ACE Conference 2026

RFA Announces $1M Fuel Your Knowledge Campaign

Cindy Zimmerman

Memorial Day weekend means the start of boating, biking and lawn mowing season – better known as summer. As the small engines come out of winter hibernation, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is launching a new $1 million consumer-focused educational campaign called “Fuel Your Knowledge.”

The campaign will educate and inform consumers about the proper use of ethanol-blended fuels in boats, motorcycles, lawn and garden equipment and other off-road engines. This effort is intended to correct the record on the use of ethanol blends in small and off-road engines, educate the owners of these engines on what fuels they can legally and safely use, and highlight the benefits of choosing ethanol blends.

The RFA intends to enhance existing efforts that include a co-title sponsorship of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail professional fishing series, involvement with an upcoming reality TV series, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. There are also plans for several additional projects over the next 18 months that involve mechanics and more third-party validators. As part of the effort there will be new online content, videos, promotional materials, sponsorships, trade show exhibits and attendance at larger consumer events across the country. Through RFA’s partnerships with non-traditional stakeholders, this effort to educate consumers will be amplified to ensure wide outreach is successful.

Boats, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Motorcycle, RFA

Ethanol Summit Includes Plant and Farm Tours

Cindy Zimmerman

Before and after the Ethanol Summit of the Asia-Pacific held this week in Minneapolis, visitors from more than 17 countries in Asia and Oceania have been able to tour farms and ethanol plants around the region.

Teams of producers, traders, government officials and business people have been on tours in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Wisconsin, hosted by state corn organizations and local ethanol facilities, sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), which works to develop overseas demand for U.S. feed grains and their products, like ethanol.

The post-Summit tours included participants from China, Korea and Taiwan visiting Iowa; a team from India, Bangladesh and the Philippines visiting Kansas; participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam visiting Nebraska; and a team from Australia, Myanmar, Pakistan and New Zealand visiting Wisconsin.

The summit, hosted with Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association, offered participants access to high-level U.S. ethanol industry members and extensive information on how ethanol is used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), improve air quality, and provide economic benefits to ethanol stakeholders.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Grains, Growth Energy, RFA, USGC

Senators Say Protecting RFS Will Help Lower Gas Prices

Cindy Zimmerman

Four Democratic U.S. senators are calling on President Trump to take actions to help lower gas prices, including protecting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was joined by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), in a letter to the president outlining seven specific actions he could take to “make sure OPEC does not continue to suppress world crude oil supplies” and to “protect domestic policies that help consumers.”

“This weekend is the start of the driving season, and the average American household will pay $167 more in fuel costs this summer,” said Sen. Cantwell in a press conference. “That is sticker shock to the American family – what they are seeing could get worse, and that is why we are calling on President Trump to act.”

Nationwide, the average price of gas is up more than 50 cents per gallon from Memorial Day last year and has jumped 12 cents per gallon in the past 14 days, hitting a four-year high.

Listen to Cantwell’s remarks here: Sen. Maria Cantwell on high gas prices

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) recently did an analysis of how ethanol is already helping keep gas prices lower than they would be otherwise.

Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS

Waivers Continue as Officials Plan Biofuels Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

As officials with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture were preparing for a meeting today on the Renewable Fuel Standard, reports surfaced that the nation’s second largest oil refiner has requested a “hardship waiver” for one of its facilities.

Marathon Petroleum is in merger talks with Andeavor, one of the first large oil companies reported to receive a hardship waiver, which would make them the largest oil refiner in the United States that would control one-sixth of U.S. refining.

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor hopes today’s meeting will put an end to these waivers and restore the gallons of ethanol lost because of them. “These waivers have already siphoned billions away from farm families to enrich some of the world’s largest oil companies as well as a few well-connected investors like Carl Icahn. Those gallons need to be restored and American consumers need immediate, year-round access to E15,” said Skor. “President Trump promised to protect statutory targets under the RFS, and we support Secretary Perdue’s efforts to ensure the EPA upholds that commitment to rural families.”

Officials with EPA, USDA and the Department of Energy are expected to meet today to work on the details that came out of the White House meeting earlier this month, allowing year-round sales of E15, cutting down on the waivers, and possibly allowing ethanol exports to count toward blending requirements.

EPA, Ethanol, Growth Energy

RFA Comments on Brazil RenovaBio Program

Cindy Zimmerman

Since Brazil’s new RenovaBio program will likely cause significant growth in the country’s biofuels consumption, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) wants to make sure their methodology for estimating carbon intensity correctly reflects the emissions impacts of corn ethanol.

Under RenovaBio, which was approved in late December 2017, the average carbon intensity (CI) of gasoline must be reduced by 10.1% by 2028. In comments to Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, RFA focused on the draft CI calculation tool (known as “RenovaCalc”) that will be used to determine CI values for various biofuel pathways.

“Given that many of our member companies produce ethanol that is exported to Brazil, the pathway for imported corn ethanol is of particular interest to RFA….[I]t is imperative that the CI scoring of biofuel pathways under RenovaBio is conducted in an accurate, transparent, and science-based manner,” RFA explained in its comments.

RFA is seeking clarity on the wide discrepancy between CI scores for imported corn ethanol and Brazil-produced corn ethanol. Under preliminary RenovaCalc estimates, imported corn ethanol is found to reduce GHG emissions by more than 50% compared to Brazilian gasoline. Meanwhile, Brazil-produced corn ethanol is found to reduce GHG emissions by 70%.

With certain further refinements, RFA said it believes the calculator can provide both regulators and regulated entities with reliable estimates of the CI associated with various fuel pathways.

