Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) is new to Congress this year, winning the seat from Rep. Steve King in Iowa’s 4th congressional district. That district includes includes Sioux City, Ames, Mason City, Fort Dodge, Boone and Carroll so agriculture and biofuels are a big deal for Feenstra. In this interview with Tony St. James of Texas, Rep. Feenstra talks about biofuels …
Grassley Challenges Biden Administration on Biofuels
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) gave a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday challenging the Biden Administration’s support of biofuels in general and ethanol in particular. “Reuters reported the Biden Administration is considering ways to allow U.S. oil refiners to not meet their biofuels blending requirements,” said Grassley. “The same administration has proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies for …
SCOTUS Hears Arguments in Biofuels Coalition Case
The biofuels industry had its day in the Supreme Court April 27 to present oral arguments in the case of HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC, et al. v. Renewable Fuels Association, et al over small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The case was decided unanimously last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which …
NBB Discusses 2021 Policy Priorities for Biodiesel Industry
National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Donnell Rehagen and Vice President of Federal Affairs Kurt Kovarik hosted a videoconference briefing with reporters to discuss the industry’s policy priorities for the coming year. Moderating is Paul Winters, Director of Public Affairs and Federal Communications, NBB. The U.S. market for biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and bioheat® grew to 3 billion gallons …
Broad Coalition Supports Minnesota Clean Fuels Standard
A broad coalition representing automakers, biofuel producers, farmers, electric vehicles, and conservation advocates is endorsing new legislation that would implement a clean fuels standard statewide in Minnesota, which would be the first for a Midwestern state. The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) are both members of the coalition, which is facilitated by the Great …
Senators Question EPA Nominee on RFS and WOTUS
The Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule and the Renewable Fuel Standard were two topics Environmental Protection Agency nominee Michael Regan addressed during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) called WOTUS the “one that everyone ought to be concerned about because that’s the number one issue.” Regan, who …
Tom Vilsack Senate Ag Confirmation Hearing
Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee Tuesday questioned former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about his goals if confirmed to return to his old job as the new Secretary of Agriculture. (4:36) Vilsack discussed his plans for the biofuels industry in response to a question from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). (1:37) Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) asked Vilsack how he will support …
2021 Virtual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo
The 2021 National Biodiesel Conference and Expo is being held in a virtual format January 18-21 with a full agenda on-line to allow participation from anywhere. The theme of this year’s conference is “Rise” and the conference grand opening on Tuesday will focus on the Dawn of a New Era for Low-Carbon Fuels, with National Biodiesel Board (NBB) CEO Donnell …
Study Finds Gas Car Ban Would Hurt Agriculture
The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) has released a study on the impacts of increased electric vehicle penetration on U.S. biofuels, agriculture and the economy. Proposals to ban internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 and 2050 served as the economic models for the study, along with a base case provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook. The study …
USDA Announces New Biofuels Infrastructure Grants
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue was in Albert Lea, Minnesota on Thursday to announce $22 million out of the up to $100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to recipients in 14 states. The initial $22 million in HBIIP investments are projected to increase ethanol demand by nearly …
EPA Reviewing RFS Gap Year Waiver Requests
During a visit to Wisconsin this week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler was once again questioned about the status of so-called “gap year” waiver requests from refineries asking for relief from their Renewable Fuel Standard obligations from previous years. Because the petitions go back as much as eight years, Wheeler said he is not sure how long it will …
President Trump at Iowa Ethanol Plant – One Year Later
One year ago on June 11, 2019, President Donald Trump made a victorious visit to Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) ethanol plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to celebrate regulatory changes that would finally allow year-round retail sales of 15% ethanol (E15). At the event, the President also heard from farmers and ethanol industry leaders about the devastating impact of RFS …
EPA Administrator on RFS Waivers
During a hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler was questioned by senators on both sides of the Renewable Fuel Standard regarding requests for waivers from both the petroleum industry and some oil state governors. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), who spearheaded a letter to Wheeler from oil state senators, expressed his dissatisfaction with the …
RFA Update on COVID-19 Impacts and Other Ethanol Issues
Through the middle of April, the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the effects of the Saudi-Russia oil price war, has had a devastating impact on the U.S. ethanol industry, slashing production by half and leading to the idling of dozens of plants across rural America. A new analysis estimates that U.S. ethanol sales in 2020 could fall by more than $10 …
Administration Will Not Appeal Tenth Circuit SRE Ruling
Biofuels stakeholders are celebrating some good news today with word that the Trump administration had made the decision not to request a rehearing of the recent unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that the EPA had “vastly exceeded its authority in granting exemptions from 2016 and 2017 RFS requirements to three refineries.” The challenge …