ACE Conference 2026

E15 Stations on the Rise Nationwide

Cindy Zimmerman

There are now more than 1,000 fuel stations around the country offering 15 percent ethanol blended fuel (E15), which is more than double the number of stations from the same time last year.

“This spectacular growth is a testament to the value E15 brings to fuel retailers and consumers,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Forward-thinking retailers have figured out that giving their customers more fuel choices is smart business and American drivers have figured out that E15 allows them to save money at the pump all while making a smarter choice for their engines and the environment.”

Leading retailers including Casey’s, Cenex, Family Express, Kum & Go, Kwik Trip, MAPCO, Minnoco, Murphy USA, Protec Fuel, QuikTrip, RaceTrac, Sheetz, and Thorntons all currently offer E15 at 1,039 locations across the U.S. Many of these are in major metropolitan areas including: Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

E15, Ethanol, Growth Energy

ACE Makes Case for Higher Ethanol Blends to Retailers

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is talking to fuel retailers about higher ethanol blends at the 2017 National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show this week in Chicago, with Bob O’Connor, Owner of Jetz Convenience Centers, on hand to help answer questions from a retailer point of view.

Last November, Jetz became the first retailer to offer E15 to the Milwaukee market, and they opened their second E15 location last month. “We wouldn’t be adding Unleaded 88 (E15) and E85 at a second location if it wasn’t doing so well at the first,” O’Connor said. Both Jetz flex fuel locations report selling more E85 than premium and diesel combined.

“Our Flex Fuel Forward campaign recognizes the reality that marketers trust information they get from other marketers. They want to hear from other station owners who have already ‘been there and done that,’” said Ron Lamberty, ACE Senior Vice President. “Website traffic to flexfuelforward.com backs that up: three of the most viewed pages feature retailers addressing common questions and concerns of other retailers. We’ve invited Bob to join us at NACS, the largest convenience store show in the world, to speak to retailers in person.”

ACE is debuting the first of a series of videos that showcase these stories and answer frequently asked questions about E15 and flex fuels at its booth at the NACS show. Following the show, a new video will be released on flexfuelforward.com each month.

ACE, Ethanol, Retailers

Iowa Biofuels Interests Get White House Attention

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump called Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Wednesday to assure her that he continues to support the renewable fuels industry.

“He reached out to me,” said Gov. Reynolds during a press conference in Iowa. “He made it clear that he stood with the Renewable Fuel Standard.”

Gov. Reynolds also got a call from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who met with Iowa Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley Tuesday about the same issue. She also has meetings set up in Washington DC next week with the president and vice president. The governor and other industry leaders have been questioning the administration’s commitment to renewable fuels in light of recent EPA proposals that threaten to rollback the RFS, and she vowed to keep the pressure on until the final RFS volume obligations are approved.

“They are feeling the pressure and that’s why we can’t let up,” said Reynolds. “I’m very encouraged, it was a positive conversation, and we’re going to continue that conversation next week.”

EPA recently announced it is considering cuts to the RFS for biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol, and advanced biofuels, and is also reportedly considering allowing ethanol exports to generate RINs for RFS compliance. The press conference at Two Rivers Cooperative in Pella on Wednesday also included comments from Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw, Iowa Biodiesel Board Executive Director Grant Kimberley, and
Dennis Bogaards, an Iowa soybean and corn farmer in the Pella community.

Listen to it here: Iowa RFS press conference

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS

RFA Receives Grant for Ethanol Safety Training

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has received a $50,000 federal grant to help continue the its ethanol safety training program efforts.

The Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) grant, from the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, was awarded to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). RFA is among several partners in the grant.

The grant, which RFA has previously received in partnership with IAFC, provides hazmat training for volunteer or remote emergency responders to effectively manage emergency events involving incidents involving the transportation of ethanol, crude and other flammable liquids by rail.

“Training is critical to ensure the safety of first responders and communities,” said John Woulfe, assistant director of Programs and Technology for IAFC. “RFA’s ethanol safety training program has done a great job of educating emergency personnel on how to effectively respond to hazmat incidents. We look forward to another successful year of RFA ethanol training events,” he said.

As part of the grant, RFA will conduct 10 ethanol safety seminars through mid-September 2018. Since 2010, RFA has received a total of $546,000 in state and federal grant funding to help local communities in 38 states train on ethanol emergency response tactics and procedures, held 222 ethanol safety seminars, conducted 12 “Train the Trainer” webinars and conducted numerous online ethanol safety training courses.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, safety

Report Finds Opportunities for Ethanol and DDG Exports

Cindy Zimmerman

A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) says an increase in global ethanol mandates is creating additional export opportunities for the U.S. ethanol industry, but it depends on the ability to increase production and keep those markets open.

According to Global Ethanol Mandates: Opportunities for U.S. Exports of Ethanol and DDGS, 26 countries have implemented blending mandates since 2010. “If these countries actively strive to fulfill their mandates, strong export market opportunities for U.S. ethanol could be possible, assuming that the United States can sufficiently expand production,” the report states.

Currently, the United States has more than 50 export destinations for DDGS and more than 70 for ethanol, thus opportunities might be found. However, trade barriers hamper current exports, and may limit them in the future. Many countries promote policies designed to utilize their own domestic production and import only a small amount. If major markets continue to block trade, export opportunities could be limited.

The report notes that large-scale production of cellulosic-based ethanol could allow the United States to meet future global export opportunities for corn, corn-based products, and ethanol.

Link to report.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, USDA

Iowa Fighting to Protect RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) met with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt Tuesday to express her concerns over the agency’s recent action to potentially lower biodiesel volumes in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2018 and 2019.

