REG Announces Board of Directors Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Energy Group has announced the appointment of two new Board members to the company’s Board of Directors.

Joining the Board are Ms. Debora (Deb) Frodl, a former GE Executive and Mr. James C. (Jim) Borel, a former DuPont Executive. Both began serving on the Board effective March 14.

As a top senior executive at GE, Frodl led Ecomagination, a business strategy group focused on developing clean technology innovation that drives positive environmental and economic impact at global scale. Borel retired in 2016 from DuPont as executive vice president and a member of the company’s Office of the Chief Executive.

The company also announced that Michael Jackson has decided to retire from the Board and has submitted his resignation, effective March 14, 2018.

Biodiesel, REG

Ethanol Report for St. Patrick’s Day

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen really got his Irish up this week over EPA administrator Scott Pruitt allowing bankrupt Philadelphia Energy Solutions to get out of half its obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), so he is really ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend. He updates us on the latest episode in the RINs saga in this Ethanol Report.

Listen to it here: Ethanol Report for St. Patrick's Day

Watch Bob’s special St. Patrick’s Day message on the RFA Facebook page.

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Audio, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA, RFS, RINS

Hot Grease Heading to DC Environmental Film Festival

Cindy Zimmerman

The D.C. Environmental Film Festival will be airing Discovery Channel’s HOT GREASE this weekend, a documentary made with the help of the National Biodiesel Board. Following the film, the makers and stars of the film will participate in a moderated discussion.

HOT GREASE is a documentary that follows several innovators, entrepreneurs, environmentalists and grease collectors involved in biodiesel production. The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital is the world’s premier showcase of environmentally themed films. Since 1993, their mission has been to celebrate Earth and inspire understanding and stewardship of the environment through the power of film.
Several members of NBB’s staff and leadership are featured throughout the film.

HOT GREASE was featured at the 2018 National Biodiesel Conference. Jason Lawrence with Amerigreen moderated a panel on the documentary at the #NBB18 with NBB communications manager Jessica Robinson, director/producers Jessica Wolfson and Paul Lovelace, and cinematographer Andrew Miller.

Enjoy the panel discussion here: Hot Grease documentary panel

2018 National Biodiesel Conference

Audio, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference, National Biodiesel Conference, NBB

Celebrate Biodiesel Day with 25 Fun Facts

Cindy Zimmerman

Rudolf Diesel would be celebrating his 160th birthday this March 18, if he were still alive, but his name lives on and the example he set of using peanut oil in the first diesel engine celebrates 25 years this year in the National Biodiesel Board (NBB).

To celebrate 160 years of Rudolf Diesel and 25 years of biodiesel, NBB has put together a slide show highlighting 25 Fantastic Facts about biodiesel.

For example, did you know?

– Willie Nelson was keynote speaker for the National Biodiesel Conference in 2006
– All OEMs producing diesel vehicles and equipment for the U.S. market support the use of at least B5 biodiesel blends
– It is the nation’s first domestically produced, commercially available advanced biofuel.
– Biodiesel is used in the Northeast as a blended product for heating oil called Bioheat®

Find out more here.

Biodiesel, NBB

Governors Urge President to Reject RFS Changes

Cindy Zimmerman

Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa and five of her Midwestern counterparts sent a letter to President Donald Trump this week thanking him for his continued support of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and urging him to reject proposals designed to weaken or waive “this key pillar of the farm economy.”

Governors Eric Holcomb of Indiana, Jeff Colyer of Kansas, Eric Greitens of Missouri, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska and Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota, signed on to the letter which asks the president to reject, in particular, any “RIN cap” or waiver credit proposal, as put forth by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

The governors note that “adopting Senator Cruz’s RFS waiver credit proposal would have the same real-world effect as reducing RFS levels during an annual rule-making.”
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Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS, RINS

XCELIS™ is DuPont’s Fuel Ethanol Platform

Cindy Zimmerman

DuPont gave its new XCELIS™ fuel ethanol platform a colorful debut at the National Ethanol Conference last month in San Antonio, with a rainbow of pastel colored arches along the walkway to the meeting area.

“XCELIS is really the way we’re approaching the fuel alcohol market globally now as DuPont,” says Judy Underwood, DuPont Global Marketing Lead. “It’s a new approach pulling together all of the tools and technologies that we have access to and bringing them to this market.”

XCELIS is a partner-based approach tailored to each customer’s unique needs and Underwood says they unveiled XCELIS at the NEC because they know a lot of producers attend that event. “A lot of folks are invested and involved in the RFA,” she said.

