Why Ethanol Should Care About Electric Vehicles

Carrie Muehling

It might be surprising to see electric cars on the agenda at the National Ethanol Conference. But that was the subject of a panel discussion at the recent meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

The panel 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.

“On the coastline, where population centers are and fuel demand is the strongest, we have to be honest with ourselves and figuring out how to align ourselves with the interests of the electric vehicle community, and at the same time, enhance our relationships with the liquid fuels industry, as well. And sometimes that’s hard because we’ve been fighting for so long,” said Robert White, Vice President of Industry Relations for the Renewable Fuels Association.

White said some municipalities and even countries around the globe have placed a ban on gasoline or diesel engines as they work towards minimizing the carbon footprint and lowering greenhouse has emissions. But he said there are plenty of challenges remaining for electric vehicles, including range anxiety and an overall shift in the way people have to think about driving.

Listen to Cindy’s interview with Robert White here: Interview with Robert White, RFA

Listen to the panel discussion here: Electric Vehicles Panel

2018 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, Electric Vehicles, Ethanol, Ethanol News, National Ethanol Conference, RFA

Corn Growers are Ethanol Strong

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and a number of state corn grower groups put in an Ethanol Strong showing at the National Ethanol Conference last week.

Ten state corn grower organizations sponsored the NEC luncheon which featured political strategists Donna Brazile and Mary Matalin, two fellow New Orleans Catholics who hold different political views but are very close friends. It made for a very entertaining Fat Tuesday conversation with RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen, thanks to the corn growers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio.

Immediately following lunch, NCGA Director of Public Policy Kathy Bergren participated on a Washington Insider’s panel, discussing policy priorities, infrastructure and RINs. “Our top priorities when it comes to ethanol this year include promoting and protecting the RFS, working toward RVP parity for E15 and higher blends and expanding opportunities for biofuels as a high-octane fuel,” Bergren said.

Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Government Affairs Samantha Slater moderated the panel, which also included Frank Macchiarola with the American Petroleum Institute; Tara Billingsley, Jim Massie & Partners; Michael McAdams, Advanced Biofuels Association; and
Devin Mogler, Green Plains Trade Group.

Listen to the panel here, starting in progress with Bergen’s comments on some corn grower priorities. Washington Insiders Panel Discussion on Policy

2018 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Audio, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, NCGA

Syngenta Enogen Footprint Growing

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Enogen team at National Ethanol Conference

In the past two months, Syngenta has announced two agreements with major ethanol producers to use Enogen® corn enzyme technology at their plants, continuing to grow the footprint of this biotech corn output trait designed specifically to enhance ethanol production.

In December, Green Plains Inc. of Nebraska partnered with Syngenta to expand its use of Enogen® corn across its 1.5 billion gallon production platform, and last month CHS Inc. signed on to use Enogen® corn at its 130-million-gallon ethanol plant in Rochelle, Illinois.

“Enogen is rapidly gaining popularity because of the value it delivers to ethanol producers and the opportunity it provides corn growers to be enzyme suppliers for their local ethanol plants,” said Jeff Oestmann, head of Bio-fuels Operations for Enogen at Syngenta. “We are proud to have made a significant investment to bring this game-changing technology to market to help make ethanol more sustainable and to help plants differentiate their offerings and support their local communities by keeping enzyme dollars local.”

Oestmann was at the National Ethanol Conference last week where Syngenta Enogen was a sponsor and I interviewed him to learn more about the expanding footprint of this trait. Interview with Jeff Oestmann, Syngenta Enogen

2018 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

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Minnesota Ethanol Industry Remains Strong

Cindy Zimmerman

A new study by ABF Economics shows the Minnesota ethanol industry contributed $2.17 billion to the state’s gross domestic product in 2017.

The industry produced 1.2 billion gallons of ethanol, 3.9 million tons of dried distiller’s grains with solubles and 256 million pounds of corn oil, which in turn generated $7.13 billion in gross sales for the state’s businesses, while supporting nearly 19,000 jobs.

“This study illustrates, once again, the importance of the ethanol industry to Minnesota’s economy,” said Tim Rudnicki, executive director of the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association.

The industry in Minnesota has also experienced job growth, with full-time jobs supported by the ethanol industry 11.6 percent higher in 2017 than in 2016, according to the ABF Economics study. Direct spending by ethanol plants also supported jobs in non-agriculture industries like engineering, accounting, rail transportation and others.

The full study is available here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Nebraska Ethanol Board to Host Emerging Issues Forum

Cindy Zimmerman

Registration is now open for the Nebraska Ethanol Board’s Emerging Issues Forum, scheduled for April 12-13 in Omaha.

Agenda topics on the program include:
Biofuel Policy Panel Discussion: Trump Administration Impacts on Ethanol Production and Marketing
Carbon Counting and Accessing LCFS Markets: Agronomic Input Modeling and Accounting
Fractionation and Separation Technology Options
Bio-Based Products and Projects
Trade Policy and the Impact on Ethanol and DDG Exports
Ethanol Marketing Challenges – 2018 and Beyond
RINs and the Impact on Obligated Parties
Octane and Higher Ethanol Blends: Meeting Vehicle Performance Standards
Evaluating Investment in New Technologies
Biofuels and Public Health

Those registering before Friday, Mar. 9 will receive the Early Bird Rate of $335 per person. Ethanol producers may receive one free registration with your first paid registration. Special room rates are available at the Courtyard Marriott by booking under the room block “Nebraska Ethanol Board” by March 20, 2018. Call (402) 339-4900 to make a reservation or book online.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Events

NEC Hosts International Ethanol Buyers for Third Year

Cindy Zimmerman

More than 150 business-to-business meetings between domestic ethanol producers and international buyers from five countries were held at the Renewable Fuels Association’s National Ethanol Conference in San Antonio last week.

It was the third year for the conference to host the event through the Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program (IBP), a joint government-industry effort to promote U.S. export sales. The five countries represented were India, Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, and Jamaica.

“IBP is vitally important to help connect U.S. ethanol sellers and foreign buyers from new and existing foreign markets, and this year’s event was a rousing success,” said RFA General Counsel Ed Hubbard. “We greatly appreciate the Department of Commerce helping to stimulating business-to-business meetings at the NEC, the largest U.S. ethanol policy and marketing conference.”

Hubbard moderated the international trade panel at NEC, which included Jeremy Mall, Murex LLC; Matt Clausen, CHS Inc.; and Duane Layton, Mayer Brown; as well as an address on Trade Challenges in Our Export Market from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Acting Associate Administrator Daniel Whitely.

Trade & Exports - USDA FAS, Daniel Whitely

International Trade In Ethanol Panel

2018 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

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ACE Elects New Executive Committee

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board of Directors recently elected officers and Executive Committee members for 2018. After five years serving as president of the organizatoin, Ron Alverson with Dakota Ethanol in Wentworth, South Dakota, will now serve as Treasurer of the organization this year. Duane Kristensen, representing Chief Ethanol Fuels in Nebraska accepted the nomination of President of the ACE Board.

RFA CEO Bob Dinneen with outgoing ACE president Ron Alverson and ACE CEO Brian Jennings

“Serving as chairman of ACE has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Alverson said. “Duane will be an outstanding President with his world of experience and connections in the ethanol industry.”

Alverson was honored by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) last week for his decades of work for the industry.

Re-elected to the ACE board was Dave Sovereign, who represents Golden Grain Energy in Mason City, Iowa, and serves on the board of Absolute Energy. Sovereign now serves as Vice President of the ACE Board of Directors. Greg Krissek, who represents the Kansas Corn Growers Association, accepted the nomination of Secretary of the ACE Board of Directors. Troy Knecht, representing the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, operates a diversified farming enterprise in Houghton, South Dakota, in addition to serving as the President of SDCGA.

