ACE Holds Annual Business Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) announced the re-election of several board members and the election of two new members to the organization’s board of directors during its annual business meeting prior to ACE’s 35th annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska.

Re-elected to the board of directors for three-year terms:

Redfield Energy, LLC – Represented by Troy Knecht
KAAPA Ethanol, LLC – Represented by Scott McPheeters
Absolute Energy, LLC – Represented by Rick Schwarck
Golden Grain Energy, LLC– Represented by Dave Sovereign
East River Electric Power Cooperative – Represented by Chris Studer

Randy Gard, representing Bosselman Enterprises Corporation, owner of the Nebraska-based Pump & Pantry convenience store chain, was elected as a new member to the board of directors for a three-year term. Wayne Garrett, General Manager with Chief Ethanol Fuels, Inc., was newly elected to represent the company on the board of directors for a three-year term. He fills the seat of Duane Kristensen who retired from Chief Ethanol in 2021.

Dave Sovereign with Golden Grain Energy remain president of the board for ACE and he is very optimistic about the opportunities for the ethanol industry right now. He talks about what ACE is focused on going forward in this interview.

ACE22 interview with Dave Sovereign, Golden Grain Energy (3:54)

2022 ACE Annual Conference Photo Album

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

Time for The ACE

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 35th annual conference gets underway today in Omaha with a pre-conference workshop for retailers and the welcome reception to get ready for two days of non-stop industry information.

Thursday morning starts off with a welcome from Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, followed by updates from ACE leadership. Panels on farm-to-biofuel carbon market opportunities and retailer opportunities for higher blends set the stage for the most important topic discussions.

Thursday afternoon breakout sessions are split into three tracks: Leadership & Management, Technology, and Carbon. The breakout sessions will be held concurrently in three rounds following the morning general session panels.

Friday’s general session begins with a timely panel on new uses and markets emerging for ethanol producers, including opportunities in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen and heavy-duty transportation sectors – areas which are supported in the recent budget reconciliation bill, the Inflation Reduction Act.

Next up, EPA’s Senior Advisor for Agriculture Rod Snyder will provide a biofuels update from the agency. Prior to this role, Snyder served as president of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, which is the largest multi-stakeholder initiative working to advance the sustainability of commodity crop farming in the U.S.

Ryan LeGrand, President and CEO of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), will address the current export market situation for U.S. ethanol and distillers grains.

Wrapping it up Friday morning will be a highly anticipated session on carbon capture pathways to help ethanol achieve net zero or even net negative emissions and will discuss ACE’s new carbon intensity (CI) calculator.

Registration is still available on site and in case you missed it, here is a preview of the conference from ACE Vice President of Public Affairs Katie Muckenhirn.
ACE conference preview Katie Muckenhirn (5:00)

Keep up with all the action at The ACE on the virtual newsroom – and watch for Facebook Live coverage of the general sessions on the ACE Facebook page.

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

Clean Fuels Urges NY to Move Forward with Bioheat®

Cindy Zimmerman

The Clean Fuels industry wants New York to know there is ample supply to meet the state’s Bioheat® fuel mandate, which was due to take effect on July 1.

Clean Fuels Alliance America, the Empire State Energy Association, and the New York State Energy Coalition recently sent a joint letter to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in response to a June 30 decision to suspend enforcement of the mandate for a year due to “supply chain issues delaying infrastructure equipment retrofits at some fuel terminals in Upstate New York.”

The bill was signed into law in December and is widely supported as part of a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from liquid heating fuels. The bill put into place a 5% Bioheat® fuel mandate (B5) and increases to B10 blends effective in 2025 and B20 blends by 2030.

However, while the B5 mandate remains law and in effect in New York City and Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties (accounting for 70% of the state’s heating oil market by volume), the Enforcement Discretion issued by the New York State DEC has delayed the 5% bioheating fuel mandate in parts of upstate New York for another year.

In the letter to the New York DEC, Donnell Rehagen, CEO of Clean Fuels, joined his colleagues from the Empire State Energy Association and the New York State Energy Coalition in noting the missed opportunity by delaying enforcement of the requirement.

“Our associations, in conjunction with the entire home heating industry, are committed to providing low-carbon biomass-based renewable liquid fuels such as biodiesel and renewable diesel to customers as we work together to lower the state’s carbon footprint. Like the state of New York, we understand the clean fuels industry is good for our farmers, our urban and rural communities, and our economy,” the letter said. “We also know that the carbon reduction our fuels offer is immediate and does not require investment in new heating appliances or infrastructure.”

Biodiesel, biofuels, Bioheat, Clean Fuels Alliance

RFA Comments on Future for California LCFS

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) filed comments this week with the California Air Resources Board on the future of the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, stressing that it must be technology-neutral and allow low-carbon renewable fuels to compete in the marketplace to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.

RFA submitted the comments in response to a July 7 CARB workshop in which the agency laid out potential modifications to the LCFS and discussed options for the program’s design after 2030. Kelly Davis, RFA’s Vice President for Technical and Regulatory Affairs, urged CARB to ensure that the LCFS maintains its fuel-neutral focus and refrain from picking technology winners and losers.

“The hallmark of success of the LCFS is its market-based, technology-neutral approach that is driven by the carbon intensity scores of all fuels whether generating credits or deficits,” Davis wrote. “The RFA supports California’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2045. This is an aggressive, but achievable goal that will require a broad portfolio of low- and zero-carbon fuel solutions. The LCFS is a centerpiece policy in California’s decarbonization efforts and modifying and extending the LCFS regulation beyond 2030 is necessary to achieve carbon neutrality.”

RFA’s comments also stated that any sort of cap on crop-based biofuels—a concept that was discussed at the July workshop—would undermine the technology-neutral design of the LCFS and chill investments in low-carbon technologies. “Capping crop-based biofuel production would be the wrong market signal for an industry that continues to grow and innovate in meeting food, feed, fiber, and fuel markets,” according to the comments.

Read more from RFA.

Carbon, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

POET Acquires Savannah Transload Facility

Cindy Zimmerman

South Dakota-based biofuels producer POET has signed a purchase agreement with Savannah Marine Terminal (SMT) to acquire its rail-to-container transload facility in Savannah, Georgia.

The Port of Savannah, one of the highest volume container ports in the U.S., has geographic synergy with several of POET’s key global markets for its animal feed products, including Dakota Gold dried distillers grains and its corn fermented protein product, NexPRO.

In addition to producing 3 billion gallons of bioethanol, 14 billion pounds of distillers grains, and 975 million pounds of corn oil per year, POET is currently the 36th-largest container shipper, exporting to more than 20 countries around the world.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Biodiesel and Food Sustainability Webinar

Cindy Zimmerman

As the food industry is under increasing pressure to meet increasingly ambitious sustainability goals demand continues to grow for biodiesel, a renewable alternative that more companies and municipalities are leveraging to lower their carbon footprint.  

The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) and the United Soybean Board (USB) are hosting a free webinar Tuesday Aug. 30 at 1:00 pm central to discuss how biodiesel can fuel food company sustainability efforts.

Among the topics: Biodiesel 101, benefits to the environment and our health, busting biodiesel myths, a case study of how the sixth largest U.S. bus company has incorporated biodiesel into its fleets and insights into sustainably grown soy, an important feedstock for biodiesel.

Hosted by CFI’s Melanie Fitzpatrick, the webinar guest lineup includes:
– Veronica Bradley / Clean Fuels Alliance America, Director of Environmental Science 
– John Benish, Jr. / Cook-Illinois Corporation, President and CEO of Cook-Illinois Corporation bus company
– Nancy Kavazanjian, Wisconsin Soybean Farmer and USB Director 
– Ed Lammers, Nebraska Soybean Farmer and USB Director 

Register here.

Biodiesel, Clean Fuels Alliance, Energy, Sustainability

New Registered Trademark Agreement for Bioheat®

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean Fuels Alliance America recently announced the newest version of their Bioheat® Fuel Trademark License Agreement.

To simplify the registration process, a website has been developed where current and new registrants may go to access the agreement for review and execution with Clean Fuels staff. After execution of a completed agreement, registrants will be sent the completed and ready for use digital logo files which include four versions: Bioheat® fuel, Bioheat® Plus fuel, Bioheat® Super Plus fuel and finally Bioheat® fuel, “The Evolution of Oilheat®.”

“We are excited to roll out this agreement for new and existing licensees that will ensure the proper promotion of Bioheat® fuel,” said Brad Shimmens, director of operations and membership for Clean Fuels. “We appreciate consumers and fuel marketers for their commitment to the only liquid heating fuel that can lower carbon emissions, both improving the environment and human health.”

Biodiesel, Bioheat, Clean Fuels Alliance

Nebraska Higher Blend Tax Credits Available

Cindy Zimmerman

Nebraska retailers who sell higher ethanol blends of fuel are now able to apply for tax credits made available through the passage of a bill passed unanimously by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ricketts earlier this year. The Nebraska Department of Revenue began taking applications for the higher blend tax credits August 1.

Under the law, retailers can receive a credit of 5 cents on each gallon of E15 sold and 8 cents per gallon of E25 or higher blends sold.

“Utilizing ethanol should be a centerpiece of our national strategy to lower gas prices,” said Gov. Ricketts. “Ethanol saves drivers money at the pump, is better for the environment, and creates opportunities for farm families here in Nebraska. As a state, we’re doing our part to grow U.S. energy production by encouraging sales of renewable fuel.”

In Nebraska, E85 is available at 124 fueling stations. E15 is available at 112 fueling stations, and that number continues to grow.

“At the retail level, very simply put, E15 is better fuel and it costs less,” said Randy Gard, chief operating officer of Bosselman Enterprises and secretary of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. “If you are a retailer, there is now nothing standing in your way today to make the transition from E10, the standard fuel most people use today, to joining this mass conversion to E15.”

Both Gov. Ricketts and Randy Gard will be participating in the American Coalition for Ethanol conference in Omaha this week where the movement to E15 will be a big topic of conversation.

ACE, ACE Ethanol Conference, E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Ethanol Report on Inflation Reduction Act

Cindy Zimmerman

Several provisions within the Senate Inflation Reduction Act will benefit the U.S. ethanol industry and the communities it serves, according to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA).

In this edition of The Ethanol Report, RFA Vice President of Government and Public Affairs Troy Bredenkamp breaks down some pieces of the legislation that include funding for clean fuel production and enhanced opportunities for ethanol to play a greater role in sustainable aviation fuel, and carbon capture, utilization and storage.

Ethanol Report 8-7-22 (13:25)

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

Export Exchange 2022 Updates

Cindy Zimmerman

CEOs of Growth Energy, US Grains Council, and Renewable Fuels Association

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and Growth Energy are firming up the agenda for Export Exchange 2022, October 12-14 at the Hilton Minneapolis.

This will be the first Export Exchange since 2018, after global pandemic restrictions dictated the cancellation of the international event in 2020 and again in 2021. With the exception of 2020, the event has been held in even-numbered years since 2010, bringing together international buyers and U.S. sellers of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), as well as other feed grain products. The conference in Minneapolis is expected to attract more than 350 attendees, including 150 from 50 countries participating as part of USGC trade teams.

While DDGS are the primary focus of Export Exchange, USGC also works with the ethanol industry groups on helping increase exports of ethanol itself, recently traveling to Japan on a group trade mission together.

USGC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper, and Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor toured a feed mill and port facility before meeting with industry and government officials to discuss the role ethanol has played in the United States, specifically highlighting the environmental benefits. Discussions also revolved around the current transition in the U.S. toward higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85 and increased consumer and government adoption of bioethanol blends to mitigate both economic and environmental pressures.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, Export Exchange, Exports, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA, USGC