Ag Outlook Forum to Feature Biofuels Panel

Cindy Zimmerman

The upcoming annual Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City September 16 will feature a panel discussion on the Future of Biofuels.

Moderated by Kansas Corn CEO Emeritus Greg Krissek, the panel will feature Donnell Rehagen, CEO, Clean Fuels Alliance America; Jeff Davidman, Vice President – Government Affairs, Delta Air Lines; and Lee Blank, CEO, Summit Carbon Solutions. Together they will explore the complex landscape for biofuels including the push for electric vehicles and emerging tax credits that offer potential opportunities.

Ag Outlook Forum is presented annually by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse and this will be the 10th annual event featuring top economic, policy, business, and government officials presenting their current outlooks. In addition to the biofuels panel, there will also be an Ag Economy panel, and a list of distinguished speakers including Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation; U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, Kansas; U.S. Congressman Tracey Mann, Kansas 1st District; and Seth Meyer, USDA Chief Economist.

The forum will be held in person on September 16, 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. central, at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, and a virtual attendance option is available. Find out more.

Agri-Pulse, Agribusiness, Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Verbio Showcases Green Energy Tech at FPS

Cindy Zimmerman

Verbio showcased its green energy and organic fertilizer technology at this year`s Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. The company recently announced the launch of ethanol production in addition to RNG production at its Nevada, Iowa plant location.

Operating as a full biorefinery, the plant has installed a total capacity to produce 60 million gallons of corn-based ethanol per year and 2.3 million MMBtu of renewable natural gas (RNG). It is the first plant of its kind in North America.

“We are excited to further tell our story about our game changing technology for creating climate-friendly bioenergy from crop residues and corn,” states Greg Faith, Verbio Nevada plant President and General Manager. “The integration of RNG, bioethanol and plant-based fertilizer production is what makes the Verbio technology stand out within the American energy market.”

Visitors to the Verbio booth were able to learn about the company’s technology of converting corn stover to renewable natural gas (RNG) and could sign up to contract acres with the Verbio team. “Working with us, Iowa growers can take their businesses to the next level with an innovative residue management solution that provides a greener path for agriculture and the environment at the same time,” said Faith.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farm Progress Show

Clean Fuels Comments Crush CARB Proposal

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean Fuels Alliance America and the California Advanced Biofuels Alliance (CABA) joined to provide comments on a proposal from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that would put a cap on soy- and canola-based biodiesel and renewable diesel.

The groups say the proposal could raise prices of fuel and goods for California consumers and set back decarbonization efforts by years. The recently proposed amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) would put a 20% cap on credits for vegetable-oil-based fuel, without sufficient scientific evidence to support such limitations.

Biodiesel and renewable diesel have displaced nearly 75% of all diesel sold in the state and are responsible for 45% of California’s progress under the LCFS so far. Capping the use of vegetable oils to power trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles will slow down California’s effort to decarbonize them.

Clean Fuels, CABA and other stakeholders are urging CARB to reconsider the proposed caps on vegetable oils in the LCFS in part because it will delay decarbonization and increase the cost to comply with California’s lofty greenhouse gas reduction goals. For every 5 years of delay, 13 times more emissions reductions will be required to have the same climate impact.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, renewable diesel

Ethanol Industry Continues to Lead in Veteran Employment

Cindy Zimmerman

RFA’s Robert White and Geoff Cooper are both military veterans

Once again, the latest Department of Energy report shows the ethanol industry continues to lead in the employment of military veterans.

According to the United States Energy & Employment Report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), veterans make up 16 percent of the ethanol industry workforce, which is three times the national private sector workforce average and 60 percent higher than in the petroleum fuels industry.

“The ethanol industry continues to offer good-paying jobs across rural America, and I am particularly proud of the industry’s longstanding record of employing thousands of military veterans,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper, an Army veteran. “Ethanol is an American-made fuel that bolsters our national energy security and reduces dependency on foreign energy sources, making the industry a natural fit for women and men who have served our country in uniform.”

RFA actually beats the national average, with military veterans making up 20 percent of its staff members. The Department of Defense recognized RFA with its Patriotic Employer award in April for “contributing to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employee participation in America’s national guard and reserve force.” RFA also has an initiative for military veterans and family members in the industry called Veterans for Renewable Fuels.

The ethanol industry also in notable for its employment of women and workers over 55 years old. Women represent 31 percent of the ethanol industry workforce, compared to 24 percent for the petroleum fuels industry and 26 percent for the overall energy sector. Nearly a quarter of the industry’s workforce is 55 or older, versus 19 percent for petroleum fuels and 18 percent for the energy sector. The DOE also estimated that workers with disabilities make up four percent of the ethanol industry workforce, which is at least double the average in the petroleum fuels industry and the overall energy sector and is close to the national average.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Ethanol Report From Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

It’s been a beautiful week in Boone, Iowa for the Farm Progress Show, the nation’s largest outdoor ag show. It is a show that the Renewable Fuels Association always attends because it brings out farmers from all over the ethanol-producing part of the country to see what’s new in the industry.

RFA displayed its custom Flex Fuel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle and an off-road flex-fuel Can Am and had staff on hand to talk about ethanol issues such as the road to E15, record exports, 45 tax credit progress, and more.

In this edition of the Ethanol Report, Chuck Zimmerman interviews RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper and RFA Senior VP for Industry Relations & Market Development Robert White from the Farm Progress Show, which runs through 4 pm on Thursday so you still have a chance to stop by!

Ethanol Report 8-28-24 16:12

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, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

RFA Urges California to Adopt E15

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association this week filed comments with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) urging the state to allow the sale of lower-cost, lower-carbon E15 fuel blend, containing 15 percent ethanol, as part of its efforts to enhance the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

“E15 is a critical near-term strategy for decarbonizing liquid fuels, which will continue to dominate transportation in California for years, if not decades, to come,” wrote RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman in comments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). “From a consumer perspective, E15 offers a unique opportunity to lower the cost of gasoline while cutting emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants.”

Richman cited a recent study indicating that E15 could shave 20 cents off the cost of a gallon of gasoline in California, which has the nation’s highest average fuel prices. This would equate to total statewide annual savings of $2.7 billion.

RFA also pushed back in its comments on expanded feedstock tracking requirements as both unnecessary and overly burdensome.

At the Farm Progress Show in Iowa this week, RFA Senior VP for Industry Relations & Market Development Robert White said even if CARB does decide to move forward with E15 at some point, it will still take years before California drivers could benefit from the advantages of E15. “California is the last holdout, the last state where you can’t sell E15 and ironically, given their low carbon fuel standard and our low carbon fuel that makes E15, we could sell it for anywhere from 20 to 25 cents a gallon less today in a state where fuel prices are well over $5 a gallon,” said White. “We recently had some discussions with the California Air Resources Board that has to approve E15 and unfortunately we couldn’t come to an agreement on many things. And so it it will at least be another handful of years before E15 is approved because we haven’t even started the rule making process.”

RFA's Robert White on E15 in California :40

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

ACE Grassroots Award Goes to Randy Gard

Cindy Zimmerman

ACE CMO Ron Lamberty presents Grassroots Award to Randy Gard, Bosselman

The American Coalition for Ethanol presented its Grassroots Award this year to Randy Gard, COO, Bosselman Enterprises.

The strength of ACE is in our collective grassroots members and ACE provides this award to devoted individuals who work behind the scenes to advance the cause of ethanol. In addition to behind-the-scenes work with USDA on the HBIIP program and being involved in state legislation affecting ethanol and fuel marketers in Nebraska, Gard recently helped shape and pass legislation to incentivize Nebraska retailers who offer ethanol blends of 15% or higher.

“ACE and other organizations have been instrumental for a retailer like Bosselman to understand HBIIP and the benefits of offering higher ethanol blends,” Gard said. “At the end of the day, we’re in the business of making money. The cornerstone of any convenience store is fuel, and we chase pennies. Higher blends help us offer lower prices, attract new customers, sell more gallons, make more money on those gallons and we’re better off for it. Without HBIIP and Nebraska’s higher blend tax credit legislation that passed a few years ago, we probably wouldn’t be offering ethanol to the extent we do today.”

