Back to the Future with the RFS

Cindy Zimmerman

For the first time in 20 years, the Senate has a strong ethanol champion as Majority Leader in Sen. John Thune (R-SD). The last time was another South Dakotan, Democrat Tom Daschle, who was instrumental in crafting the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Jonathon Lehman speaks at ACE DC Fly-in

Jonathon Lehman, who has been the American Coalition for Ethanol lobbyist for many years, served as Counsel to Sen. Daschle and helped to write the legislation. “When we started the RFS in the early 2000s, it was really in response to the farm economy at the time and really low commodity prices,” said Lehman. “We knew at the time that you really needed to increase demand and that is where the RFS came into play is to really drive corn demand via the ethanol industry and soybeans via biodiesel and create this new market opportunity.”

Ironically, Daschle lost his seat in the Senate before the RFS was passed into law in 2005, and he lost it to John Thune who was serving in the House. “Senator Daschle was the lead sponsor of the RFS on the Senate side back in the early 2000s while John Thune was the lead sponsor on the House side,” said Lehman. “So he’s been a core kind of champion of biofuels throughout his entire his entire career.”

Lehman provided insights and background for members of ACE prior to their visits on Capitol Hill this week.

2025 ACE Fly-in Jonathon Lehman 7:08

ACE, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS

ACE Members on Capitol Hill

Cindy Zimmerman

Members of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) are on Capitol Hill this week with a laundry list of topics to discuss with Congressional offices, but topping the list is year-round, nationwide E15.

“It’s time to get this done, it’s overdue. We came so close last year. Let’s not let that momentum fall by the wayside,” said ACE CEO Brian Jennings. “We know that we have strong support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. We know that leadership in this new Congress is working with us to try to get it done, particularly the Senate Majority Leader. And we know that there are a handful of must-pass bills that Congress will consider, and so there’s a select few opportunities I we we prefer to get this done before the summer driving season.”

Other important issues facing the industry include the impact of potential tariffs, continuation of the Renewable Fuel Standard, and the supply-demand situation.

“You could argue this is the most important fly-in we’ve done the last 14 years because we’re on the cusp of accomplishing some really important things,” said Jennings. “We’re also on the razor’s edge of having the farm economy continue to go in the wrong direction. And if we do get some of these trade markets taken away from us, seeing some really concerning fundamentals in the ethanol supply demand domestically.”

ACE CEO Brian Jennings discusses E15 and other issues at the Fly-in
2025 ACE Fly-in Brian Jennings, ACE 10:14

2025 ACE DC Fly-in Photo Album

ACE, Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Sen. Thune Calls for Farm Bill and Year-round E15

Cindy Zimmerman

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) took to the floor yesterday to urge Congress to help farmers who are struggling.

“Many commodity producers are bracing for the prospect of serious financial losses this year,” said Thune. “These challenges are real. That’s why last December, Congress approved relief funding for agriculture producers hit by economic headwinds, as well as those affected by natural disasters.”

But, Thune says, that is only temporary relief and no substitute for a new farm bill and the stability nationwide E15 could provide. “When I became Majority Leader, I made it clear that a full and updated farm bill would be a priority for the new Republican majority. Secretary Rollins has been clear that this is a priority for the Trump administration as well….As is a stable biofuels policy, including year round access to E15 and timely and meaningful updates to the renewable volume obligations that matter to ethanol producers in America’s heartland.”

Sen. Thune floor speech 4:35

Audio, E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ag and Biofuels Groups Seek Exemption to Shipping Rules

Cindy Zimmerman

The United States Trade Representative‘s office is holding public hearings this week on proposed actions in the Section 301 investigation of China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance that would result in new fees being imposed on Chinese vessels. The first hearing was held on Monday, March 24 and the second will be on Wednesday, March 26.

More than 100 agricultural and biofuels organizations sent comments in a letter to USTR seeking an exemption for agricultural exports from both newly proposed fees on Chinese vessels and graduated sourcing requirements for U.S. built and flagged vessels “until such time as our nation’s ship production can meet the requirements needed to keep U.S. agriculture competitive in the global market.”

“While we support President Trump’s effort to rebuild the United States position and power in global shipping, we are worried the current fees and timelines cannot be achieved without substantial economic harm on the farm and in rural America,” the letter stated. “These are not idle concerns. U.S. commodity prices and agriculture exports have already been negatively impacted due to uncertainty regarding when trade actions would become effective. Vessel operators have told U.S. exporters they intend to pass on 100 percent of the cost of the port fees.”

The Renewable Fuels Association was one of the groups signing the letter and president and CEO Geoff Cooper says shipping transportation is vital to ethanol exports, which hit record levels last year. “Efficient, reliable, and timely export transportation service is critical to the viability of our industry, and the imposition of these fees would be devastating to our marketplace. We urge the U.S. Trade Representative to recognize the vital importance of American agriculture products to the world economy, and grant the requested exemptions.”

Ag group, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, Trade, transportation

Supreme Court Hears Arguments in SRE Venue Case

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine where challenges to small refinery exemptions (SREs) decisions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be brought.

The renewable fuels industry argued in favor of the petitioner, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the case versus Calumet Shreveport Refining, and other refineries.

The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy jointly intervened on EPA’s behalf, urging the court to reject an argument by refineries that would allow them to “forum shop” for more favorable venues to challenge recent SRE denials despite clear direction from Congress that those decisions should be adjudicated in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

“Congress clearly intended to streamline review of SRE decisions to ensure consistency and uniformity for assessing SRE petitions,” said RFA and Growth Energy in a joint statement. “Today, the American biofuels industry came together to argue in front of the nation’s highest court, and to defend farmers and ethanol producers from the oil industry’s attempts to create an inefficient and fractured body of law governing the SRE program.”

