RFA Unveils New Ethanol Emergency Response Website

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has unveiled a new and improved Ethanol Emergency Response website, where emergency responders can easily access the various types of training resources offered.

The new website was created under a grant received from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration through TRANSCAER, an outreach program focused on assisting communities and training emergency responders to prepare for and respond to hazardous material transportation incidents.

“One of RFA’s main priorities is safety in the renewable fuels industry, and we consider it our mission to help and provide the best resources available to our ethanol plants and the emergency response community,” said RFA Director of Safety and Technical Programs Missy Ruff. “The new Ethanol Emergency Response website helps us ensure the best resources are easily available and user friendly. We are thankful to have received the ALERT Grant through TRANSCAER.”

Through this website, visitors can learn about the many elements of RFA’s award-winning emergency training program—seminars, webinars and self-paced online opportunities—along with a library of training materials that can now be viewed and downloaded in both English and Spanish versions. The Training Guide to Ethanol Emergency Response consists of eight modules. Each module includes an instructor manual, participant guide, PowerPoint presentation embedded with instructor notes and training video—also available in both English and Spanish.

Last year, RFA sponsored 37 training opportunities for more than 1200 individuals. Since its inception in 2010, RFA’s safety program has been responsible for training over 15,000 individuals and conducting over 400 training sessions and events.

Check out the new Ethanol Emergency Response website

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, transportation

Comment Period for Eight State E15 Waiver Ends

Cindy Zimmerman

The comment period for EPA’s proposed rule issued in response to petitions by the governors of several Midwest states to remove the 1-pound per square inch Reid vapor pressure waiver for summer conventional gasoline containing 10% ethanol ended yesterday, almost exactly one year to the day since it was requested. EPA is proposing to remove the 1-psi waiver in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin starting in 2024, leaving this summer in limbo without any plans to allow sales of the less expensive fuel option for most vehicles on the road today.

In formal comments filed yesterday, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said EPA should implement a regulation allowing the lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 fuel blend to be sold in eight Midwest states this summer, rather than waiting until 2024 as proposed. “There is no economic, environmental, or legal justification for the Agency to defer implementation another year,” wrote RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “If there is any problem with implementing the governors’ requests this summer, it is one of the administration’s own making, which is not a legitimate reason for further delay.”

RFA’s comments focused on three other points:
EPA did not demonstrate that implementing the year-round E15 regulation this summer would cause an insufficient supply of gasoline in the petitioning states; an insufficient supply is the only permissible justification for delaying implementation.
EPA mischaracterizes RFA-commissioned studies from MathPro and ICF that indicate implementation of the governors’ request in 2023 is expected to be manageable.
Any difficulty in implementing the regulation starting this summer, rather than in 2024, would likely be a result of the EPA’s lengthy delay in responding to the governors’ petitions.

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) also submitted comments to EPA yesterday. CEO Brian Jennings says if EPA chooses not to implement the rule in 2023, the “legally questionable delay to 2024 will force millions of people in conventional gasoline areas of the U.S. to pay much more at the pump during this year’s summer driving season – on the heels of last year’s record-high gasoline prices and continued inflationary pressure on American families.”

With the sense of urgency about the fast-approaching June 1, 2023 summer driving season and market access for E15 in all areas of the country, including conventional gasoline areas, Jennings urged the Agency to take emergency action in ACE’s comments. “Given the pressing need for consumers in conventional gasoline areas of the country to have access to the lowest-cost fuel available to most vehicles on the road this summer, we strongly urge EPA to take emergency steps pursuant to Section 211(c)(4)(C)(ii) to allow E15 for the 2023 summer driving season, similar to the steps taken by yourself and President Biden last year.”

During a House Agriculture Committee hearing this week, EPA Administrator Michael Regan told lawmakers the agency was just not able to get the governors’ request completed as quickly as required. “We took that request very seriously, we tried to ramp it up in a timely fashion to have 2023 included, but we’re probably not going to be able to do that,” Regan said.

“Because there would be a significant disruption in consumer pricing and the like if we move too quickly in 2023,” Regan said. “We feel confident that E15 being sold year round will be ready to go in 2024 – 2023 is a little too soon for that rule making.”