Brazil, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

2018 Biodiesel Seminar Tour Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

Biodiesel is going on tour this summer for a series of regional, one-day seminars designed to educate fuel wholesalers, distributors, retailers, marketers, fleets, municipalities, and other end users on the benefits and opportunities surrounding America’s first advanced biofuel.

The Exploring Biodiesel (XBX) seminars, organized by the National Biodiesel Board and several industry sponsors, will be held in five major cities from coast to coast.

The free events will offer information about biodiesel’s place in today’s liquid fuels supply chain and how the fuel can be leveraged as a means to increase market share and enhance an organization’s brand. The seminars are meant for anyone who consumes, markets, trades or distributes diesel fuel.

The XBX series will stop in five cities over the summer.

Boston, MA | June 12 | 10:00 – 2:00 pm | Boston Marriott Quincy
Philadelphia, PA | July 18 | 10:00 – 2:00 pm | Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel
Los Angeles, CA | August 7 | 10:00 – 2:00 pm | Long Beach Marriott
Portland, OR | August 9 | 10:00 – 2:00 pm | Billy Frank, Jr. Conference Center
Cleveland, OH | September 18 | 10:00 – 2:00 pm | DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown – Lakeside

Learn more at ExploringBiodiesel.com.

Biodiesel, NBB

Asia Pacific Ethanol Summit Meeting in Minneapolis

Cindy Zimmerman

Industry and government officials from the United States and 17 countries in Asia and Oceania are meeting in Minneapolis this week at the Ethanol Summit of the Asia Pacific, focused on current and future prospects for expanded ethanol use throughout the region.

The event, sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), is hosting high-level officials from agriculture, environmental and energy ministries throughout the region who will discuss environmental, human health and economic benefits of ethanol use and foster collaboration and trade across the region. Participating countries include from Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States.

Building on the success and momentum of last fall’s Ethanol Summit of the Americas event, this summit is highlighting the use of ethanol in transportation fuels to help improve air quality, enhance the current fuel supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The two-day conference also includes views and analysis on ethanol-related policies, infrastructure and use across Asia Pacific countries. This work includes the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ethanol roadmap, which includes best practices for developing an ethanol industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s perspective on ethanol policy, trade and collaboration, ethanol case studies from Vietnam and the Philippines, ethanol research in Japan and the development of ethanol policy and use in China.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Grains, Growth Energy, RFA, Trade, USGC

USDA’s Northey Kicks Off Alltech ONE18

After the opening entertainment, USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey was first to take the stage Monday morning at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference 2018 in Lexington, Kentucky. He was just discussing the issue of agricultural trade with China when President Trump tweeted “China has agreed to buy massive amounts of ADDITIONAL Farm/Agricultural Products – would be one of the best things to happen to our farmers in many years!”

“The opportunities to be able to grow in that market are important,” said Northey in an interview after his address. “It was also important for us to challenge where they were not following through on some of the promises that they made and the rules that they had agreed to.”

After meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials last week, the White House released a statement saying that, “China will significantly increase purchases of United States goods and services….Both sides agreed on meaningful increases in United States agriculture and energy exports. The United States will send a team to China to work out the details.”

In addition to trade, Northey hit on a number of other topics during his address to the annual Alltech conference, including agricultural innovation, conservation, the farm bill, and renewable fuels.

Northey comments on all of that and more in this interview. Interview with USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey, ONE18

ONE: Alltech Ideas Conference Photo Album

AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Alltech, Audio, USDA

RFA Plans 2nd Ethanol Summer Contest

Cindy Zimmerman

Beginning Memorial Day, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is re-launching the “Ethanol Days of Summer” contest, allowing both fuel retailers and consumers to report prices posted for E85 and other higher ethanol blends for the chance to win $50 in free fuel per day.

“This contest was a huge success last year and we expect this year to be even bigger with hundreds of new stations offering higher ethanol blends,” said RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White. “This contest will not only drive traffic to these stations, but it will help RFA maintain the best ethanol station locator website, along with pricing information for those stations.”

To enter, consumers must have a registered account on www.E85prices.com, where they can submit pricing for a chance to win, or post on the mobile app. The RFA website is crowdsourced and offers updated prices for E85, E15, and other ethanol blends from thousands of stations across the country.

There are more than 4,200 stations selling E85 across 2,412 cities in the country, and 1,300 stations in 29 states that offer E15. Among other information, E85prices.com contains a nationwide map of all E85 and E15 stations, historical pricing, a public forum to allow consumers to pose questions and discuss various issues, and an ethanol savings calculator, allowing users to see how much money they can save by using various ethanol blends.

In 2017, more than 4,000 new users registered at E85prices.com, with 97 different contest winners. No purchase necessary to participate and users can submit prices for multiple stations each day. Daily winners will be drawn through Labor Day, and winners will be announced every two weeks.

E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Farm Bill Defeated in the House

House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) delivered on his promise to get a farm bill written in a timely manner, but his colleagues in the House voted 198-213 Friday to reject his effort.

Prior to the vote, Rep. Conaway expressed his frustration as a last minute amendment was introduced to recommit the bill with instructions to the Committee on Agriculture. “You can love the farm bill or you can hate the farm bill but it delivers the most effective, affordable and safest food and fiber supply of any developed nation in the world,” said Conaway.

Democrats voted against the bill mainly for changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aimed at getting able-bodied adults under 60 without dependents or disabilities back to work, but it was 30 conservative Republicans wanting a vote on immigration that killed the bill.

Listen to Rep. Conaway’s remarks here: House Ag Chair Rep. Conaway

AgWired Animal, AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, farm bill, Government