Chris Wilson was elected to ACE’s Executive Committee for the first time this year, representing Mid-Missouri Energy,

ACE, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

New Analysis Shows RIN Prices Could Fall

Cindy Zimmerman

A new analysis from the University of Illinois shows conditions that caused high conventional biofuel (D6) RIN prices are changing rapidly and that “…it is not out of the realm of possibility for D6 RINs prices to fall back their pre-2013 level of just a few cents without making any changes to the RFS.”

According to a release from the Renewable Fuels Association, The authors argue that high D6 RIN prices have been driven by the “gap” that exists between domestic ethanol consumption (estimated at 14.5 billion gallons in 2017) and the 15-billion-gallon statutory requirement for conventional renewable fuels. The size of that “gap” continues to shrink rapidly as E10, E15, and E85 blending has expanded. Thus, as that expansion continues at a rapid pace, the “gap” will be fully closed and RIN prices will fall dramatically. As the Renewable Fuels Association has pointed out, this is exactly how the RFS was intended to work. Establishing RVP parity for E15 would certainly help accelerate the closing of that gap.

The price of RINS was a major topic of discussion at RFA’s National Ethanol Conference last week. RFA Senior Vice President Geoff Cooper moderated a panel “For your RINformation” with experts on the topic Sandra Dunphy, Weaver (aka Rinderella); Dr. Gabriel Lade, Iowa State University; and Dr. James Stock, Harvard University, who recently wrote a paper showing that RVP parity for E15 would lower RINS prices.

Learn more in this interview with Cooper –
Interview with Geoff Cooper, RFA Senior Vice President

Listen to the RINS panel at NEC –
Panel Discussion on RINS Market

2018 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

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New Biodiesel Foundation Scholarship Honors Calabotta

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Biodiesel Foundation‘s new Beth Calabotta Sustainability Education Grant offers up to $2,000 to full-time students who are interested in science, research and biodiesel sustainability. Calabotta was director of Monsanto’s Bioenergy Development Program, and served on the biodiesel foundation board from 2007-2015. She passed away last March.

“Beth was an advocate for student development and a supporter of biofuel sustainability. She had an unquenchable love for agriculture and life-sciences” said Tom Verry, Executive Director for the National Biodiesel Foundation. “The National Biodiesel Foundation is honored to provide financial support to students following Beth’s passion to support advanced biofuels.”

To qualify, students must complete an application and if awarded the grant, commit to participate in the Biodiesel Sustainability Workshop and related activities, scheduled for September 26-27 in St. Louis, Missouri. Grant funds may be used for participation with the remaining funds applied toward academic expenses. Other eligibility requirements and full criteria are available on the grant homepage. Applications are due March 31, 2018. The grant winner will be announced April 30.

Biodiesel, NBB

Biodiesel Love in the Air at Iowa’s Capitol

Cindy Zimmerman

Members and supporters of the Iowa Biodiesel Board wore “I heart biodiesel” pins as they met with state legislators and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Wednesday for the annual Biodiesel Day on the Hill. The group tied the message of how much biodiesel gives back to Iowa to the Valentine’s Day date of their visit.

“We love that Iowa is the top biodiesel-producing state, and we’re grateful that the feeling seems to be mutual,” said Grant Kimberley, Iowa Biodiesel Board executive director. “Our proactive state biodiesel policies have driven increased production and consumption in Iowa, benefiting our economy—which means jobs for Iowans and enhanced success for farmers.”

The group is asking legislators and the governor to protect state tax incentives that encourage biodiesel production and sales during tight budget times. They also hope to see continued fully funding of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. More than 500 retail stations and terminals have begun to carry biodiesel since the program began. In 2017, Iowa’s biodiesel plants produced an estimated 285 million gallons of biodiesel, generating about 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs and $278 million in household income, according to a study by ABF Economics.

Biodiesel