ACE Conference 2026

Lincolnway Energy Seeds Monarch Fueling Station

Carrie Muehling

While Iowa farmers have been busy with spring planting, Lincolnway Energy has been seeding a two-acre Monarch Fueling Station.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laid down a seed mixture of plants that attract pollinators. The mixture has a special emphasis on milkweed plants, the only plant monarchs can lay their eggs on. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Habitat Establishment Coordinator Kevin Reynolds said Lincolnway Energy can expect to see modest growth fairly soon.

“The majority of the plants are going to spend this year developing a root system, but three or four of the species will grow pretty fast,” Reynolds said. “I look forward to working with Lincolnway on next steps as the plants sprout and grow, including weed control and mowing.”

Lincolnway Energy’s Monarch Fueling Station was established in December 2017 with the help of Reynolds. The Monarch Fueling Station Project was established by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) in partnership with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium in December 2017. It is a program to help Iowa’s ethanol and biodiesel plants establish patches of monarch habitat on plant grounds.

Ethanol, Iowa RFA

NCGA CEO Comments on White House RFS Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Corn growers are pleased that the Tuesday meeting at the White House resulted in a commitment to allow year-round sales of 15% ethanol blends, but not so much by a reported plan to reallocate Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) from exempted renewable fuel volumes using exported ethanol gallons.

During an interview with reporters Tuesday, National Corn Growers Association CEO Chris Novak said, “We’re hopeful that as our cabinet members take a look at this idea they’ll understand that it doesn’t fit with the statutory authority under the Renewable Fuel Standard, nor does it fit with our trading obligations as a member of the global community.”

Audio: NCGA CEO Chris Novak on White House RFS deal

Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NCGA

Propane Autogas Vehicle Sales Overcoming Challenges

Carrie Muehling

Sales of propane autogas vehicles in 2017 were down just slightly from the previous year, despite low gasoline and diesel prices and the absence of federal incentives for alternative fuels from the federal government.

The autogas fleet vehicles sold during 2017 will consume approximately 36.8 million gallons of clean propane autogas annually, according to the Propane Education & Research Council. Industry officials believe the flat sales in 2017 are signaling more growth for propane autogas vehicles in the near future.

“Propane autogas sales virtually held steady in a year where the conventional fuels held all of the advantages,” said Michael Taylor, director of autogas business development for PERC. “Looking ahead, our forecasts indicate there’s a lot to be optimistic about thanks to a variety of opportunities that will help increase propane autogas vehicle sales in 2018 and beyond.”

Opportunities helping to propel propane autogas sales in the near term include new OEM solutions (both standard and optional equipment packages) for medium- and heavy-duty truck applications, which will impact numerous applications and vocations.

PERC, Propane

Growth Energy Creates Global Markets Post

Cindy Zimmerman

Growth Energy has appointed industry veteran Craig Willis as Senior Vice President of Global Markets, effective June 1. Willis, who has served as President of Ethanol for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), will oversee the organization’s market development efforts to increase ethanol’s footprint both at home and abroad.

“Craig is an ethanol all-star. He has an exceptional track record of building meaningful business and stakeholder partnerships that deliver desired outcomes,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Growth Energy will benefit from his experience and leadership in every aspect of the business. This new position ensures that our leadership and success in domestic market development via Prime the Pump is matched in the global markets.”

Willis joins Growth Energy after more than 25 years at ADM, serving as Ethanol Business president since 2015. “I am looking forward to knocking down barriers and building on the success of Growth Energy’s work both in facilitating the advancement of E15 with Prime the Pump and increasing ethanol’s global footprint,” said Willis.

Willis is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Agricultural Economy.

Ethanol, Exports, Growth Energy

EVs and Ethanol Mix Well Together

Cindy Zimmerman

The future is bright for electric vehicles and ethanol to work together to increase future vehicle energy efficiencies and reduce costs for consumers, according to Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen who testified yesterday before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment.

“Indeed, emerging technologies that utilize ethanol’s unique properties in hybrid electric technology, and even fuel-cell powered vehicles, demonstrate that low-carbon ethanol and electricity can be a winning solution to address future climate and energy security issues,” Dinneen testified.

Dinneen noted that his wife drives a hybrid electric car, while he prefers his flex-fuel pickup. “That just underscores my point,” he said. “There will be consumers for whom electric vehicles work well…and there will be consumers who will continue to prefer liquid transportation fuels. Public policy needs to make room for both.”

Read Dinneen’s prepared remarks and listen to his opening comments here: RFA CEO Bob Dinneen EV hearing opening statement

Watch the full hearing.

Audio, Electric Vehicles, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS

Iowa Legislature Funds State Blender Pump Program

Carrie Muehling

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP) will continue for another year, thanks to a vote by the Iowa Legislature to secure funding that provides cost-share dollars to fuel retailers for blender pumps and other equipment necessary to offer higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel.

“The program has proven itself a legislative success story, helping to increase availability of renewable fuels for Iowa consumers, driving economic growth, and supporting the ag economy,” said Grant Kimberley, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board. “An Iowa Department of Revenue reports that in 2017, for the second year in a row, more than half of diesel gallons sold in the state contained biodiesel.”

