The ethanol industry is welcoming two major wins in the past week – EPA’s release of proposed renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027 and the Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is the proper venue for legal challenges to small refinery exemption (SRE) decisions. In this edition of “The Ethanol Report” …
Ethanol Report on Current Issues
There is quite a bit happening right now that impacts the ethanol world. That includes tariffs and trade, the One Big Beautiful Bill, E15 legislation in California, small refinery exemptions, and EPA’s pending proposal to set Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and beyond. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper …
Ethanol Report on Angler Education
This weekend, crappie anglers from around the country will be on the Lake of the Ozarks for a chance to win $50,000 in the Big Crappie Challenge. The Renewable Fuels Association is in on the competition with three RFA-sponsored teams making sure the ethanol message is relayed to the hundreds of anglers on the water this weekend. Robert White, RFA …
Ethanol Report on Aromatics Cancer Research
New research out of The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota has discovered links between breast cancer risk and exposure to carcinogens and aromatics from gasoline. The Biofuels Research Project at The Hormel Institute has been studying the carcinogenic effects of compounds originating from burning fossil fuels thanks to the support of organizations like the Renewable Fuels Association. RFA board member …
Ethanol Report on E15 Optimism
U.S. sales of E15 reached a record 1.24 billion gallons in 2024, an increase of 11% over 2023, according to a Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) analysis of data released by state agencies in Minnesota and Iowa. While it appears the Trump administration will have to continue the practice of issuing waivers this summer to keep E15 at the pump, there …
Ethanol Report on Industry Roots
The theme of the recent 30th National Ethanol Conference was Back to Our Roots and it was a celebration how the industry started and how it’s going. One panel featured a walk down memory lane with some industry pioneers who talked about the early days and how the roots of the ethanol industry were firmly planted by farmers. Included in …
Ethanol Report from 30th NEC
The 30th National Ethanol Conference celebrated the industry’s growth over the past three decades and what the opportunities are for the future. In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, we hear some highlights from the conference, including comments from Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper, Congressman Randy Feenstra (R-IA), RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman, RFA Industry Award …
2025 Marks 30th National Ethanol Conference
The ethanol industry got “Back to Our Roots” with the Renewable Fuels Association’s 30th annual National Ethanol Conference, in Nashville February 17–19, 2025. Since 1996, NEC has been the nation’s most widely attended executive-level conference for the ethanol industry, where sessions featuring globally renowned speakers are interspersed with numerous networking opportunities to help the industry connect and collaborate. Last year …
Ethanol Report on Working with New Administration
President Donald Trump has been very busy since his inauguration issuing executive orders, making changes, and freezing funding, but how will his actions impact the ethanol industry? In this edition of the Ethanol Report podcast, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper comments on some of the actions President Trump has taken and where ethanol’s priorities stand in both …
Biofuels Questioning at Zeldin Hearing
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for EPA Administrator faced questions from members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Thursday on a number of topics, including the Renewable Fuel Standard and year-round E15. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) received a commitment from Zeldin to provide more certainty to the biofuels industry by following the law as it relates to the timeline …
Year End Ethanol Report
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 …