, Audio, biofuels, corn, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA

E15 Announcement Expected Today

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump is heading to Council Bluffs, Iowa later today for a Make America Great Again Rally this evening, but before he leaves he is expected to make an announcement the ethanol industry has been waiting a long time to hear – that he is directing EPA to start rulemaking on year-round sales of 15% ethanol blends (E15).

The White House confirmed that the president is requesting a Reid Vapor Pressure waiver for summer E15 sales and ethanol industry representatives are excited to hear it. “We eagerly await this announcement because it will benefit rural America, retailers who want to sell E15, and consumers who deserve choice at the pump.” said American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings.

“It’s wonderful for the American farmer. It’s great for #biofuels producers. And it’s great for the American consumer, so we’re thrilled,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) CEO Geoff Cooper says the announcement should help expand availability of E15 nationwide. “The top barrier we hear when we ask retailers why they’re not doing E15 is this RVP barrier and the fact they can’t sell E15 year round,” said Cooper. “It will serve as a very important signal to the marketplace and really provide a shot in the arm to expand the domestic market for ethanol.”

Audio with Cooper – RFA CEO Geoff Cooper comments on E15 waiver relief

The announcement is expected today at 3:00 pm Eastern time and Growth Energy will be holding a press conference about it at 3:30 pm.

ACE, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA

Baseball Teams Hit Home Run with Biodiesel

Cindy Zimmerman

Sports fans nationwide celebrated sustainable practices over the weekend on October 6 – Green Sports Day. The annual event recognizes the efforts that athletes, supporters, and organizations make to reduce their environmental footprint and baseball fans are already seeing a difference with cleaner air thanks to biodiesel.

The Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and the San Diego Padres are among many teams whose stadiums are recycling used cooking oil into clean burning biodiesel. During the Royal’s recent championship season, the stadium totaled more than 61 tons of food waste, recycling more than 4,500 gallons of oil. The Brewers home stadium, Miller Park, recycled 6,347 gallons of cooking oil last year alone.

The Green Sports Alliance inspires professional sports leagues, college conferences, sports governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Alliance members represent nearly 600 sports teams and venues from 15 sports leagues in 14 countries.

Biodiesel, NBB