The U.S. House of Representatives Thursday passed the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, a diverse package of initiatives from meat packing plants to year round E15, despite opposition by the majority of Republicans. The final vote was 221-204, with seven Republicans siding with the majority and five Democrats voting against the bill. The act includes a package of ag-related …
House Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday on the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act led by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), a package of legislation designed to address supply chain issues for the American energy and agriculture sectors, combat rising fertilizer prices and increase the availability of higher ethanol blends and other biofuels. The legislation includes Spanberger’s Meat and Poultry …
ACE Introducing Carbon Intensity Calculator at FEW
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is introducing a new carbon intensity (CI) calculator to the industry this week during the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo in Minneapolis. The CI calculator was developed as a tool to help producers understand the carbon intensity (CI) of their farms and ethanol operations. There is also a simplified version of the tool …
RFA CEO Comments on EPA Final RFS Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a package of actions Friday setting biofuel volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for years 2020, 2021, and 2022, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the final regulatory actions taken by EPA “bring certainty back to the Renewable Fuel Standard and pave the …
Turn up the Intensity for The ACE
Turn down the intensity for carbon, turn it up for “The ACE.” Intensity is the theme for the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 35th annual conference coming up August 10-12 in Omaha. Katie Muckenhirn, ACE Vice President of Public Affairs, says they are branding the 35-year-old conference as The ACE. “It also stands for the American Conference on Ethanol,” she …
Ethanol Report on Travel and Transportation
The summer driving season gets underway this weekend and as drivers are planning to hit the road for the holiday despite the highest gas prices in history ethanol is making it a little less painful at the pump. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses Memorial Day gas prices …
Iowa Governor Signs Biofuels Access Bill
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the Biofuels Access Bill into law on Tuesday morning surrounded by farmers and biofuels supporters on a family farm outside of Prairie City. The bill makes Iowa the first state in the nation to adopt an E15 standard and expands access to higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel across the state, lowering fuel prices for …
Ethanol Report on E15 Action & Energy Analysis
Good news for the ethanol industry continues this week as governors from eight Midwest states take action to allow the year-round sale of lower-carbon, lower-cost E15 in their states. And a new analysis from the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) shows that corn ethanol’s energy balance keep getting better. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, we talk with RFA …
Rail Disruptions Impacting Ag and Biofuels
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) heard about how agricultural and biofuels producers are being impacted by rail service challenges during a two-day hearing this week. USDA Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh told the board how rail disruptions are impacting farmers, ranchers and consumers. (7:37) National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) President and CEO Mike Seyfert testified before the board, listing …
Tennessee Corn Promotion Board Addresses E15 Use for Fuel
Last week, President Biden announced that E15 will be sold this summer in an effort to reduce gasoline prices. E15 is a plant-based fuel made from corn. Often marketed as Unleaded 88, E15 is a renewable resource that’s made with regular gasoline and a smaller amount of ethanol. E15 will now be made available this summer at select gas stations …
Ethanol Report on E15 Waiver
President Joe Biden visited the POET Bioprocessing facility in Menlo, Iowa this past week to formally announce an emergency waiver to allow 15% ethanol blended gasoline (E15) to be sold this summer. The waiver is one of several actions the administration is taking to ease the price of gasoline for consumers. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, we …
DDGS Mistaken for Bird Poop on Biden’s Lapel
It turns out it was fake news that bird droppings hit President Joe Biden on the lapel during his appearance at an Iowa ethanol plant Tuesday. Instead of being a by-product of a bird, it was a co-product of an ethanol plant, the high protein animal feed known as distillers dried grain with solubles or DDGS. Renewable Fuels Association President …
President Biden Announces Emergency Waiver for E15
President Joe Biden visited the POET Bioprocessing facility in Menlo, Iowa Tuesday to formally announce an emergency waiver to allow 15% ethanol blended gasoline (E15) to be sold this summer. President Biden was introduced by Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA) and POET grain merchandiser Rachel Conner. (31:03) Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor held a call with reporters after the event to …
Senators Press EPA Administrator on E15
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan appeared before the Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday to talk about the agency’s budget request, but some senators wanted to know what he was going to do and when he was going to do it to make E15 (15% ethanol fuel) available in the summer months this year. Both Sens. Joni Ernst …
USDA Promises Ethanol Producers COVID Payments Coming Soon
USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small told a House Agriculture Committee hearing this week that $700 million in CARES Act payments for ethanol producers will be coming soon. “We’ve been working to get the money out the door, we took some time to get it right,” Small said. “We are expecting payments to go out in late spring …