The Supreme Court had previously remanded a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which held that challenges to the SRE denials at issue were properly brought before it but several other circuit courts disagreed, finding instead that the D.C. Circuit is the proper venue for these SRE challenges and creating the “circuit split” on venue that the Supreme Court is poised to resolve.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, RFS

Groups Provide Climate Smart Ag Comments

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels groups submitted comments this week to USDA on its interim rule for climate-smart agriculture guidance to support the new 45Z tax credit for clean fuel producers.

The Renewable Fuels Association emphasized the importance of policies that empower farmers while ensuring a robust and efficient renewable fuels market.

RFA highlighted the benefits of a book-and-claim supply chain management system, which would allow farmers to sell the emissions reduction value of their on-farm practices separately from their physical crops, thereby ensuring flexibility in the grain market while still incentivizing sustainable farming.

RFA also argued for including enhanced efficiency fertilizers as an eligible practice in the final rule.

The American Coalition for Ethanol highlighted the importance of ensuring the guidelines are fully integrated into the implementation of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit and adopted consistently in state and regional clean fuel programs. ACE also emphasized the need for continuous improvement of the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC) accounting for specific crop yield, climate, soil, and management-specific estimates of nitrogen use efficiency and nitrous oxide emissions, as well as making updates based on real-world data, such as findings from ACE’s own USDA-funded Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects.

Clean Fuels Alliance America recommends USDA incorporate intermediate oilseed crops – such as winter canola – as a conservation crop rotation practice and update the USDA FD-CIC model to include these crops. Clean Fuels also urges USDA to ensure that the standards and requirements in the CSA program are complementary to the requirements for other USDA programs, particularly crop insurance.

ACE, Biodiesel, canola, Clean Fuels Alliance, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFS, USDA

Ethanol Report on Industry Roots

Cindy Zimmerman

The theme of the recent 30th National Ethanol Conference was Back to Our Roots and it was a celebration of how the industry started and how it’s going.

One panel featured a walk down memory lane with some industry pioneers who talked about the early days and how the roots of the ethanol industry were firmly planted by farmers. Included in this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast are comments from Karol King, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE); Rodney Jorgenson, Al-Corn Clean Fuel, MN; Todd Brown, Dakota Ethanol, SD; Rod Gangwish, KAAPA Ethanol, NE; and Dave VanderGriend, CEO, ICM, Inc.

Ethanol Report 3-19-25 17:55

Audio interviews, presentations and photos from the NEC can be found in the conference virtual newsroom.

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, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Ethanol Report, National Ethanol Conference, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Distillers Technology Council Rebrands

Cindy Zimmerman

Distillers Grain Technology Council has dropped the grain in the name for greater inclusion of producers to continue to deliver on its mission to increase awareness of the value of distillers products.

The Distillers Technology Council (DTC) is the new name for the non-profit organization which serves the fuel ethanol industry, the beverage alcohol industry, the livestock industry, and other affiliated organizations and individuals. The work of the organization focuses on improving the quality, value, and utilization of distillers products for use in animal feeds.

The group was founded in the 1940s as the Distillers Feed Research Council (DFRC) to assist the beverage distillery industry develop uses for their non-fermentable waste materials. In 1996, it expanded to also address the growing needs of the fuel ethanol industry, and the Distillers Grains Technology Council was born. In 2024, the Board of Directors recognized the evolution of the beverage and ethanol/biorefinery industries and the coproducts it produces and decided another name change was in order.

In addition to the name change, DTC had some other news to share. For nearly 80 years, the DTC has hosted an annual symposium on distillers products arising from the beverage and ethanol/biorefinery industries, but this year that will not happen.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control, we have had to cancel this year’s April 14-16 2025 Symposium in Bloomington, MN. Please mark your calendars for our 2026 Symposium scheduled for April 13-15 in Indianapolis, IN. The DTC is invigorating the agenda of the Symposium, making it a do not miss event!

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, livestock feed

Groups Want Final 2026 Biomass-Based Diesel Volumes

Cindy Zimmerman

Organizations supporting biomass-based diesel are urging EPA to establish robust, timely Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and beyond.

Members of Clean Fuels Alliance America, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, North American Renderers Association, and U.S. Canola Association sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin this week asking that EPA propose and finalize the 2026 biomass-based diesel volume at 5.25 billion gallons, along with a commensurate increase in the advanced biofuel volume.

“Setting these volumes for 2026 and establishing consistent growth for 2027 and beyond based on the industry’s investments and projections will ensure that American consumers can access affordable and clean transportation options. These volumes will support farm security, create jobs and economic opportunity, and further President Trump’s goal for U.S. energy dominance.”

AFBF, Ag group, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, EPA, RFS

National Biodiesel Day Celebrates Industry Growth

Cindy Zimmerman

Despite many challenges, biodiesel and renewable diesel have seen extraordinary growth in recent years, and Clean Fuels Alliance America is celebrating that progress today on National Biodiesel Day.

March 18 is the birthday of Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine and was a proponent of using plant oils to fuel vehicles and one of the forefathers of the biodiesel industry.

“Rudolf Diesel set out to change the world,” said Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen. “He was a fierce advocate for the use of vegetable and nut oil as fuel. He saw it not only as a tool to break up the oil monopoly but as an opportunity for economic growth in rural communities.”

Today, that vision is being realized like never before. Biodiesel and renewable diesel consumption hit the 5-billion-gallon mark last year for the first time and are now 9% of America’s diesel fuel supply.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance