Ethanol Report Preview of NEC

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2023 National Ethanol Conference is coming up in less than a month now and there are so many reasons to attend February 28 – March 2 in Orlando.

In this episode of the Ethanol Report, we hear from four Renewable Fuels Association staff members about some of the panels and issues that will be explored at the NEC. Jared Mullendore, Policy Counsel and Director of Government Affairs, will be moderating a panel on implementing the Inflation Reduction Act; Scott Richman is on the panel presenting new studies that show ethanol’s environmental and economic benefits are even better than previously thought; Ken Colombini is excited about brand new consumer focus group results that will be shared, and Robert White talks about his panel on ethanol performance.

Listen to the podcast below and go to NationalEthanolConference.com for more information about the conference.

Ethanol Report 1-30-22 30:47

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.

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Chevron and REG United as ONE

Cindy Zimmerman

Last year, Chevron Corporation acquired Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG), which was founded in 2006 in Iowa to become the largest biodiesel producer in the country and a big presence at the Clean Fuels Conference in Tampa.

Kevin Lucke, who has been with Chevron since 1982, was named President of the Chevron Renewable Energy Group based in Ames, Iowa. Since Lucke is a native Iowan, he was thrilled for the opportunity. “Because I was waiting to go back home to my roots in Iowa where I could have a chance to be part of an industry that’s making a difference,” said Lucke.

Why did Chevron acquire Renewable Energy Group? Lucke said to many it came as a surprise. “Chevron has a belief that the future of energy is lower carbon, so what better way to work towards that goal than by joining with Renewable Energy Group in the biofuels space,” he said.

Listen to Lucke’s remarks here:
Clean Fuels remarks Kevin Lucke, Chevron (14:24)

Audio, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance

Clean Fuels Policy Panel

Cindy Zimmerman

In the last year, Clean Fuels Alliance America and its members fostered a successful policy surge at all levels, from state production incentives, to low carbon fuel standards, to the federal biodiesel tax credit and more.

The Clean Fuels Conference in Tampa this week featured a panel to examine how state and federal policies, including the Renewable Fuel Standard, shape the present and future of clean fuels, against the backdrop of new and old challenges. Moderated by Clean Fuels COO Doug Whitehead, the panel also dove into post-election analysis and its potential impact.

Pictured left to right next to Whitehead are Richard Corey with AJW; Julie Tighe, New York League of Conservation Voters; Floyd Vergara, Clean Fuels Director of State Governmental Affairs; Russ Sullivan, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; Byron Dorgan, ArentFox Schiff; and Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuels Vice President of Federal Affairs.

Listen to their conversation.
Clean Fuels policy panel (55:50)

Kovarik says the Inflation Reduction Act includes important provisions for the clean fuels industry, such as an extension of the biodiesel blenders tax credit for two years followed by a clean fuels production credit through 2027. “The disappointing news recently is the proposal from EPA for a three year volume obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard that essentially flat lines biomass-based diesel,” said Kovarik. “We’ve got until June to affect the rule so I’m hopeful the message gets to EPA they need to course correct on this.” He urges all stakeholders to provide input before the public comment period ends February 10.

Clean Fuels interview with Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuels Alliance America (4:59)

Clean Fuels Conference Blog

2023 Clean Fuels Conference Photo Album

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Soybean CEOs United For Clean Fuels

Cindy Zimmerman

The heads of several state soybean organizations and the American Soybean Association (ASA) sat down together at the 2023 Clean Fuels Conference to share their perspectives on the changing landscape for agriculture and clean fuels.

Kansas Soybean Association CEO Kaleb Little moderated the conversation with ASA CEO Steve Censky, Iowa Soybean Association CEO Kirk Leeds, North Dakota Soybean Council Executive Director Stephanie Sinner, and New York Corn & Soybean Growers Association Executive Director Colleen Klein.

Clean Fuels soybean CEOs panel (33:13)

While the clean fuels industry has expanded into other areas and other feedstocks, it’s good to remember where it started. “Certainly, it was soybean farmers that founded the biodiesel industry as we know it today…and it still is soybean farmers showing the strong support for the industry,” said Censky in an interview at the conference.

Clean Fuels interview with Steve Censky, American Soybean Association (7:52)

Clean Fuels’ Donnell Rehagen (L) and Tom Verry (R) present award to Grant Kimberly, Iowa Biodiesel

At the end of the panel, the Clean Fuels Initiative Award was presented to the Iowa Biodiesel Board for its role in advancing biodiesel in Iowa and across the nation. The board was founded under the umbrella of the Iowa Soybean Association in 2007 and has grown into a leading trade association representing the entire supply chain, helping Iowa maintain its position as the top biodiesel-producing state, doing it all with two half-time employees and two contractors knows no limitations. One of those employees is Grant Kimberly who accepted the award.

“We’re blessed in Iowa to have people who are 100 percent committed to this,” said Kimberly. “We are United as One.”

Clean Fuels remarks Grant Kimberly, Iowa Biodiesel Board (3:34)

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National Ethanol Conference Announces Key Speakers

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has announced key speakers for the upcoming National Ethanol Conference in Orlando Feb. 28 – March 2.

The featured luncheon speaker will be Salvatore “Sal” Giunta, the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, as the featured luncheon speaker at the 2023 National Ethanol Conference. Giunta will share his courageous story with NEC attendees and discuss the importance of teamwork, selflessness and leadership.

An Iowa native, former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta was presented with our nation’s highest military decoration—The Medal of Honor—for his heroic actions during combat in Afghanistan. After Giunta’s unit was ambushed and pinned down by at least a dozen Taliban fighters, Giunta was hit twice while running into enemy fire to pull his fellow soldiers to cover. When insurgents began carrying away a fellow soldier, Giunta engaged the enemy, provided medical aid to his wounded comrade, and ultimately saved a soldier from being taken by the enemy.

Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners, will offer a keynote presentation at the conference on market trends and the global energy transition. Book will provide a timely outlook on world energy markets against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, rapidly changing geopolitics, emerging clean energy and climate policies, the ESG movement, growth in EVs, and other emerging issues.

“Global market and policy dynamics are rapidly shifting and, in response, the energy industry is quickly evolving,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “It is more important than ever before that the ethanol industry stays on top of these emerging challenges and opportunities. Kevin Book has the expertise and experience to help us understand what lies ahead, and we look forward to his perspective on how renewable fuel producers and other stakeholders can best navigate the changing energy landscape.”

For more information and registration, go to NationalEthanolConference.com.

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Clean Fuels Chair Pleased With First Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

Mike Rath is senior vice president of marketing for Darling Ingredients in Dallas, Texas. He is also the first chairman of Clean Fuels Alliance America and presiding over the first conference under the new name in Tampa, Florida this week.

Darling Ingredients is in the business of animal rendering, turning edible by-products and food waste into sustainable products, and a leading producer of renewable energy. “We handle the byproducts of one in every 6.5 animals that are slaughtered,” he said. “We separate water, protein, and fat. The protein goes to pet food or feed markets, the fat is largely being used for renewable fuels, and we are a very large water treatment company.”

Rath says they are very big in the fuels market. “Here in the United States we are the largest producer of renewable diesel in a joint venture with Valero,” he said. They have facilities in Texas and Louisiana that use about 65% of North America’s waste fat and oils and produce about 1.2 billion gallons of renewable diesel annually. “This product is equivalent to 85% GHG reduction of traditional petroleum – so, we’re really in the GHG reduction business.”

He is very pleased with how the first Clean Fuels Conference has turned out this year in reaching new attendees. “We’ve got people here from Europe that produce SAF, we’ve got people from South America in the biodiesel business, animal fats and crushing business, so this has become a global conference,” said Rath.

Listen to an interview with Rath and his remarks at the conference below:

Clean Fuels interview - Mike Rath, Darling Ingredients (7:48)

Clean Fuels conference remarks Mike Rath, Darling Ingredients (10:55)

Clean Fuels Conference Blog

2023 Clean Fuels Conference Photo Album

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Clean Fuels Industry United as One

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen welcomed representatives of an industry united as one for a sustainable energy future at the first ever Clean Fuels Conference in Tampa, Florida Tuesday. Formally the National Biodiesel Conference, the new focus encompasses biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

“We are united with federal and state legislators and regulators who are looking for ways to reduce emissions,” said Rehagen. “We’re also united with consumers. They are the ones who are driving the demand for clean fuels.”

Rehagen says the industry is very optimistic about the demand for clean fuels but admits they face a policy hurdle with the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. “We didn’t think these RVOs were very consistent with the last announcements for the previous year where they were much more aggressive on the biomass diesel side,” Rehagen said during a press availability. Noting that the EPA proposal includes multiple years, Rehagen said, “That could be a good thing when you start thinking about signals. If they get it right, it’s a really good thing. We believe they got it wrong for our industry, so that makes it not a very good thing at all.”

Listen to Rehagen’s remarks and press conference below:

Opening general session – Clean Fuels Alliance America CEO Donnell Rehagen annual address
Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen opening remarks (21:41)

Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen press conference
Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen presser (11:09)

Audio, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance

Clean Fuels 101 Sets Up Inaugural Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The first ever Clean Fuels Conference being held this week in Tampa had a pre-event session to cover the basics of just what clean fuels are and how market factors have driven the industry beyond biodiesel and into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel to become “United as ONE.”

Jonathan Martin, Director of Economics & Market Analytics for Clean Fuels Alliance America, says they rebranded last year to encompass fuels that are related to biodiesel. “Renewable diesel is produced from lipids just like biodiesel is produced from lipids,” said Martin. “And then sustainable aviation fuel is kind of a by-product of the current commercial success of renewable diesel.”

Clean Fuels Conference interview, Jonathan Martin, Clean Fuels (3:34)

After a welcome reception Monday night, the Clean Fuels Conference officially gets underway with the opening general session United as One: A Year of Thriving for Clean Fuels this morning from Tampa. The event run through Thursday, January 26 and is expected to draw over 800 registered participants, including agriculture interests, clean fuel producers, marketers, end users and more.

Clean Fuels Conference Blog

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Most States Blending Over 10% Ethanol

Cindy Zimmerman

Image courtesy RFA
(click for larger image)

The ten percent blend wall for ethanol is officially no more in the majority of the United States.

According to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 35 states and the District of Columbia used more than 10 percent ethanol in transportation fuel in 2021. Minnesota and Iowa led the way with ethanol accounting for 12.6% and 11.6%, respectively, of statewide gasoline consumption. California, Texas, and 12 other states had an average ethanol blend rate near 10.7%. The national average ethanol blend rate reached a record 10.32% in 2021, according to the data.

“The state-level data released by EIA today should finally put to rest any lingering myths and misinformation about the fictitious ethanol blend wall,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “American drivers in all 50 states clearly want more fuel options, and lower-cost, lower-carbon ethanol proved itself once again in 2021. As leaders in the marketing of E15 and E85, it’s no surprise that Minnesota and Iowa came out on top in 2021. Those states are showing the rest of the nation what is possible when you take proactive steps to provide more consumer options at the pump.”

Cooper expects that when 2022 nationwide data ethanol consumption data is finalized in February, it will show even further growth in ethanol’s share of America’s gas tanks. Last November, EIA released an analysis of high blend rates in the summer months that noted the U.S. ethanol blend rate hit a record summer average of 10.5% in 2022 and averaged 10.6% in June and August.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

US Ethanol Stands Out at India Auto Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

The U.S. ethanol industry was in the spotlight last week at the India Auto Expo in New Delhi which featured an Ethanol Pavilion for the first time. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the nation’s auto manufacturers organization, has partnered with the U.S. Grains Council to help support the implementation of ethanol across the country.

The Grains Council, along with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Growth Energy, Iowa RFA, and the Indiana and Kansas Corn growers represented the industry at the Expo. RFA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Kelly Davis gave a presentation on the U.S. industry at the International Conference on Sustainable Mobility at the Auto Show. ACE Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty joined the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) at the India Auto Expo last week, Asia’s largest automotive show, to promote ethanol implementation across the country. Lamberty was also invited to speak about the U.S. experience in a session about how biofuels are a boon for the Indian sustainability roadmap.

“India has an air quality emergency and is following the science which shows the best and fastest way to improve air quality is to add more ethanol,” Lamberty said. “They’ve gone from almost zero ethanol to 10 percent in only a few years and have a goal of 20 percent nationwide by 2025.”

Lamberty praised the efforts to promote ethanol at the Auto Expo. “The USGC staff put together a massive, attention-grabbing trade show display space that attracted a lot of people, and provided information about how ethanol is made, how it gets to stations, the equipment used to sell it, and even an FFV converted by eFlexFuel,” he said.

India recently achieved an ethanol fuel blending target of 10 percent ahead of schedule, a milestone on its way to reaching E20 by 2025. Last week, the Council also opened a new office and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote higher ethanol blending in India.

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