(Reuters/NewsMax Finance) The U.S. biofuel industry has asked the Trump administration for funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Commodity Credit Corporation to help it survive a demand slump triggered by the coronavirus outbreak, according to a letter seen by
renewable volume obligation (RVO)
Back TO HOMEEthanol Blog: Inhofe Amendment Would Cap Biofuels Credits Price at 10 Cents
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, has offered an amendment to an energy bill to cap the price of Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs, at 10 cents, as time is running out on the EPA to make
March 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021 and Other Changes
(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) Under section 211 of the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set renewable fuel percentage standards every year. This action establishes the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel,
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Grassley: New WOTUS Coming This Week, Trump Got No Applause on Ethanol
(Hagstrom Report/Fence Post) ... In a call to rural reporters, Grassley (Senator Charles Grassley R-IA) noted that he continues to warn the Trump administration that farmers are watching the management of the Renewable Fuel Standard and that he had heard
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA: 21 SRE Petitions Now Pending for Compliance Year 2019
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Jan. 16, reporting that five new SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2019, up from 16 petitions
January 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Congressional Watchdog to Review Trump Admin's Use of Biofuel Waivers
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Financial Post) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will review the Trump administration’s use of waivers exempting oil refineries from the nation’s biofuel blending requirements, according to a letter dated Friday, after lawmakers called for an investigation. The so-called
January 11, 2020 Read Full Article
An Opportunity to Focus Forward
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... I do remain bullish, because I believe in ethanol. It’s the right fuel at the right time—and for the time to come. It’s the low-carbon, low-cost fuel America and the world
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Who Is Driving Our Ethanol Policy? And Why Does It Matter?
by Jeffrey T. Manuel and Thomas D. Rogers (The Hill/Changing America) To prepare America for a green future, you have to understand the power politics of the present. -- ... But the real drivers of biofuel policy in both
December 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels – Where Are the Gallons?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From what is an advanced biofuel to why, we take a look at the gallons, the ethanol blend wall, the residue capacity, and over 30 advanced biofuels projects from around the world to watch. In today’s Digest,
December 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Economics, Expectations and Exports
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine talked to three experts about the past year, and what they see moving into 2020. -- 2019 brought a Reid vapor pressure waiver for E15, but it also brought excessive small
December 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Yay or Nay for EPA? RFS Volumes out for 2020, Biodiesel for 2021 – What’s the Reaction from Industry?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Should Santa bring coal for EPA’s stocking this year? Do the biofuels and agriculture industries think the EPA just put coal in their stocking? Is it thumbs up or thumbs down from biofuel
December 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report on 2019: RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper Bids Farewell to a Bad Year
(AgNewsWire) To say 2019 has been a rough year for the ethanol industry would be an understatement. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper says it was one of the worst years - if not the worst - the industry
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Fulfills Another Trump Administration Promise: Finalizes RFS Volumes for 2020 and Biomass Based Diesel Volumes for 2021
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that establishes the required renewable volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2020, and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021. Through this action, the Trump Administration has fulfilled
December 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Stick with 2020 Biofuel Plan over Farmer Objections: Sources
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Investing.com) The White House will stick with its current proposal on 2020 biofuel blending requirements, despite anger in Farm Country that the plan does too little for corn growers, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The issue
December 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Klobuchar Leads Letter Expressing Concern that the Newly Proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Blending Targets Will Be Undermined by Continued Abuse of ‘Hardship’ Waivers
(Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)) Klobuchar has spent months calling for an end to the harm caused by abuse of hardship waivers -- U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a public comment letter last week to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
More than 11,700 Comments Filed on EPA’s SRE Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The public comment period of U.S. EPA’s supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking that addresses the agency’s plan to reallocate future Renewable Fuel Standard volumes lost to small refinery exemptions (SREs) closed Nov. 29. More than
December 03, 2019 Read Full Article
ACE Urges EPA to Get RFS Back on Track
(American Coalition for Ethanol) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments today to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its proposed supplemental rulemaking to the 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). ACE CEO Brian Jennings detailed three areas
November 29, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Asks Iowa Senator for Input on Biofuels Policy: Sources
by Stephanie Kelly, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The White House has asked Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s office for input on the administration’s latest proposal to boost the ethanol market in 2020, according to two sources familiar with the matter on Friday, after
November 25, 2019 Read Full Article
RNG Advocates Spurned as DC Circuit Upholds EPA Biofuel Refinery Waivers
by Richard Nemec (Natural Gas Intel) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Tuesday upheld the federal government's waivers for small refineries, which allows them to not include minimum renewables volumes in their transportation fuels to
November 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Senators Ask Trump to Stick to Biofuels Agreement
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A group of United States senators asked President Donald Trump in a letter on Friday to make sure an EPA proposal to account for small-refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard will account for actual
November 18, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Small Refinery Exemptions in the Renewable Fuel Standard Explained
(U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration) ... The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates the amount of renewable fuels refineres must blend into the U.S. transportation fuel supply. As part of the RFS program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can grant
November 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Whose Side Is Trump on? The Fight Continues…Corn Country and Oil Country Still Battling It out in Washington, DC
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... It’s a back and forth game of Trump’s promises to help farmers and agriculture and support ethanol and biofuels, EPA giving small refinery waivers to big oil companies, .... ... (T)he latest responses
November 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Ernst Says President Trump Is Upset by EPA’s Biofuels Rules
by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Iowa Senator Joni Ernst today said she’s talked directly with President Trump about the furor over proposed EPA rules which Ernst says do not fulfill the deal Trump struck in September on the renewable fuels
November 08, 2019 Read Full Article
LETTER: Iowa Ag Secretary: EPA Is 'Undermining' RFS
by Mike Naig (Sioux City Journal/Iowa Department of Agriculture) There’s a growing sense of frustration across America’s heartland, and it’s not hard to understand why. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is undermining the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), which is hurting
November 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Senate Interior Appropriations Bill Requires EPA to Act on eRINs
(RFS Power Coalition/Biomass Magazine) The RFS Power Coalition today applauded the passage of H.R. 3055 (116), the Senate’s Interior Appropriations bill. The Interior-EPA portion of the spending package includes a provision led by Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, requiring the EPA to
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
North American Outlook on Biofuels Challenges and Opportunities
by Steve Hartig (Biofuels Digest) The North American biofuels market can be split into three main segments all of which have major dynamics. What I would like to do is give a high-level overview of what I see as some of both
November 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Buttigieg Says There’s Real Cost to Trump’s Broken RFS Promises
by Bob Fisher (KGLO/Radio Iowa) Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says President Trump isn’t keeping his promises to Iowa’s agricultural community when it comes to the Renewable Fuels Standard. “Actions speak louder than words and the president says he cares about farmers,
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Posts Call-in Information for Oct. 30 Hearing on SRE Proposal (and Proposal) COMMENT DEADLINE: November 29, 2019
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has posted call-in information for its Oct. 30 hearing on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking released Oct. 15 that seeks comments on how the agency should project the volume of small
October 29, 2019 Read Full Article
New Court Documents Detail Rampant EPA Abuse of Small Refinery Exemption Program
(Renewable Fuels Association) Newly available court documents assert that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency inappropriately granted Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance exemptions to certain small refineries that did not even qualify for the waivers, and that there was division within the
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Sides with EPA over USDA Objections on Biofuel
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Detroit News) Administration officials warned that an EPA plan for boosting biofuel-blending requirements violated the spirit of a deal brokered by President Donald Trump. The White House blessed it anyway. The back and forth is revealed in newly released
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
No Giant Package Necessary
By Ron Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Contrary to oil industry and media talking point headlines portraying Trump’s attempts to fix what his EPA’s policies have destroyed as a “payoff” or “hush money,” farmers and the ethanol
October 23, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA: 5 SRE Applications Filed for Compliance Year 2019
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA published updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Oct. 17 that shows the agency has received five SRE applications for compliance year 2019. All five applications are listed as pending. No other changes
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
South Dakota Farmers Union Says RFS "Fixes" Lack Vision and Progress
(South Dakota Farmers Union) Following yet another disappointing announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke said it’s time to recognize the RFS Is broken. "The
October 17, 2019 Read Full Article
Proposed Volumes for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021: Supplemental Notice COMMENT DEADLINE: November 29, 2019
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) On October 15, 2019, EPA issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking seeking additional comment on the recently proposed rule to establish the cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel volumes for 2020 and the biomass-based diesel
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
“EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”: Shocker Details Emerge on US Oil Industry Waivers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) “EPA Reneges on Trump’s Biofuels Deal”, said the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association in reacting to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s new plans for fulfilling federal renewable fuel requirements. EPA released a proposed supplemental rule for the Renewable Fuel
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
President Trump's 'Giant' Biofuels Package Is Decidedly Small
by Tristan R. Brown (Seeking Alpha) Summary -- The "giant package" that President Donald Trump had promised to the U.S. biofuels sector back in August was finally unveiled late last week. While the plan's details continue to be scarce, those
October 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Ya Happy Now? Trump Administration Reveals Grand Bargain on Biofuels Volumes, E15, Small Refinery Waivers
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today's Digest, the 4-Point Agreement, the backstory, the Glad Tidings, the Unfinished Business, and reaction from the stakeholders as we parse out the impact on future volumes, waivers, backfills, RINs, E15, blender pumps and
October 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Court: EPA Must Consider Environmental Impact When Setting Ethanol Mandate
by Chuck Abbott (Successful Farming) The U.S. appeals court in Washington unanimously ordered the EPA to reconsider its Renewable Fuel Standard for 2018 because it failed to account for the potential impact of full-throttle corn production on endangered species and
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
President Trump Delivers on a Key Promise to American Farmers as EPA, USDA Announce Agreement on Promoting Biofuels
(Environmental Protection Agency) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue issued the following statements after President Donald J. Trump successfully negotiated an agreement on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): “President Trump’s leadership
October 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Impact Lauded in Wake of Saudi Attack
by Candace Krebs (Ag Journal) ... “What people don’t realize is that shale provides a particular very light type of oil, and we can’t use that exclusively with the way our refineries are configured,” explains Scott Richman, chief economist for the
October 03, 2019 Read Full Article
Cruel Summer
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) A series of unfortunate events this summer—all caused by U.S. government action or inaction—has led to a precarious situation in the biodiesel sector, but there may be a silver lining. -- ... The volume of
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Farm-State Fury Creates Pressure for Trump as Trade, Energy Pain Collide
by David J. Lynch (Washington Post) ... After two decades, Siouxland (Energy Cooperative) this month halted operations following the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to exempt 31 small oil refiners from a federal law requiring them to blend ethanol in their
October 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Wondering What If -- Real-World Fuels Are Needed as Part of Real-World Testing to Prove Ethanol's Worth in Helping to Boost Octane and Lower Emissions.
by Steve Vander Griend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) ... While we are all glad Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief for E15 was finalized, limiting us to E15 makes this a small victory rather than the game-changer it could have
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Prospects for Biofuels Use by Other Transportation Modes
by Stephanie Mercier (Farm Journal AgWeb) ... While supporters of the U.S. biofuel industry will no doubt continue to advocate for some remedial action by the administration on the SRE/RFS issues, they should not overlook the fact that the U.S.
September 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Market Movers
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Projections for E15 have been inconsistent since the May 31 Reid vapor pressure waiver. Ethanol Producer Magazine explores some of the factors that will influence the blend's trajectory in the coming years. ... Before the waiver,
September 24, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA to Lawmakers: Thanks for Letter to EPA
by Carrie Muehling (Energy.AgWired.com) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is applauding lawmakers for support of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). RFA thanked a bipartisan group of 25 members of the U.S. House of Representatives for asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prospectively restore
September 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Economist Proposes Two RFS Changes to Appease Oil, Ethanol
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) With a reported big deal for biofuels in flux, an economist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign put forward a plan on Thursday to account for more than 4 billion gallons of biofuels exempted
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump’s Billion-Dollar Gambit: An Ethanol Deal to Meet the Demands of Farmers and Big Oil
by Tim Mullaney (CNBC) President Trump is planning an ethanol deal to please U.S. farmers angry that many oil refiners have been freed from obligations to use oil-based fuel. The deal, still not yet reduced to a written bill, is
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Market Outlook for Low Carbon Fuels
by Nora Goldstein (BioCycle Magazine) Overall, demand for RNG is strong in spite of an oversupply of D3 RINs in 2018. -- In 2018, cellulosic biofuel producers, including those making renewable natural gas (RNG), outperformed the annual Renewable Volume Obligation
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Davis Introduces Pro-Ethanol Legislation
(The Telegraph) Local ethanol officials are lauding the Small Refinery Exeption Fairness Act of 2019 introduced Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville. Davis introduced the bill after the EPA continues to increase the number of small refineries exempted from the Renewable
September 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Will the RFS Deal Protect Innovation and Our Planet?
by Stephanie Batchelor (Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)/Biofuels Digest) As we speculate on the details and implications of the administration’s renewable fuels deal, the future of an entire green industry hangs in the balance. The debate over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has
September 18, 2019 Read Full Article
USDA Numbers Confirm Declining Demand For Ethanol
by Amy Mayer (Iowa Public Radio) The national average price for corn this season is back to $3.60 a bushel, about where it’s been most of this year except for an early-season spike ($4.16 in July) before the size and quality of the
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Weighs Boosts to Biofuels
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The White House is considering a plan that could limit the number of small refinery exemptions to the RFS, increase the volumes of biofuels that must be blended into gasoline and boost the spread
September 16, 2019 Read Full Article
Oil Refining Representatives to Rally in Toledo against Trump Biofuels Policy
by Jon Chavez (The Blade) Members of Ohio’s oil refining industry will rally in Toledo Thursday at One Government Center downtown to urge President Trump not to tamper with laws regulating U.S. biofuels policy, because doing so could put smaller refineries,
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Presses Biofuel, Oil Executives for Compromise
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Investors Business Daily) Discussions aimed at breaking logjam over biofuel plan; Friday deadline issued for ideas on potential compromise -- Trump administration officials are squeezing biofuel and oil refining executives to agree to
September 12, 2019 Read Full Article
White House to Meet With Biodiesel Producers in Quest for a Deal
by Mario Parker and Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Trump administration officials are set to meet with renewable fuel producers on Wednesday, as they seek to entice industry endorsements for a plan to bolster corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. The meeting is slated
September 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocate & Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle Meets with Farmers Union Members in D.C.
(South Dakota Farmers Union) It’s a critical time for the ethanol industry said former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle today, Sept. 9, 2019, when he met with more than 300 farmers, ranchers and agriculture supporters in D.C. as part of the National Farmers
September 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump in High-Stakes Balancing Act between Oil and Corn ahead of 2020 Bid
by Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) At a closed-door meeting at the White House on Aug. 19, President Donald Trump looked increasingly alarmed as his top envoy to China delivered evidence of rising Farm Belt frustration over his biofuel policy
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
White House Weighs Biofuel Quota Boost Amid Appeals From Iowa
(Bloomberg) Trump officials honing plan to benefit ethanol, biodiesel; Latest initiative would spike 2020 quotas by 1 billion gallons -- Top administration officials have developed plans to give a 5% boost to U.S. renewable fuel-blending quotas in 2020, as President Donald
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
National Chicken Council Submits Comments to EPA on the RFS Program Standards for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021
(Biobased and Renewable Products Update) On August 30, 2019, the National Chicken Council submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concerns with the proposed required volume obligations (RVO) for 2020 combined with the recent waiver that will increase
September 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Petroleum Industry Warns Trump It Will Fight Ethanol Moves
by Dave Boyer (The Washington Times) A leading trade group for the petroleum industry warned President Trump on Tuesday to ditch his plan to boost ethanol production, saying it would be a “disastrous political decision.” ... He (Frank Macchiarola, a vice
September 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump, Biofuels, 2020 and the Prospect of a Farmer Flip
by Matt Carr (Biofuels Digest/New Energy America) ... President Trump has repeatedly buckled under pressure from fossil fuel interests and their Wall Street backers, giving an unprecedented number of “small refinery waivers” to oil refiners that have reported record profits year
September 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Circuit Court Rejects Challenges to EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standards
by Tim Ryan (Court House News) The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel standards in the face of challenges from energy companies, biofuel producers and industry groups. Under longstanding EPA policy, the burden of introducing more
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA’s Final 2020 Volume Obligations Must Restore Lost Gallons
(Renewable Fuels Association) In formal comments submitted today (August 30, 2019) in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed 2020 renewable volume obligations, the Renewable Fuels Association called on the EPA to follow the law and make up for the
September 03, 2019 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- American Petroleum Institute
In a February 2018 letter to the EPA from the American Petroleum Institute: “…RIN costs are largely recovered by refineries, both large and small, through the increased value of gasoline and diesel fuel they supply to the market.” ... “These
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Teases Work on Policy Package to Boost Ethanol
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) President Donald Trump issued a tweet Aug. 29 suggesting his administration is working on a “giant package” to boost demand for ethanol. He did not indicate what the timeframe for the release of that
September 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Klobuchar: In First 100 Days as President, Pledges Moratorium on Oil Refinery Waivers, Restoration of Renewable Fuels Tax Credit and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Klobuchar says “I will stop the oil refinery waivers”: In Iowa, US Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said that, if elected President in 2020, would in her first 100 days in office order a moratorium on oil
August 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Internal White House Documents: EPA Ignored Trump Administration Recommendations to Redistribute Small Refinery Waived Volumes
(Renewable Fuels Association) Documents obtained by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) show that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ignored strong recommendations from within the Trump Administration to redistribute Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations lost to small refinery exemptions in the
August 27, 2019 Read Full Article
ACE Conference: An Update on Litigation Affecting the Industry
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Bryan Stockton gave attendees of the American Coalition for Ethanol’s annual conference in Omaha, Nebraska, an update on some of the litigation affecting the ethanol industry. Stockton is an attorney at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Orders Biofuel Boost in Bid to Temper Farm State Anger
by Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg) 2021 quotas will jump to make up for oil refinery exemptions; Move could alienate Rust Belt refinery workers in Pennsylvania -- President Donald Trump, seeking to tamp down political fallout in U.S.
August 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Set to Discuss Biofuels Thursday with USDA, EPA: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump, faced with mounting anger in the farm belt over policies that allowed oil refineries to use less corn-based ethanol, is set to meet with cabinet members on Thursday to discuss ways to
August 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Lobby Sues EPA Over Renewable Fuel Standard Exemptions
by Michael McGrady (Inside Sources) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is facing a legal challenge from a coalition of biofuel and agriculture industry groups regarding the agency’s proposal for reduced renewable fuel volumes. According to a press release from the coalition, the organizations filed a
August 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Small Refinery Waivers: Is EPA Breaking The Law?
by Anna-Lisa Laca (Farm Journal's Ag Pro) For the past two years the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been issuing small refinery hardship waivers, which allow the awarded refiners to forgo blending ethanol with their fuels. Is EPA breaking the
August 15, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Strikes Icy Blow to Ag & Biofuels: 31 Waivers Hit Heart of American Farmers and Biofuels
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) EPA might have a new name in some circles – Exemptions for Petroleum Agency – thanks to the 31 small refinery waivers issued on Friday which has the biofuels and agriculture industries reeling after promises
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
RNG Stakeholders Speak out on EPA’s 2020 Renewable Fuel Proposal
by Betsy Lillian (NGT News) More than two dozen representatives from the renewable natural gas (RNG) industry spoke at Wednesday’s public hearing in Michigan to provide feedback on 2020 biofuel volumes proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the
August 06, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuel Industry Testifies on Proposed RFS Levels -- Small Refinery Exemptions Still Main Point of Contention with Renewable Fuel Producers.
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) The Environmental Protection Agency hosted an annual hearing in Ypsilanti, Mich., on next year’s biofuel targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Many members of the biofuel industry pushed for higher levels and for the agency to correct
August 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Coalition Seeks Court Action Forcing EPA to Account for Lost Biofuel Volumes
(Renewable Fuels Association) An agriculture and biofuels coalition has petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to lift a stay it placed on a joint 2018 petition asking the court to protect the renewable fuels industry
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Standards for 2020 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2021, Response to the Remand of the 2016 Standards, and Other Changes Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2019-0136 COMMENTS DEADLINE: August 30, 2019
Under section 211 of the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to set renewable fuel percentage standards every year. This action proposes the annual percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA Urges EPA To Address RFS Small Refiner Waivers and Court Remand
(Renewable Fuels Association) In oral testimony presented at a public hearing today in Ypsilanti, Mich., the Renewable Fuels Association urged the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that its 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard final rule prospectively accounts for expected small refinery exemptions
July 31, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Posts Call-in Information for July 31 Hearing on RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has posted call-in information for its July 31 hearing on the proposed rule to set 2020 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The
July 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report on Current Issues
(AgNewsWire/Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association is having a busy summer keeping up with the latest EPA actions impacting ethanol. In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” RFA president and CEO Geoff Cooper discusses preparing for the July 31 public hearing on the proposed 2020
July 29, 2019 Read Full Article
American Coalition for Ethanol : ACE Calls on EPA to Rely on the GREET Model as It Considers Future RFS Volumes
(American Coalitin for Ethanol/Market Screener) American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings highlighted the important role corn ethanol could have in further reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if properly valued under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a letter to Environmental Protection
July 26, 2019 Read Full Article
RFS Reset Plan from EPA Still Not Coming Soon
(DTN Progressive Farmer Washington Insider) The notice of proposed rulemaking for the reset of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is still a ways off as there are now additional meetings scheduled on the topic at the Office of Management and Budget
July 16, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA to Hold Hearing on 2020 RFS Proposal July 31 in Michigan
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced plans to hold a public hearing July 31 in Ypsilanti, Michigan, on its proposed rule to set 2020 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and the 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel under
July 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Intervention Delaying EPA Biofuel Waiver Action, Sources Say
by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for a review of the administration’s expanded use of biofuel waivers for oil refiners is holding up its decisions on 2018 applications, according to three sources familiar with the matter, two of
July 11, 2019 Read Full Article
NBB Tells EPA, Stop Damaging the Biodiesel Industry
by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biofuels Digest) This year has been brutal for the biodiesel industry. As if the absence of the biodiesel tax credit wasn’t enough of a challenge, these unjust retroactive small refinery waivers are destroying the biodiesel market
July 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: ... Inadequate Domestic Supply
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on July 28, 2017, https://www.dtnpf.com/…, ruled the EPA erred in how it interpreted an "inadequate domestic supply" waiver provision in the RFS on 2016
July 10, 2019 Read Full Article
US Biofuel Makers Expect Weaker Demand from 2020 Blending Mandate
by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) Ethanol RINs fall after EPA proposes 2020-21 volumes; EPA declines to restore 2016 volumes flagged by court; Platts Analytics sees ethanol inputs above 10% this summer -- The Trump administration's proposed 2020 biofuel mandate -- for refiners to blend
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
What Happened to Anaerobic Digestion in Rhode Island?
