RFA CEO Joins White House Climate Law Celebration

Cindy Zimmerman

RFA CEO Geoff Cooper arrives at the White House Tuesday

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper attended an event at the White House Tuesday to celebrate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act which includes provisions to benefit the biofuels sector.

“There are lots of tax credit and grant provisions in there for renewable fuels and we are most excited about the sustainable aviation fuel tax credit,” said Cooper during a reporter roundtable Tuesday morning. “We see huge opportunity for ethanol in the SAF space in the future. There’s already significant investment being made in our industry to transform some existing first generation biorefineries into sustainable aviation fuel facilities.”

Cooper says other provisions in the legislation for the ethanol industry include the Clean Fuels Production Credit, which is a performance based, technology neutral credit. “We already have lots of ethanol in the marketplace today that is reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent,” he said.

Cooper commented on a number of other ethanol industry issues, including the potential of railway and port transportation strikes. “If we can’t move ethanol, plants have to shut down – it’s that simple.”

Listen to the entire roundtable here:
RFA Reporter Roundtable 40:36

Audio, biofuels, Carbon, carbon capture, E15, Ethanol, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Clean Fuels and EPA Pause Food Waste Records Litigation

Cindy Zimmerman

Clean Fuels Alliance America and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have agreed to pause on a lawsuit challenging new recordkeeping requirements for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers who use separated food waste, such as used cooking oil, as a feedstock.

The parties agreed to put the case in abeyance through November 30, 2022, while Clean Fuels and its members continue working with the Environmental Protection Agency to develop practical compliance options for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers. “We appreciate EPA’s willingness to meet with our members, listen to the issues they faced in complying with the new recordkeeping requirements, and work cooperatively to help our members meet the requirements,” said Clean Fuels’ Vice President of Federal Affairs Kurt Kovarik.

On August 11, 2022, the Court of Appeals granted Clean Fuels’ motion to sever the dispute from the RFS Power Coalition case, a consolidated group of challenges to EPA’s final 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard rule. Clean Fuels sought this action because EPA had failed to revise the new separated food waste requirements in the rewritten 2020 RFS rule and because Clean Fuels’ members demonstrated harm from the new requirements. When the Court granted Clean Fuels’ motion for severance, it put the case on a track for quicker resolution. EPA and Clean Fuels members have been working to develop alternative methods for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to meet the new recordkeeping requirements.

Biodiesel, biofuels, Clean Fuels Alliance, EPA, renewable diesel

RFA Rebuts Reuters Ethanol Plant Emissions Article

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association responded to a Reuters article published Thursday entitled “How U.S. regulators allow ethanol plants to pollute more than oil refineries.”

The article states that “ethanol plants produce more than double the climate-damaging pollution, per gallon of fuel production capacity, than the nation’s oil refineries, according to a Reuters analysis of federal data” because the majority of U.S. biorefineries are exempt from an EPA requirement that plants use certain emissions-control processes.

RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper sent the reporter the following statement when contacted for comment regarding the article. “To truly understand the climate impacts of transportation fuels, you have to look at the emissions associated with every step in the production process. Narrowly focusing on just one piece of the carbon lifecycle is inappropriate, misleading, and misses the forest for the trees. When all of the energy inputs and emissions related to producing corn ethanol are properly considered from beginning to end, it is clear that the fuel has a lifecycle carbon intensity that is 40-50% lower than gasoline. The science is clear that ethanol offers a significant and immediate carbon savings compared to petroleum.”

RFA added, “If one took the same analytical approach to electricity that the reporter is taking with ethanol and petroleum refining, the emissions related to electricity generation across most of the United States would be 14 to 35 times worse than the estimate for ethanol (per gasoline-gallon equivalent) and 27 to 66 times worse than the estimate for refined petroleum products (the low end is natural gas; high end is coal).”

Cooper concluded, “The fact is, ethanol and other biofuels offer significant carbon emissions reductions today, and there is a clear and workable pathway toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.”

corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

U.S. Exports of Ethanol and DDGS Up in July

Cindy Zimmerman

In the latest trade monitor update from the Renewable Fuels Association, U.S. exports of both ethanol and the co-product dried distillers grains (DDGS) were up in July.