Learn more about XCELIS in this interview. Interview with Judy Underwood, DuPont XCELIS

2018 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, Dupont, enzymes, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Cornyn Says He’s Trying to Find “Consensus” on RINs Issue

Cindy Zimmerman

Texas’ other senator claims he is “working hard to try and find some consensus” on the issue of Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices, but Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has pretty much the same attitude that Sen. Ted Cruz has when it comes to ethanol.

“I’ve been working on a bi-partisan basis with allies in the Senate to see if we can come up with something that will address the concerns of the corn state senators and senators like me who come from oil and gas states who are concerned that this is an unsustainable mandate,” said Cornyn in a phone interview this week with All Ag News. “This is a very delicate negotiation and we are trying to address the needs of all the stakeholders in a way that will be successful and return the fuel supply to a market-based demand economy and not one involving government mandates.”

Listen here: Sen. John Cornyn comment

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, RFS, RINS

Export Exchange 2018 Scheduled for October

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy will host domestic suppliers, international buyers and end-users of U.S. feed grains and co-products at Export Exchange 2018, to be held Oct. 22 to 24 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Export Exchange is uniquely focused on connecting international grain buyers with U.S. suppliers,” said Iowa farmer Deb Keller, USGC chairman. “We are excited to have members of the export industry join us and so many of our customers in Minneapolis this fall to learn the latest about U.S. exports and how to purchase.”

The event will focus on timely topics related to exports of U.S. corn, sorghum, barley, distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and related products. More than 300 U.S. farmers and agribusiness representatives and an estimated 200 international purchasers and end-users are expected to attend. Related to the event, the Council sponsors trade teams from more than 30 countries to participate in tours before and after the main conference.

Look for more information about Export Exchange 2018 in coming months at www.exportexchange.org or sign up for a mailing list to automatically receive conference updates by emailing info@exportexchange.org.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Export Exchange, Exports, Grains, Growth Energy, RFA

Biodiesel and 2nd Gen Biofuels Need Stable Tax Policy

Cindy Zimmerman

Photo courtesy ABFA

The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy heard from representatives of the biodiesel and advanced biofuels industries Wednesday on the need for “Post Tax Reform of Recently Expired Tax Provisions” that are helping move the nation toward more diverse renewable fuels.

Renewable Fuels Association General Counsel Ed Hubbard urged the committee to extend the Second-Generation Production Tax Credit and Accelerated Depreciation rules at least until the end of 2018. “While the U.S. grain-based ethanol industry has matured into an efficient and highly competitive fuel supplier, the second-generation sector is much younger, and has struggled to overcome immense financial and commercial obstacles,” Hubbard told the subcommittee. RFA further urged Congress to modify and extend the Alternative Vehicle Refueling Property Credit.

Listen to Hubbard’s opening statement here: Ed Hubbard, RFA

Cal Meyer, chief operating officer of Ag Processing Inc. (AGP), testified on behalf of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) with a simple message. “We urge Congress to renew the biodiesel blender’s tax incentive through 2018 at a minimum, while considering a multi-year approach,” he said, citing the many benefits provided by the advanced biofuel.

Listen to part of Meyer’s opening statement. Cal Meyer, AGP, for NBB

Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) president Michael McAdams also testified at the hearing on behalf of convenience store and truck stop operators, truckers and fuel retailers. In his testimony, McAdams stressed the need for the biodiesel and renewable diesel blenders credits to be extended through 2018. “This cycle of uncertainty that causes lower biodiesel RIN values as we await the tax credit extension must be broken, and prospective certainty must be afforded for the credit to achieve its true economic punching power.”

Michael McAdams, ABFA
advanced biofuels, Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NBB, RFA

Advanced Biofuels Interest in Post Tax Bill Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and more than 50 member organizations are urging Congressional leaders to extend the biodiesel tax credit as soon as possible for at least 2018.

In a letter to House and Senate leadership sent in advance of a hearing Wednesday morning, the biodiesel stakeholders said, “We believe that if the tax credit is extended through at least 2018, the biodiesel industry would experience substantial growth in the near term, which would create significant new employment opportunities.”

Cal Meyer, chief operating officer at Ag Processing Inc, will testify on behalf of NBB before the Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee at the Hearing on Post Tax Reform Evaluation of Recently Expired Tax Provisions, which will begin at 10:00 am Eastern. Others biofuels representatives scheduled to testify are Michael McAdams, Advanced Biofuels Association; Ed Hubbard, Renewable Fuels Association; and Brooke Coleman, Advanced Biofuels Business Council. All are slated to testify on Panel Four, which may not be heard until 2:00 Eastern or later.

Tune in the hearing here.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA