This program comes to you from Sturgis, SD and the annual Motorcycle Rally but specifically from the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White talks about the Legends Ride which is sponsored by RFA and featured the auctioning of a custom …
31st ACE Ethanol Conference
“Grit Wins” is the theme for the 31st annual American Coalition for Ethanol conference August 15-17 at the Renaissance Depot Hotel in Minneapolis. The program features sessions and panels on the most timely topics for the ethanol industry, including an overview of future demand for liquid fuels and electricity in the U.S. with emphasis on ethanol’s high octane qualities. This …
Iowa Gov Grills Burgers with Acting EPA Admin
Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler got a taste of the famous Iowa State Fair Monday as the guest of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and while he had some fun, Wheeler was there to meet with farmers about critical issues. “I enjoyed the round table we just had with different ag groups in the state…hearing what their concerns and problems are,” …
Ethanol Promotion at #SturgisBuffaloChip
The presence of ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Association is bigger than ever this year during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and especially at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip. For the tenth consecutive year, the Renewable Fuels Association is partnering with the Buffalo Chip Campground to host the 78th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, scheduled for Aug. 3-12 in Sturgis, S.D. The …
Acting EPA Chief Questioned on RFS Concerns
During a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing Wednesday, Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler was pressed for answers about the demand destruction created by small refinery exemptions, how EPA intends to reallocate the waived gallons, and when the agency will allow E15 use year-round. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) …
Trump in Iowa Reaffirms Support for Ethanol
As President Trump was starting a roundtable on workforce development in Iowa Thursday, his very first words were about ethanol. “I’m very close, I have to tell you, to pulling off something that you’ve been looking forward to for many years and that’s the 12 month E15 waiver,”said Trump. “It’s a very complex process.”
#SubEnvironment Holds Hearing on RINs
The House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Environment took a deep dive into the complex world of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) during a hearing on Wednesday. The committee, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), heard from a panel of independent witnesses to provide background on RINs and how the market for them works. The panel included: Brent Yacobucci – Energy …
EPA Approves Sorghum Oil as Biofuels Pathway
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler yesterday announced the approval of sorghum oil as an eligible feedstock under the Renewable Fuel Standard during a signing event at EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C., with sorghum farmers and other stakeholders. In addition to the nine ethanol producers already extracting oil from sorghum, several other facilities will now be able to purchase and …
Ethanol Report on RFA Leadership Succession
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has announced a change in leadership for the ethanol industry’s leading trade association. Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper will assume the position of president and CEO in October 2018, while current President and CEO Bob Dinneen will transition into the role of RFA’s Senior Strategic Advisor. In this edition of The Ethanol Report, Dinneen talks …
Biofuels Advocates Testify at EPA Hearing
Biofuels advocates brought their concerns about damage to the industry caused by former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to a hearing on the proposed 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Wednesday in Michigan. In its proposed rule, the agency declined to accept comments on the controversial waiver program or Reid Vapor Pressure restrictions on E15, but …
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 …
Driving Ethanol Podcast on EPA Actions
EPA’s proposed rule for 2019 biofuel obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) maintains conventional renewable fuel volumes at 15-billion gallons and increases the advanced biofuel standard by almost 600 million gallons over 2018, which looks good on the surface, but fails to assure that those gallons will actually be blended. In this edition of the Driving Ethanol podcast, Growth …
Ethanol Report on EPA RFS Proposal
At one time, the ethanol industry would have been thrilled with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal for 2019 RFS blending requirements, which maintains the 15 billion gallon statutory level for conventional biofuels and increases the levels for advanced biofuels. But that was before EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt started handing out small refinery exemptions like Halloween candy resulting in over …
EPA Releases 2019 Biofuel Proposal
The Environmental Protection Agency released its proposal for 2019 biofuel obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Tuesday, maintaining the statutory level for corn ethanol while increasing advanced biofuels, but failing to address the small refinery exemptions that have decimated demand and effectively lowered the required amount of biofuels to be blended. Under the proposed rule, conventional renewable fuel volumes …
House Subcommittee Hearing on Advanced Biofuels
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment held its fourth hearing this year aimed at addressing issues related to fuels and vehicles, this time focusing on advanced biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Listen to opening comments from subcommittee chairman Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) and statements from these four witnesses.