Exports of ethanol increased six percent in July to 107.2 million gallons (mg), marking the tenth consecutive month that exports were over 100 mg.

Canada imported 41.6 mg, up 1%, to maintain its status as our largest customer. Sales to Singapore quadrupled to 12.3 mg (its largest imports of U.S. ethanol since Jan. 2018), while exports to the Netherlands increased 7% to 11.4 mg. However, shipments to South Korea declined by a third to an 8-month low of 9.3 mg. Other substantial importers of U.S. ethanol included Peru (5.6 mg, +73%), Mexico (5.3 mg, +10%), and the United Kingdom (4.5 mg, -63%). China and Brazil again were not key market players in July. Total U.S. ethanol exports for the first seven months of 2022 were 932.9 mg, up 30% from the same period in 2021 and remaining on a record pace.

DDGS exports in July were up five percent to a six month high of 1.06 million metric tons.

Mexico returned as our largest market, up 40% to 221,587 mt, representing 21% of July shipments. Turkey imported 111,813 mt, up 2% and its largest volume of U.S. DDGS in a year. Vietnam cut its imports by half to 103,068 mt on the heels of sharply higher sales in June, and exports to Indonesia slipped 1% to 93,161 mt. These four countries represented half of our export market in July. Other larger markets included Canada (87,431 mt, -11%), South Korea (86,071, +6%), Japan (59,187 mt, +118%), Israel (54,776 mt, +90% to a record high), and Ireland (45,388 mt, +36%). The remaining U.S. DDGS shipments were dispersed among another 20 countries. Year-to-date exports totaled 6.73 million mt, which is 4% greater than the same period in 2021.

Increasing markets for U.S. DDGS exports will be in focus next month at the Export Exchange, which allows overseas attendees the opportunity to build relationships with U.S. suppliers. This will be the first time the biennial event, which is co-sponsored by RFA, has been held since 2018. The conference in Minneapolis October 12-14 is expected to attract more than 350 attendees, including 150 from 50 countries participating.

RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper talked about ethanol industry exports and the Export Exchange during this interview from the Farm Progress Show last week.
FPS22 Interview with RFA CEO Geoff Cooper (8:46)

Audio, Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports, RFA

Ethanol Report from Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

RFA’s Robert White, Geoff Cooper, and Jared Mullendore at Farm Progress Show

Ethanol was in the spotlight at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa this week and the Renewable Fuels Association was there to promote the high octane benefits of the fuel and the role of biofuels and farming in combating climate change.

RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper, Director of Government Affairs Jared Mullendore, and Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White were all at the show and in this episode of the Ethanol Report podcast they comment on some of the latest industry news. Topics include California’s plan to ban gasoline powered vehicles, funding for higher blends infrastructure, year-round E15, the inflation reduction act, and what’s next for the RFS.

Listen to the Ethanol Report here – or subscribe using your favorite podcast platform.
Ethanol Report 9-1-22 (17:22)

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, Farm Progress Show, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

#FPS22 Legislative Panel on Outlook for Biofuels

Cindy Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse editor Sara Wyant moderated a legislative outlook panel of mostly Midwest lawmakers in the Syngenta tent at Farm Progress Show Wednesday.

Joining Wyant were (L-R) Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL); Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA); Vicky Hartzler (R-MO); GT Thompson (R-PA); Randy Feenstra (R-IA); and Ashley Hinson (R-IA). The discussion included what might happen if Republicans regain the House, farm bill planning, the “Inflation Reduction Act,” and biofuels.

Rep. Davis, who lost his re-election bid this year in a redistricted primary, said the Congressional Biofuels Caucus needs to stick together to keep ethanol and other biofuels moving forward. “There’s always going to be an attack on our ethanol system and our biofuels processing…and it’s a bipartisan attack,” said Davis. “We can’t introduce legislation that splits the biofuels caucus because it only gives the anti-biofuels folks more reason to go after our policies and programs.”

House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member GT Thompson, who is from Pennsylvania, said the biofuels industry also needs to work with the oil industry. “We need to serve as marriage counselors because we need both aspects of the energy family to come together,” said Thompson. “Because the alternative is this stupid idea of electric vehicles.”

