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

ACE Honors HBIIP Program Manager

Cindy Zimmerman

As USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was handing out Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) grants in Minnesota on Friday, the manager of that program was being honored by the American Coalition for Ethanol at their annual meeting in Omaha, where the Secretary had been just the day before.

Jeff Carpenter, who has managed the HBIIP program under USDA Rural Development since 2021, was presented with the ACE Paul Dana Marketing Vision award for his leadership in promoting the expansion of higher blends of ethanol. “I’m surprised, you know, as a federal employee a lot of times we just kind of go with the flow and or behind the scenes,” said Carpenter. “I don’t always like attention, but it’s an honor. It’s certainly unexpected and it means a lot to me.”

Carpenter says the HBIIP program has been very successful and very beneficial to retailers, consumers, and the ethanol industry, so he expects it will continue into the next administration, whatever that will be.

“HBIIP came out under the Trump administration, it was expanded under the Biden administration,” said Carpenter. “There’s a lot of strong bipartisan support from from the Senate and Congress so I think there’s a good opportunity for additional funding. I think the need is there, especially as you know some of the EV push has maybe fallen a little flatter than expected. That kind of puts the shining light back on liquid fuels if they’re gonna need to be around longer than maybe it was originally thought.”

Listen to my interview with Jeff Carpenter.
ACE 24 Jeff Carpenter, USDA 3:44

Carpenter gave a presentation on HBIIP at the ACE Conference and participated in a panel discussion with ACE’s Ron Lamberty and Randy Gard, Bosselman Enterprises.
ACE 24 Higher Blends Infrastructure panel and awards 57:34

2024 ACE Annual Conference Photo Album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Retailers, USDA

Clean Fuels Disappointed in CARB LCFS Proposal

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean Fuels Alliance America is disappointed in recently proposed amendments to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). According to Clean Fuels, if adopted, these changes would impose caps on credits for soy- and canola-based biodiesel and renewable diesel, without sufficient scientific evidence to support such limitations.

“These changes unjustly penalize biodiesel and renewable diesel—low-carbon fuels that provide immediate health benefits for California,” said Jeff Earl, Director of State Governmental Affairs at Clean Fuels.

By restricting credit generation for these low-carbon alternatives, CARB risks unfairly disadvantaging biodiesel and renewable diesel—proven solutions that reduce emissions today while supporting sustainable farming and rural economies. Limiting biodiesel and renewable diesel in favor of technologies that will not be fully scalable for many years, even by CARB’s own projections, threatens both environmental progress and innovation.

According to CARB’s own data, both biodiesel and renewable diesel have significantly contributed to California’s emissions reductions, using more than 3 billion pounds of soybean oil and 1.7 billion pounds of canola oil last year in the state, with biomass-based diesel (BMBD) now accounting for 73% of California’s diesel pool.

Clean Fuels will submit comments strongly urging CARB to reconsider these amendments that threaten to reverse progress in emissions reductions and jeopardize the economic viability of renewable fuels.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, Low Carbon Fuel Standard, renewable diesel

Canadian Rail Dispute Threatens Ethanol Industry

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association has signed on to a letter from U.S. agricultural supply chain interests to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to take action to ensure railroad operations continue to prevent serious damage to the Canadian and U.S. economies.

Canada’s two largest railroads, Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National, are in a labor dispute that threatens to cause lockouts or strikes that would disrupt cross-border trade with the U.S. Both said over the weekend they would start locking out union workers this week.

The letter from 35 U.S. organizations stressed the critical importance of rail transportation to the agriculture industry. “Agriculture ships more than 25,000 cars per week and this figure will go to zero during a strike or lockout,” they wrote.

Agriculture is particularly exposed to rail stoppages due to robust fertilizer and other agricultural input trade and a sizable livestock industry that depends on rail for the timely delivery of feed grains, dried distillers grains, and further feed ingredients. Additionally, many facilities, such as biofuels operations, flour mills and other agricultural operations require uninterrupted rail service. In the event of an interruption, they quickly run out of storage capacity and incur shortages of incoming raw materials. In addition, shutting down and restarting these facilities are complex operations, meaning that even a short-term disruption could stop production for several weeks.

RFA submitted comments last week to the Surface Transportation Board in response to a request for input on recent trends and strategies for growth in the freight rail industry.

“The relationship between the freight rail industry and ethanol industry is closely intertwined, as roughly three-quarters of U.S. ethanol is shipped by rail,” wrote Justin Schultz, RFA’s director of environment, health and safety. “Efficient, reliable, and effective transportation services are crucial for this industry, which relies on rail, truck, and barge transportation for both inbound products (grain) and outbound fuel (ethanol). Rail is increasingly utilized due to its efficiency in bulk shipping.”

RFA also submitted a new study showing that rail shipments of ethanol and grain are disproportionately affected during periods of rail capacity constraints and widespread service interruptions.

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

Christianson Receives Highest Honor from ACE

Cindy Zimmerman

L-R: John Christianson, Ron Alverson, and Dave Sovereign

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) presented its highest honor, the Merle Anderson Award, to John Christianson, managing partner of Christianson & Associates, PLLP. The award was presented at the organization’s 37th annual conference last week in Omaha by ACE Board President Dave Sovereign, Golden Grain Energy, and board secretary Ron Alverson, Dakota Ethanol.

Christianson has been a dedicated supporter of the ethanol industry as a professional CPA and growing up on a Minnesota farm. “I’m honored to accept this award in memory of Merle Anderson, who was a true pioneer and consistent in his vision to better the future of American agriculture, especially in Minnesota,” said Christianson, who credits his talented team for his company’s success in helping the ethanol industry expand and grow over the years.

The company started off in the mid-90’s helping farmer-led cooperatives get ethanol plants built, and they have since evolved with the industry to address increasing regulatory complexities, developing their popular Biofuels Benchmarking program for plant performance enhancement.

ACE 24 Merle Anderson award 13:35
ACE 24 Interview with John Christianson 5:36

2024 ACE Annual Conference Photo Album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol

USDA Marks IRA Anniversary with HBIIP Awards

Cindy Zimmerman

Sens. Klobuchar and Smith join Sec. Vilsack at The Corner Store

To celebrate the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack traveled to Minnesota to announce the funding of 160 projects in 26 states to expand access to clean energy systems and increase the availability of domestic biofuels. USDA is providing $99.6 million through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) and the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) with funding from the IRA.

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement during a visit to The Corner Store in Inver Grove Heights, which is receiving a $518,250 HBIIP grant to create infrastructure to expand the sales and use of renewable fuels. This project will install four E15 dispensers, four E85 dispensers, and two ethanol storage tanks, one of 15 HBIIP project awards for the state totaling $16.5 million. Vilsack was joined by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (both D-MN).

USDA is awarding $90.3 million in this installment of new HBIIP grants to 89 projects in 26 states, bringing to a total of more than $220 million nationwide to increase access to biofuels at fueling stations.

Prior to his trip to Minnesota, Vilsack spoke to ethanol producers in Omaha at the American Coalition for Ethanol annual conference where he spoke about the importance of increasing the use of higher ethanol blends nationwide.

“It’s also not only the ability to sell it year round. It’s also about the ability to have it more available in more stations and in more states,” said Vilsack. “But in order to do that you have to have the equipment which is why it was important for us to put the higher blend infrastructure program in place…and then convinced Congress and the administration to support our request for $500 million.”

USDA continues to accept HBIIP applications until Sept. 30, 2024.

Listen to Vilsack’s remarks from the ACE conference here:

ACE 24 Sec. Vilsack remarks 48:40

ACE 24 Sec. Vilsack presser 15:17

2024 ACE Annual Conference Photo Album

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, USDA

ACE Concludes 37th Annual Conference

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol concluded its 37th annual conference on Friday after a fast-paced day and a half of information and networking for the ethanol industry.

“I think folks were energized to hear from the Secretary of Agriculture,” said ACE CEO Brian Jennings at the end of the event. “His unwavering commitment to getting some of these details right that we need in tax credits and getting farmers some credit for activities that right now they’re not getting credit for. And so the time that he spent with us, I think was critical.”

In addition to Vilsack, many of the panels and breakouts were focused on climate smart agriculture and lowering the carbon intensity score of the industry and the work ACE has already been doing since 2021 with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) across ten states. “We’re going to have rock solid carbon intensity scores for what every single climate smart ag practice you can imagine does in different soil types and different climates,” said Jennings.

The conference included updates from ACE leadership, including Board President Dave Sovereign, Golden Grain Energy, and ACE Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty, and a keynote address from Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions. Awards recognized John Christianson, Christianson PLLP; Jeff Carpenter, USDA HBIIP manager; and Randy Gard, Bosselman Enterprises.

Interview with Brian Jennings, ACE 11:18

Photos and audio from the conference can be found in the 2024 ACE Annual Conference Virtual Newsroom

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News