2024 was a very good year for the ethanol industry, but the battle for year-round, nationwide E15 will once again continue on into the new year. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper comments on some of the top ethanol stories of the year, including the continuing roller coaster ride for …
Happy Thanksgiving Ethanol Report
As a record number of travelers are hitting the road this week for Thanksgiving, the ethanol industry is grateful to be able to keep travel more affordable this holiday season and all year long. While AAA projects a record 71.7 million people will travel by car over Thanksgiving, an analysis by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) indicates that the use …
Ethanol Report Election Analysis
The Renewable Fuels Association was pleased to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory in the 2024 presidential election, and especially happy to see many ethanol champions retain their seats in Congress. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper says he is looking forward to working with the Trump 2.0 administration and the new …
California Governor Puts E15 in the Fast Lane
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday gave a surprise boost to the ethanol industry by issuing a directive to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to accelerate studying how California could increase ethanol blending in gasoline to allow the sales of E15. The Renewable Fuels Association immediately praised Gov. Newsom for taking this action since California is the only state …
Ethanol Report on Supply and Demand
Despite California’s best efforts to work against low carbon ethanol by not allowing sales of E15 and proposing unworkable new sustainability requirements for the future, supply and demand for U.S. ethanol continues strong. In this edition of The Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association Chief Economist Scott Richman discusses concerning proposed regulations to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, strong supply …
Ethanol Report with New RFA Chair
The Renewable Fuels Association recently held its annual membership meeting in Milwaukee and elected new officers, including Jeff Oestmann with Aztalan Bio. Oestmann has been actively involved in the ethanol industry for nearly 30 years and is excited to take on this new leadership role for RFA. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Oestmann discusses the current state …
Ethanol Report on Election Issues
No matter what happens in November, there will be a new president in January and a new administration that could be radically different than the current one, and that could mean a big difference in the outcome of policy issues for the ethanol industry. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses …
Ethanol Report From Farm Progress Show
It was a beautiful week in Boone, Iowa for the 2024 Farm Progress Show, the nation’s largest outdoor ag show and one that the Renewable Fuels Association always attends because it brings out farmers from all over the ethanol-producing part of the country to see what’s new in the industry. RFA displayed its custom Flex Fuel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle …
Court Decision Impacts RFS Small Refinery Exemptions
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday issued an order vacating most of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2022 denials of petitions for small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard obligations, and remanding those petitions to EPA for further proceedings. The court’s opinion remains under seal and is unavailable for public review. The following is a …
Ethanol Report on DC Board Meeting
Renewable Fuels Association board members had the opportunity this past week to meet with administration officials and lawmakers in both Houses and from both sides of the aisle to talk about priorities for the ethanol industry. The event included a timely talk with USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small about tracking climate-smart farming practices and hearing from EPA Administrator Michael …
RFA CEO Comments on Chevron Reversal
One of the federal agencies likely to be most impacted by the recent Supreme Court decision that reversed the Chevron deference is the Environmental Protection Agency, which was the one responsible for the original case decision in 1984. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper says it’s still too early to tell exactly what the reversal could mean for …
Ethanol Report on California and E15
It has been nearly 15 years since the Environmental Protection Agency approved the sale of 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15) for 2001 model year cars and older, and nearly every state in the nation now sells it, often at a discount to regular gasoline. The only state that bans the sale of E15 is California, despite the fact that the …
Ethanol Report on EV Push Back
The Renewable Fuels Association and National Farmers Union have joined in a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s light- and medium-duty vehicle emissions standards, which they say essentially mandate battery electric vehicles while ignoring other technologies such as low-carbon ethanol and flex fuel vehicles. In this edition of the Ethanol Report, RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses the lawsuit …
Ethanol Report on Days of Summer
When it’s summertime, the driving is easier with ethanol. As millions of Americans are looking ahead to summer vacations and family road trips, high fuel prices may be a concern, but ethanol is helping to keep prices lower than they might be otherwise, and the Renewable Fuels Association notes that higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85 offer even lower …
Ethanol Report on 40B SAF Tax Credit and Beyond
The 40B tax credit guidance and modified GREET model released April 30 by U.S. Treasury lays the groundwork for U.S. ethanol producers and farmers to participate in the emerging market for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). But since 40B expires at the end of this year, all the attention will now turn to implementing the 45Z credit to start next year, …