RFA Testifies at Low Carbon, Clean Fuels Hearing

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee held a hearing Wednesday on “The Future of Low Carbon Transportation Fuels and Considerations for a National Clean Fuels Program.” Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper testified at the hearing, stressing that implementing a national clean fuel program that incorporates a market-based, technology-neutral approach will be critical to decarbonizing the …

USDA Invests $464 Million in Renewable Energy Infrastructure

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday announced that USDA is investing $464 million to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and to help rural communities, agricultural producers and businesses lower energy costs in 48 states and Puerto Rico. USDA is financing $129 million of these investments through the Rural Energy for America Program and $335 million through the Electric Loan Program. …

Debate Mentions Farmers, Discusses Energy

President Donald Trump highlighted his support for U.S. farmers and ranchers during the presidential debate with Democrat challenger Joe Biden Thursday night. President Trump said he gave “28 billion dollars to our farmers,” when asked what he would do to make China pay for its lack of transparency about the coronavirus. “They devalued their currency and also paid up. And …

RFA Update on COVID-19 Impacts and Other Ethanol Issues

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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 …

GROWMARK/FS System Responding to Propane Issues

The past six weeks have brought rolling outages of propane supply at pipeline terminals across the Midwest. Carol Kitchen, Vice President of Energy and Logistics at GROWMARK, says there are a number of factors are contributing to propane shortages this year during a critical time for farmers. In this interview, she discusses what GROWMARK is doing to address the issues …

President Trump Visits SIRE Ethanol Plant

President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump will visit Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy (SIRE) on Tuesday, June 11. We will be posting photos, audio and more as content opportunities become available. This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. Photos President Trump at Iowa Ethanol Plant Photo Album Audio/Interviews Pre-event …

ABLC2019 Renewable Fuels Policy Panel and Sen. Grassley Award

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was honored at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) in Washington DC April 4 with the Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy. The ABLC is actually six conferences in one place, including the 10th Annual Advanced Biofuels Summit. The Digest editor Jim Lane moderated the panel discussion which featured Mike McAdams, Advanced Biofuels Association; Geoff …

Driving Ethanol Series on 10 Years of Growth Energy

Growth Energy was created in November 2008 and so is celebrating ten years of advocating for ethanol this month. This edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast is the first in a series of three focusing on a decade of accomplishments for the organization. This podcast includes historical comments from the early years with industry leaders, including Greg Krissek, who was …

Ethanol Report on EPA Changes

Ethanol industry stakeholders were relieved to see Scott Pruitt depart from the Environmental Protection Agency on July 5 and deputy administrator Andrew Wheeler appointed as acting chief. With a Supreme Court justice nominee on the table, it is unlikely President Trump will be moving too quickly to nominate a new EPA administrator, so Wheeler will probably have the job for …

Growth Energy Comments on Recent EPA Actions

With the scandal over the Environmental Protection Agency granting numerous small refinery hardship waivers growing, Growth Energy has sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt demanding a moratorium on waivers being issued. In this edition of the Growth Energy Driving Ethanol podcast, CEO Emily Skor comments on this, as well as objections to the Philadelphia Energy …

Ethanol Report from #RFANEC18

The Renewable Fuels Association 23rd National Ethanol Conference with the theme “Ethanol Strong” was held February 12-14 in San Antonio, Texas. The event featured the annual “State of the Industry” address by RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen, as well as panels and speakers on a number of important topics, from electric vehicles to RINs to the expanding export market. …

FS FAST STOP Retailers Registered as TOP TIER™ Diesel Fuel Sites

FS FAST STOP locations are among the first to become registered TOP TIER™ Diesel Fuel sites under a program developed by leading diesel equipment manufacturers who recognized the benefits of additized diesel fuel in their engines. The TOP TIER program, originally launched in 2004, focused on gasoline standards before introducing a diesel fuel standard this September. FAST STOP locations featuring …

PERC Revamps Farm Incentive Program

The Propane Farm Incentive program has been newly revised, taking it from a two-step process to one-step where farmers receive their application packet from the dealer when they purchase a piece of qualifying equipment, according to Cinch Munson, director of agriculture business development at the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC). The purpose of the program is to offset the …

American Ethanol E15 250 by Enogen Syngenta

The NASCAR Xfinity American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen took place June 24 at the Iowa Speedway, where race fans and farmers came to watch their favorite drivers run on clean burning ethanol. Syngenta and Growth Energy use this race to demonstrate the value of E15, a low-cost, high-octane fuel powering NASCAR for 10 million miles of competitive racing. …

Trump Assures Iowa Gov About EPA Pick

Some ethanol interests are understandably a little concerned about President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of Oklahoma AG Scott Pruitt as head of the EPA, considering his previous opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, who has accepted the position as Trump’s ambassador to China, got his assurances about Pruitt from the president-elect himself. During his weekly press conference …