The bill now goes to Governor Kim Reynolds for her consideration. The RFIP is managed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Biodiesel, Iowa RFA

Devil in the White House RFS Deal Details

Cindy Zimmerman

Tweets from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) became the official news from the White House meeting Tuesday on ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“Had WH mtg on RFS/ethanol. No RIN cap & got E15 yr round. Need to see Perdue+Pruitt plan. Devil in details,” tweeted Sen. Grassley. About the same time, Sen. Cruz happily tweeted, “Terrific final decision from @POTUS meeting: E15, year-round plus RINs for all exports. This is a WIN-WIN for everyone. More corn will be sold (good for farmers), plus lower RINs (saves blue-collar refinery jobs), plus more ethanol exports (good for America).”

Translated, Grassley said the president agreed to allow the year-round use of E15 and put to rest the idea of a price cap on Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), but the final details will need to be worked out between USDA and EPA. Cruz added that the decision also included a plan to reallocate Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) from exempted renewable fuel volumes by allowing exported ethanol gallons to count toward an obligated party’s blending requirement.

For the ethanol industry, that amounts to an unacceptable compromise.

“Attaching a RIN to ethanol exports would have a crippling impact on American agriculture,” Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said. “It would also have major trade implications, as export RINs would be considered a subsidy by our global trading partners, who will likely challenge this as unnecessary advantage to U.S. ethanol.”

“Our trade partners in the international market certainly would not understand why the lowest-priced ethanol in the world requires an export subsidy,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen.

“While we are pleased the RIN cap idea is being abandoned, assigning RINs to exported renewable fuel is an equally horrible idea,” was the reaction from American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings.

And while everyone is pleased that President Trump has agreed to lift the “unnecessary and ridiculous” restriction on summer sales of E15, since that is due to kick in June 1 it would require an immediate presidential action to make that happen this year, which is what the ethanol industry is requesting.

ACE, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy, RFA, RFS

Ethanol Report on White House RFS Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Tweets from senators involved in a White House meeting Tuesday on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) say an agreement has finally been reached between oil and ethanol interests that would allow the year-round use of E15 and put to rest the idea of a price cap on Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), a big win for Team Ethanol.

However, the “win” on the oil side is reported to be reallocating the approximately 1.6 billion gallons of renewable volume obligations exempted by EPA through “small refinery” waivers by allowing exported ethanol gallons to count toward an obligated party’s blending requirement – which would amount to an export subsidy likely to result in retaliatory trade actions.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen reacts to the news and explains why allowing RIN credits for exported U.S. ethanol is unacceptable.

Listen here: Ethanol Report on White House RFS Meeting

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E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, RFA, RFS, RINS

RFA to Testify at Electric Vehicles Hearing

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Bob Dinneen is scheduled to testify today at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment hearing on “Sharing the Road: Policy Implications of Electric and Conventional Vehicles in the Years Ahead.” The hearing begins at 10:15 am Eastern.

“There are still many challenges to realizing the full potential of electric vehicles, especially improving cost and convenience while ensuring adequate charging infrastructure. At the same time, liquid fuels providers and conventional internal combustion engine makers will be under pressure to continually improve in order to remain competitive in the years ahead,” said #SubEnvironment Chairman Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL).

The future for EVs and how it might impact renewable fuels was a topic at the 2017 National Ethanol Conference in February. RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White moderated a panel on the subject which included Tammy Klein, Future Fuel Strategies; Eva Rigamonti, Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA)/Steptoe & Johnson; and Leslie Hayward, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). Each panelist had a different perspective when it comes to the future of electric vehicles and the impact that will have on more traditional fuel sources, including ethanol.

Links to the panel discussion and an interview with Robert White are found below:

Electric Vehicles Panel

Interview with Robert White, RFA
Audio, Electric Vehicles, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Groups Write President Ahead of White House Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Numerous agricultural and biofuels interests are urging President Trump to help farmers by implementing year-round sales of higher ethanol blends when he meets once again this week with Congressional leaders from farm and oil states at the White House.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, American Soybean Association and National Association of Wheat Growers sent a letter to the President expressing concerns about how farmers have been negatively impacted by recent EPA actions in light of the lowest net farm income in over a decade expected this year. They ask the White House to allow sales of E15 all year, halt the abuse of “small refinery exemptions,” and uphold a strong RFS, without “further undercutting the RFS, such as imposing a RIN cap, and causing additional harm to the farm economy.”

In addition, NCGA and state corn grower associations sent a letter to USDA Secretary Perdue Monday thanking him for his support and asking his help “to continue to advocate for real solutions, such as RVP parity for higher blends, and to continue to highlight the demand destruction caused by EPA’s refinery exemptions, as well as how EPA’s actions contradict President Trump’s commitments.”

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to President Trump on behalf of fuel retailers offering E15 in 11 states asking him to immediately instruct the EPA to follow through on his pledge to allow year-round sales of E15 before summer restrictions begin on June 1st.

The latest White House meeting on the issue is expected to be held Tuesday and once again include Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst on the ethanol side, and Sens. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Ted Cruz of Texas representing the oil industry. The four met with the president in February and again in March along with industry stakeholders.

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, NCGA