ACE, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

What ChatGPT Knows About Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

What does the artificial intelligence chatbot known as ChatGPT know about ethanol? I decided to chat with ChatGPT and find out.

One question I asked was “Is ethanol fuel good for the environment?”

ChatGPT response:
Ethanol fuel can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment, depending on how it is produced and used.

On the positive side, ethanol fuel is a renewable fuel source that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants when used in place of gasoline. Ethanol is produced from crops such as corn, sugarcane, and switchgrass, which absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, helping to offset the emissions from burning the fuel. Ethanol can also reduce emissions of other harmful pollutants such as benzene, a known carcinogen, and particulate matter.

However, there are also some potential negative impacts of ethanol fuel on the environment. For example, producing ethanol from corn and other crops requires significant amounts of water, energy, and other resources. It can also lead to deforestation and habitat destruction as farmers clear land to plant crops for fuel production.

In addition, the use of ethanol fuel in some vehicles and equipment can lead to decreased fuel efficiency, which can increase overall emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

When questioned about what it knew about E15, ChatGPT gave a brief summary of what it is (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline), how it was approved for use by EPA in 2001 model year and newer vehicles by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011, advantages and concerns. “Despite these concerns, E15 fuel is becoming more widely available at gas stations across the United States, and many automakers have approved its use in newer vehicles.”

However, when asked “Can E15 be used in the summer months in the US?” ChatGPT was behind the times, saying “E15 is approved for year-round use in vehicles that are designed to use it…EPA issued a final rule in 2019 that allows for the year-round sale of E15 in the United States, reversing previous regulations that restricted the sale of E15 during the summer months due to concerns about increased emissions from gasoline evaporating in warm weather.”

When I responded that the Supreme Court reversed that rule for E15, ChatGPT apologized and said, “You are correct that the Supreme Court reversed the EPA’s rule allowing for the year-round sale of E15 in the United States. In June 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in a case brought by oil refiners and others that the EPA had exceeded its authority in allowing year-round sales of E15.”

Continuing the conversation, I asked “Will EPA approve E15 sales for this summer?”
As of my knowledge cutoff of September 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had not yet issued a new rule regarding the year-round sale of E15 following the Supreme Court decision. However, it is possible that the EPA may issue a new rule or take other actions to address the ruling and potentially allow for year-round sales of E15 in the future.

In the meantime, it’s important for consumers to be aware of the seasonal restrictions on E15 sales and to check with fuel retailers and state regulatory agencies to determine if E15 is available and approved for use in their vehicles or equipment during the summer months. It’s also important for consumers to follow the recommendations of vehicle and equipment manufacturers regarding the use of ethanol blends and to use caution when using higher ethanol blends in non-approved equipment.

ChatGPT explained that its training data is based on a specific time period, ending September 2021. “However, I may not have information on more recent events or developments unless they were part of my training data or unless I have been updated with new data since then.”

AI, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

EPA Administrator Grilled on Summer E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite repeated questioning from members of the House Agriculture Committee on the topic, EPA Administrator Michael Regan refused to say when, or if, the agency will grant emergency waivers to allow retail sales of E15 this summer.

“If I give you an answer today I can guarantee you that somebody’s going to file into court and it’s going to be kicked out tomorrow,” Regan responded to a plea from Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) that time is running short and ethanol plants and fuel retailers need an answer soon. “Prior administrations attempted to issue E15 waivers and they were overturned by the court,” said Regan.

In response to questioning by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), Regan said the agency just did not have enough time to allow the eight states who requested a waiver for E15 to be able to sell it this summer. “We took that request very seriously, we tried to ramp it up in a timely fashion to have 2023 included, but we’re probably not going to be able to do that,” Regan said.

Regan told Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) why they would not get it done for this summer in those eight states. “Because there would be a significant disruption in consumer pricing and the like if we move too quickly in 2023,” Regan said. “We feel confident that E15 being sold year round will be ready to go in 2024 – 2023 is a little too soon for that rule making.”

The administrator said in order to grant the waivers for the eight states – Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – EPA has to do an air quality modeling analysis to determine whether or not E15 would “have any adverse impact,” despite the fact that E15 has been sold in the summer months nationwide for the past three years.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) took Regan to task for delaying the decision on the eight state waiver, and for not making the decision to allow E15 this summer. “It’s because of your agency’s inability to do your job in a timely manner,” said Van Orden. “It constitutes a crisis for our farmers and other consumers.”

“Use the empiric knowledge that you gathered to get this waiver to use E15 year round, use the same information because it hasn’t changed, so that we can use E15 this year,” Van Orden added. “If the conditions were the exact same as they were last year when I was administrator, I would have issued that E15 waiver,” Regan responded.

Democrat Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota also weighed in on the E15 situation, asking if the administration would take action in time for the summer driving season, but getting a non-answer from the administrator. “We haven’t taken anything off the table and the E15 waiver is being looked at as a potential tool for this summer in addition to the longer term strategy around our response to the eight governors for a year round E15 waiver for those states in 2024,” said Regan.

EPA's Michael Regan hearing - Rep. Mike Bost 1:23

EPA's Michael Regan hearing - Rep. Dusty Johnson 3:04

EPA's Michael Regan hearing - Rep. Randy Feenstra 1:54

EPA's Michael Regan hearing - Rep. Van Orden 2:02

EPA's Michael Regan hearing - Rep. Angie Craig 5:13

Audio, E15, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News

New Analysis Shows E15 Savings for Consumers

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has released a new analysis this week ahead of Wednesday’s House Agriculture Committee hearing with EPA Administrator Michael Regan that indicates American drivers have saved an average of more than 25 cents per gallon using E15 fuel over E10 since 2022.

RFA analyzed more than 3,000 actual pump prices for E15 and E10 submitted by drivers to E15prices.com from more than 550 retail gas stations in 30 states between January 2022 and early April 2023. The average of the 1,520 prices reported for E10 was $3.686 per gallon, while the average of the 1,520 corresponding prices for E15 was $3.413 per gallon. Thus, the average discount for E15 was $0.27 per gallon, or 7.4 percent.

“This review of actual pump prices submitted by drivers shows that lower-carbon E15 is providing real savings for American families,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “In nearly half of the price submissions, E15’s discount to E10 was between 15 and 50 cents per gallon. And in some special cases, E15 prices were $1 or more per gallon below the price of E10. At a time when U.S. drivers were facing record-high gas prices, this report confirms that E15 delivered relief at the pump. We urge the Biden administration to carefully review this data as it considers options for allowing the continued sale of E15 this summer.”

In a letter to the Committee accompanying the report, Cooper noted that American families will face higher fuel prices at the pump on June 1 unless swift action is taken to save the lower-cost E15 ethanol blend. “The market conditions that warranted emergency waivers for the 2022 summer driving season still exist today,” Cooper wrote. “In fact, nationwide gasoline inventories are 6 percent lower today than they were at this time a year ago when EPA issued the first emergency waiver. Now more than ever, American families need the economic relief offered by lower-cost, lower-carbon E15. Without swift action by EPA, American families will lose access to the lowest-priced fuel available for most cars on the road beginning June 1.”

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

E15 Ethanol Blend Now Available in New York

Cindy Zimmerman

Drivers in New York state now have at least one location where they can purchase E15, the low-cost, lower-carbon fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association, one of the first locations offering E15 in the Empire State is the Dandy Mini Mart and Travel Plaza in Nichols, where drivers recently reported purchasing the fuel for $3.29 per gallon, which was 20 cents less than the price listed for regular gasoline.

The state of New York gave E15 fuel blends the green light in November 2019 after years of work by the Renewable Fuels Association and others to educate state regulators, policymakers, retailers, and consumers about the benefits of the fuel, Cooper said. Drivers in the state consume nearly 5.5 billion gallons of fuel every year, which already includes more than 500 million gallons of ethanol. A new study by economists at the University of California-Berkeley and elsewhere found the presence of ethanol in the U.S. fuel supply is responsible for reducing gas prices by as much as 77 cents per gallon in recent years. A move to E15 would further extend those economic benefits statewide.

New York is also home to RFA member Western New York Energy in Medina, a biorefinery that produces 65 million gallons of ethanol each year.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Senators Urge EPA to Strengthen RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) led a bipartisan group of 14 colleagues in a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The senators specifically request EPA strengthen the RFA by maintaining the blending requirements for 2023; denying all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs); eliminating proposed retroactive cuts to the renewable volume obligations (RVOs); and setting RFS volumes at the statutory levels.

“The clean fuels industry thanks the bipartisan group of Senators for highlighting to EPA Administrator Regan that biofuels lower fuel prices and strengthen economies across rural America,” said Kurt Kovarik, Vice President of Federal Affairs with Clean Fuels Alliance America. “The biodiesel and renewable diesel industry is providing a crucial supply of fuel that is needed to keep consumer prices in check right now. The growth of the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry is also bolstering confidence among farmers and rural communities for their economic future.”

Biodiesel, biofuels, Clean Fuels Alliance, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ethanol Report on E15 in Limbo

Cindy Zimmerman

With only weeks until the summer driving season starts, the future of E15 retail sales for the summer remains in limbo, and the clock is ticking. A plan was already in place by this time last year and at this point the only solution requires immediate action by the Biden administration.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses why the E15 situation is so urgent right now for both producers and consumers, and reaction to the administration’s proposed tailpipe emissions standards that would require more electric vehicles. In addition, RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman provides an analysis of E15 sales last year, which surpassed a billion gallons, as well as insight into the oil production market situation and how E15 is needed this summer as much or more than last year.

Listen to or download the Ethanol Report – and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Ethanol Report 4-14-23 35:47

The Ethanol Report is a podcast about the latest news and information in the ethanol industry that has been sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association since 2008.

Choose an option to subscribe

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Industry Pans Proposed Emission Standards

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol industry stakeholders panned the Environmental Protection Agency’s new proposed federal vehicle emissions standards released today as the deadline looms for taking action to allow uninterrupted sales of 15% ethanol fuel this summer.

“While we certainly share the Biden administration’s goals of increasing vehicle efficiency and reducing carbon emissions from transportation, we strongly disagree with policy approaches that arbitrarily pick technology winners and losers with no clear scientific basis,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Today’s EPA proposal would effectively force automakers to produce more battery electric vehicles and strongly discourage them from pursuing other vehicle technologies that could achieve the same—or better—environmental performance at a lower cost to the U.S. economy and American families. We urge EPA to reconsider its proposal and instead adopt a technology-neutral approach that treats all low-carbon transportation options fairly and equally.”

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings pointed to comments made last month by EPA Agriculture Advisor Rod Snyder to ACE members in Washington, DC. “There is no question we will be using liquid transportation fuels for a long time to come, our lifetimes probably,” Snyder told ACE members during the group’s annual fly-in.

“Appreciating this truth, ACE members are dedicated to producing domestic biofuels with net-negative carbon scores – something that EVs will never achieve,” said Jennings. “Rather than put all our eggs in the electric vehicle basket, a smarter and more achievable approach would be through a technology-neutral Clean Fuel Standard that ensures fair and accurate accounting and crediting of GHG reductions from climate-smart agriculture practices and unleashes homegrown fuel sources.”

ACE, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

With E15 in Limbo, Biden Backs EVs

Cindy Zimmerman

It was one year ago today that President Joe Biden visited an Iowa ethanol plant to announce an emergency waiver to allow 15% ethanol fuel to be sold across the United States during the summer months.

“(W)ith this waiver, on June 1, you’re not going to show up at your local gas station and see a bag over the pump that has the cheapest gas. You’re going to be able to keep filling up with E15. And it’s going to solve a whole problem,” said Biden on April 12, 2022. “Even if it’s an extra buck or two in the pockets when they fill up, it’ll make a difference in people’s lives.”

Despite the fact that EPA has proposed a permanent waiver to allow at least eight states to sell E15 year round, that rule would become effective until next year, leaving this summer driving season in E15 limbo.

Instead of taking action to make E15 available this summer, the Biden Administration today proposed tough new car emissions standards pushing the adoption of electric vehicles nationwide.

“As a car enthusiast and self-proclaimed car guy, President Biden is seizing the moment. His Investing in America agenda is expanding domestic manufacturing and accelerating adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles.”

In the first year of his Administration, President Biden set a goal that at least 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, ultimately reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. A year ago in Iowa he said, “And you simply can’t get to net zero by 2050 without biofuels.”

E15, EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News