Interview with Randy Gard, Bosselman Enterprises – Grassroots award winner
ACE 24 Randy Gard, Bosselman Ent. 4:04

Gard gave a presentation at the ACE Conference and participated in a panel discussion with ACE’s Ron Lamberty and USDA HBIIP manager Jeff Carpenter.
ACE 24 Higher Blends Infrastructure panel and awards 57:34

2024 ACE Annual Conference Photo Album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Ethanol, Retailers

Researchers Work to Fight Bad Bacteria in Ethanol Plants

Cindy Zimmerman

National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Peoria, IL

USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have developed a way to use genetically modified baker’s yeast to prevent contamination by unwelcome bacteria in ethanol plants, one of the leading causes of plant shut downs.

“These bacteria are found everywhere in the environment, especially on plant material. They are actually responsible for the fermentation of vegetables to make products like sauerkraut and pickles,” explained Shao-Yeh Lu, a research microbiologist with ARS’ National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. “Unfortunately, the acetic acid and lactic acid produced by these same bacteria in a bioethanol fermentation facility will cause stress and inhibit the growth of the baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), which is responsible for the production of ethanol.”

Instead of using antibiotics to kill the bacteria, the scientists modified the yeast’s genetic makeup with to make an enzyme on its outer surface called endolysin, a specialized enzyme that kills the bacteria on contact. Lab trials found use of the endolysin-making yeasts reduced the presence of the bacteria by 85 percent, which reduced acetic and lactic acid levels in the mash by as much as 40 percent and 71 percent, and in turn increased ethanol production by as much as 40 percent.

According to Lu, modifying yeast to produce endolysin—either on their surface or secreted—is likely to be more cost-effective than adding bulk amounts of the enzyme to contaminated corn mash. Additional research is needed to fully ascertain its potential commercial use, but if validated through larger-scale trials, the endolysin-wielding yeasts could offer an alternative to antibiotics or other costly chemical cleansers.

enzymes, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Go Gophers With Unleaded 88

Cindy Zimmerman

The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association (MN Bio-Fuels) has teamed up with Gopher Sports Properties to offer football fans in the state a chance to win a $888 Holiday Station Store gift card each time the Minnesota Golden Gophers win a game in this season.

“As we get ready for another successful Gopher football season, MN Bio-Fuels is happy to partner with Gopher Sports and Holiday Station stores to give Gopher football fans the opportunity to save big at the pump. At an average discount of $0.18 per gallon, Unleaded 88 is already helping ease the strain on consumers pocketbooks and now, after each Gopher football win this season, lucky fans will save even more. Go Gophers!,” said Brian Werner, executive director at MN Bio-Fuels.

The Win $888 With Unleaded 88 sweepstakes promotion runs until Nov 24. Following each Minnesota Golden Gophers victory, one lucky participant will win a $888 Holiday Station Store gift card.

In the first five months of 2024, 54.98 million gallons of Unleaded 88 was sold in Minnesota, up 16.7 percent from the 47.1 million gallons sold over the same period in 2023.

E15, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Promotion

Summit Carbon Evaluating SD Supreme Court Ruling

Cindy Zimmerman

The South Dakota Supreme Court dealt a blow to Summit Carbon Solutions Thursday in a ruling that sends its claim to be a common carrier back to the lower court. The designation as a common carrier is necessary to use eminent domain to survey on private property.

Summit Carbon said in a statement it is “evaluating the South Dakota Supreme Court’s decision and look forward to providing the information requested to the District Court that reaffirms our role as a common carrier, and that CO2 is a commodity.”

The economic impact of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) on rural America is significant, and will greatly benefit agriculture and farmers. We are committed to ensuring that these benefits reach communities across our project footprint as we continue to be a valuable partner in this growing market, and look forward to progressing this project.

Summit Carbon CEO Lee Blank spoke last week at the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) annual meeting about how they are working to complete the project by explaining the need to landowners. “Our eminent domain that we may or may not have to use is not a taking,” said Blank. “We’re actually just trying to put a piece of property under your property and give it right back to you. So ultimately it’s different.”

“I know what this pipeline means to the ethanol industry today, and I know what the infrastructure means to agriculture today, which is why we have to get it completed,” he said.

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Carbon, carbon capture, Ethanol, Ethanol News