A year ago, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at the direction of President Donald Trump, issued a final rule allowing retailers to sell 15% ethanol (E15) gas year-round in all parts of the country. That action created an increase in sales of E15 to more than 450 million gallons in 2019. Meanwhile, U.S. ethanol production continues a slow recovery, inching …
Ethanol Report 5-29-20
As America gets moving again, ethanol is ready to fuel summer adventures. Ethanol production is slowly climbing back up after hitting historic lows due to coronavirus restrictions keeping people from traveling. Now that people are getting back on the road and in the water, Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Industry Affairs Robert White talks about some of their summertime …
Ethanol Report 5-15-20
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on the U.S. ethanol industry, slashing production by half and leading to the idling of scores of plants across rural America. But there are positive signs that demand is starting to increase again. Meanwhile, Congress is considering a new aid package with help for biofuels, the Renewable Fuel Standard is facing …
RFA Update on COVID-19 Impacts on Ethanol Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to have a devastating impact on the U.S. ethanol industry, slashing production by half and leading to the idling of scores of plants across rural America. Meanwhile, Congress is considering its newest aid package, the Renewable Fuel Standard is facing new threats, and the ethanol industry is arising as an important supplier of alcohol for …
Ethanol Report 4-30-20
Ethanol producers are literally in the battle of their lives for the survival of the industry, as losses continue to mount from restrictions on travel put in place due to COVID-19. The latest production data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending April 24, ethanol production dropped another 4.6%, or 26,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 537,000 …
RFA Update on COVID-19 Impacts and Other Ethanol Issues
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 …
Ethanol Report 4-16-20
The social-distancing and stay-at-home restrictions associated with COVID-19 continue to take a devastating toll on U.S. ethanol producers with about half of the industry’s capacity now idled. But the good news is how those ethanol producers, their farmer-owners and employees, have turned around and put those idled plants to good use by helping those on the front lines fighting the …
Plummeting Ethanol Production and Potential Impacts on Planting Decisions
USDA’s 2020 Prospective Plantings report estimates planted acres for corn this year at 97.0 million acres, up 8 percent or 7.29 million acres from last year. But when farmers were surveyed a month ago, coronavirus had yet to have the impact it is now having on ethanol demand and prices thanks to a drastic cut in demand for gasoline with …
Administration Will Not Appeal Tenth Circuit SRE Ruling
Biofuels stakeholders are celebrating some good news today with word that the Trump administration had made the decision not to request a rehearing of the recent unanimous ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that the EPA had “vastly exceeded its authority in granting exemptions from 2016 and 2017 RFS requirements to three refineries.” The challenge …
Ethanol Report 3-23-20
Coronavirus is making its presence felt in the ethanol industry. Many ethanol plants are on the verge of closing as margins have become non-existent with lower gas prices and declining demand for transportation fuel nationwide. In this episode of The Ethanol Report, we hear from Renewable Fuels Association Chief Economist Scott Richman about the price and demand picture, three ethanol …
Coronavirus is Latest Threat to Ethanol Industry
The impact that coronavirus is having on the energy markets is just the latest threat to the solvency of the U.S. ethanol industry, coming on top of weather, trade disputes and small refinery waivers that hurt producers last year. In a media conference call Thursday, Renewable Fuels Association leaders discussed the impact of these hits on ethanol producers and the …
Ethanol Report 3-16-20
This episode of The Ethanol Report features an update on the 10th Circuit Court case and the Trump Administration considering an appeal, as well as how the Coronavirus is putting that on the back burner, and industrial ethanol is in demand to make hand sanitizer. The podcast features comments from from Badger State Ethanol CEO Erik Huschitt, National Corn Growers …
Ethanol Report 2-14-20
This episode of The Ethanol Report features some of the highlights of the 25th National Ethanol Conference this week in Houston, Texas. You will hear from Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper on the industry victories of the past two months, including the 10th Circuit Court decision, which EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler admits has the potential to …
25th National Ethanol Conference
With a theme of “Focus Forward,” the 25th annual National Ethanol Conference was an historic event February 10-12 in Houston, Texas, the “energy capital of the world.” This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast. Photos 2020 National Ethanol Conference photo album Audio Conference preview (:55) …
Ethanol Report 1-31-20
In this episode of The Ethanol Report, we hear about a new court ruling that could be a game changer for Small Refinery Exemptions, get a preview of the 25th annual National Ethanol Conference, learn about LCFS for the Midwest, and kick off the 4th year of ethanol sponsorship of the Crappie Masters Tournament Trail. The report includes interviews with …