After the meeting, Sen. Ernst said that while Pruitt has “insisted that the recent actions taken by the EPA are simply to receive additional input on the RFS from stakeholders, it is evident that the ‘stakeholders’ he refers to are not the farmers and manufacturers” of biodiesel.

“Our meeting today was another clear demonstration that biofuel-producing states will never stop fighting to protect the RFS. Administrator Pruitt again claimed today that he will not do anything to undermine the program. However, we have heard this before. We now need to see it. I will continue to work with the EPA, but they must prove to the agricultural community who put their faith in this administration that they will fulfill their promise to maintain the letter and the spirit of the RFS. We will not accept anything less.”

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley also met with Pruitt on Tuesday with the same message and today Governor Kim Reynolds is joining the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Iowa Biodiesel Board, and Iowa farmers to discuss the threat recent EPA proposals pose to the future of the biofuels industry. The event will be webcast live from Two Rivers Cooperative in Pella at 1:30 central time.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Pink at the Pump Campaign Grows

Cindy Zimmerman

Missouri is now part of the Pink at the Pump™ campaign against breast cancer as Hometown Fuel across the Iowa border in Mercer joined the cause last week. The annual campaign is now active in six states – Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, and Virginia.

Pink at the Pump™ is a partnership between Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA), Iowa Corn Promotion Board, National Breast Cancer Foundation, The Hormel Institute, and fuel retailers to raise money for breast cancer research, early detection, and support services and increase consumer awareness of the benefits of E15. At participating retail stations, three cents of every gallon of E15 sold during the month of October will be donated to The Hormel Institute and National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Participating in Pink at the Pump™ is a great way for motorists to learn about all the many environmental and economic benefits of E15,” said IRFA Managing Director Lucy Norton. “E15 reduces cancer-causing chemicals and greenhouse gas emissions, making it truly the cleanest fuel choice on the market for all 2001 and newer vehicles. It is also a smart buy at a lower cost with a higher octane rating.”

To find a participating Pink at the Pump™ station and learn more about the promotion, click here.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Senators and Governors Urge Support for RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

On Monday, four governors wrote to President Trump, and 34 senators sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, both expressing concerns about proposed changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Governors Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota, Eric Greitens of Missouri and Sam Brownback of Kansas urged the president to keep his promises to rural America to support the RFS.

“The renewable fuels industry in our states—and others—is poised to grow if the EPA sends positive and consistent market signals through increases in the required volumes. That will enhance America’s energy security, value-added agriculture and rural economic prosperity. We urge you to continue to fulfill your promises, to continue your support for all biofuels under the RFS and to continue to put America first,” the governors write.

“We commend the governors for holding our federal government accountable to the law, and we join them in calling on the Administration to ensure that the EPA stays true to the president’s promises for a strong RFS,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor in a statement.

The senators, led by Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), specifically addressed proposed volume levels of biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel.

“Reducing volumes—and especially those [Renewable Volume Obligations] RVOs that were previously finalized—is disruptive, unprecedented and very troubling,” the senators write. “These volumes do not meet actual biodiesel production capacity in the United States, and could have a negative impact on jobs and economies in rural communities across the nation.”

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) agrees. “EPA should seek comment on factors that warrant HIGHER advanced biofuel and biomass-based diesel volumes in order to achieve Congress’s goals of diversifying our fuel supply, supporting rural jobs and enhancing U.S. energy security. Instead, the recent request for comment from EPA flaunts these objectives—with the potential to eradicate jobs and bankrupt farmers,” said NBB COO Doug Whitehead.

EPA recently released a request for additional comments on reducing previously finalized volumes under the RFS program and on using waiver authorities to further reduce biodiesel volumes.

Biodiesel, EPA, Ethanol, Growth Energy, NBB

ACE Hosts Latin America Trade Team

Cindy Zimmerman

A trade team from Latin America is on an ethanol tour this week sponsored by the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), which included a visit to the Sioux Falls, South Dakota office of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Monday morning.

The schedule for the group included several other stops in South Dakota, visiting an ethanol plant, a livestock farm to see the ethanol co-product distillers dried grains (DDGs) being used in feed rations, a farm where they deploy practices to produce zero-carbon corn, and a retail fuel station that markets higher ethanol blends.

ACE Senior Vice President Ron Lamberty shared his ethanol market expertise with the tour group which includes representatives from Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay.

ACE, Ethanol, USGC

Study of RINs and Retail Gas Prices Finds No Relationship

Cindy Zimmerman

A new study by Informa Agribusiness Consulting finds that prices of the Renewable Identification Number (RINs) credits used for RFS compliance have not caused changes in retail gasoline prices

The analysis, commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), looked at trends in the prices for conventional biofuel RINs and retail gasoline from 2013 to the summer of 2017.

“Based on statistical analysis, it can be concluded that changes in RIN prices did not ‘cause’ the changes that occurred in retail gasoline prices in 2013, and this has continued to be the case through the summer of 2017,” according to Informa Agribusiness Consulting. Instead, the price of retail gasoline has been primarily driven by movements in crude oil prices and by changes in the spread between domestic and international crude oil prices, as well as seasonal demand, the analysis found.

RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen says the analysis shows that the EPA’s proposal to lower total Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) would lower the price of RINs, but not prices at the pump. “If finalized, however, these proposals will have a decidedly negative impact on the U.S. ethanol industry by artificially cannibalizing demand,” said Dinneen. “If the intent is to lower the price of RINs, EPA should consider expanding ethanol demand by empowering consumers to utilize higher level ethanol blends. After all, ethanol is less expensive than gasoline today and RINs attached to each gallon of ethanol purchased from a producer are free.”

Click here to read the Informa Agribusiness Consulting analysis.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, RFS, RINS