Listen to the entire panel here.
FPS22 Syngenta legislative panel (54:24)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, politics

RFA Showcases Ethanol Octane Power at #FPS22

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is showcasing its custom-made E85 vehicles at the Farm Progress Show, a 1200-hp flex-fuel Jeep Wrangler and the new Can-Am X3, both built by Kenny Hauk, owner of Hauk Designs.

“These were both built on television programs, reaching the masses,” says Robert White, Vice President of Industry Relations. “There’s a lot of attention on the off-road side of things. Ethanol is one of those ways that can help clean up the air and allow you to do more and have more fun because the dollar stretches more when you’re using ethanol.”

White says RFA is excited about helping more retailers offer higher ethanol blends with the recent announcement of $100 million available under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program and another $500 million in grants for higher-blend biofuels infrastructure in the “Inflation Reduction Act.”

“This will allow both E15 and E85 to find new consumers and new markets,” said White. “We’re helping over 20 different companies already with their application and we’re talking hundreds upon hundreds of stations in the works.”

The Farm Progress Show runs through the end of day today in Boone, Iowa.
FPS22 Interview with Robert White, RFA (3:08)

2022 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Audio, E15, E85, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA

Sec. Vilsack Talks Biofuels at Farm Progress Show

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the Farm Progress Show in Iowa Tuesday, the first time he has visited the show since 2012.

Vilsack used the occasion to talk about some recent accomplishments, including expanding rural broadband, conservation and biofuel provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, new opportunities to improve nutrient management, an organic transition initiative, and $100 million in funding for higher biofuel blends infrastructure.

“We’re going to help over 1000 locations across the country – 600 storage tanks, 5000 dispensers, E15, E85. It really increases the opportunities there,” said Vilsack.

Listen to Vilsack’s remarks with questions from Max Armstrong and Jacqui Fatka with Farm Progress.
FPS22 Sec. Tom Vilsack (29:31)

Audio, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Farm Progress Show, USDA

ACE Scholarship Winners Announced

Cindy Zimmerman

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is pleased to introduce its 2022 scholarship recipients – Heath Huschitt, Tyler Robert and Mallorie Schultz. Each student receives a $1,000 scholarship through ACE’s Scholarship Program to help further their collegiate education.

Heath Huschitt; Tyler Robert; and Mallorie Schultz

Heath Huschitt is from Monroe, Wisconsin, and will be pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity at the University of Dubuque, Iowa. Heath participated in cross country, track, FFA, 4-H and Investment Club. This year, Heath served as the Monroe FFA Chapter Vice President and received the Dekalb award. Heath is the son of Erik and Heather Huschitt. His father Erik is the CEO and GM of ACE ethanol producer member Badger State Ethanol, LLC in Monroe, Wisconsin.

Tyler Robert is from Bellevue, Nebraska, and attends the University of Nebraska – Omaha, in Omaha, Nebraska, where he studies Civil Engineering. Tyler is a member of the Engineering Ambassador’s Network for the Nebraska College of Engineering, is Student President intern for the National Society of Leadership and Success and is a Geotechnical Engineering intern at the Schemmer Associates Inc. Tyler is the son of Adam Robert. His father is affiliated with ACE ethanol producer member Dakota Ethanol, LLC in Wentworth, South Dakota.

Mallorie Schultz is from Madison, South Dakota, and will be pursuing a degree in nursing at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mallorie is the daughter of Terry Schultz. Her father is affiliated with ACE ethanol producer member Dakota Ethanol, LLC in Wentworth, South Dakota.

ACE, Ethanol, Ethanol News

2022 National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

The 2022 National Carbon Capture Conference and Expo will be held November 8-9 at the Iowa Event Center in Des Moines.

Produced by Carbon Capture Magazine and BBI International, the National Carbon Capture Conference & Expo is a two-day event designed specifically for companies and organizations advancing technologies and policy that support the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from all sources, including fossil fuel-based power plants, ethanol production plants and industrial processes, as well as directly from the atmosphere. The program will focus on research, data, trends and information on all aspects of CCUS with the goal to help companies build knowledge, connect with others, and better understand the market and carbon utilization.

The conference is being supported by biofuels organizations including the Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, and Clean Fuels Alliance America.

ACE, biofuels, Carbon, carbon capture, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Renewable Fuels Association, RFA