by Michael Eggleston* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Today it seems that the use of anaerobic digestion in the Ocean State is not as widespread as it once was. According to a recent survey conducted by the Narragansett Bay Commission (NBC), owner
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
ABA’s Take: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to RVOs & SREs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In line with today’s top story on the EPA’s RVOs proposal for 2020, here’s the Advanced Biofuels Association’s take from ABLC 2019 on it all from a history perspective. Mike McAdams, President of Advanced Biofuels Association, looks
July 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Critical of EPA Proposed Volumes DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: TBD
(Renewable Fuels Association/AgNewsWire) The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued proposed volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard program for calendar year 2020, with a total renewable fuel volume of 20.04 billion gallons, of which 5.04 billion gallons are advanced biofuel, including 540
July 08, 2019 Read Full Article
King Introduces Bills Protecting RFS from Small Refinery Exemptions
(Office of Congressman Steve King (R-IA-4th) Legislation Recovers Volume Lost to Waivers by Increasing RFS Requirement Gallon -for-Gallon -- Congressman Steve King releases this statement following his introduction of two bills that are designed to protect the volume requirements in the Renewable
June 25, 2019 Read Full Article
NBB Letter to EPA's Wheeler Highlights Economic Damage from Refinery Exemptions
(National Biodiesel Board) Demand destruction for biodiesel producers cannot be made up through E15 rule, NBB says -- The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) today (June 21, 2019) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, highlighting the economic damage to the biodiesel
June 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Orders Review of Controversial Biofuel Waiver Program: Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump has directed members of his Cabinet to review the administration’s expanded use of waivers exempting small refineries from the nation’s biofuel policy, after hearing from farmers angry about the issue during his recent
June 21, 2019 Read Full Article
US EPA Readies Proposal for 2020-21 Biofuel Mandate
by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) EPA says on track to release final volumes on time; Trump to tour Iowa ethanol plant Tuesday; Warren criticizes small refinery waivers -- The US Environmental Protection Agency is close to releasing its proposal for how much biofuel
June 11, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Finalizes E15 Rule Agency Leaves Potential Biofuel Credit Reforms on Table for Later Time
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA beat the clock in finalizing year-round E15 on Friday, one day ahead of the beginning of the summer driving season. The agency announced a final rule that also takes a much softer approach on
June 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Duckworth Accuses EPA of Deception, Calls for Probe into Ethanol Waivers
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth asked the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general Thursday to investigate whether the agency broke the law in granting dozens of waivers to the oil industry to not blend corn ethanol into the
May 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Bill Would Increase SRE Transparency, Reallocate Waived Volumes
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Reps. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., introduced legislation May 23 that aims to increase transparency surrounding Renewable Fuel Standard small refinery exemptions (SREs) and ensure any waived volumes are reallocated. The bill, titled the “Renewable
May 24, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Sends RFS Reset Plan to OMB For Review
(DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA has sent its proposed plan for a reset of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), one of the final stages before the plan will be released. There are no indications regarding
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
US Fuel Mandates No Salve for Farm Trade Losses
(Argus Media) Higher US biofuel blending mandates cannot make up for lost export trade opportunities, according to farm groups caught in the crossfire of the country's trade war with China. US independent refiners show little concern that the administration will blunt sharply
May 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Flores and Welch Reintroduce Bill to Limit Ethanol Quotas under RFS
by Nick Snow (Oil & Gas Journal) US Reps. Bill Flores (R-Tex.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) reintroduced legislation on May 7 which would limit ethanol quotas under the Renewable Fuel Standard to 9.7% of the total gasoline volumes projected to be
May 10, 2019 Read Full Article
U.S. EPA Proposes Hike in Biofuel Mandate to 20.04 Billion Gallons in 2020: Sources
by Humeyra Pamuk, Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed increasing the volume of biofuels refiners must blend into their fuel annually to 20.04 billion gallons in 2020, from 19.92 billion gallons in 2019, according to two sources
May 10, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Delivers Proposed Rule with 2020 RVOs, ‘Other Changes’ to OMB
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has delivered a proposed rule to set 2020 renewable blending obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard to the White House Office of Management and Budget. The proposed rule also includes the
May 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Inhofe, Senators Urge RFS Policy to Reflect Market Realities
(Office of Senator James N. Inhofe (R-OK)) In advance of the upcoming proposed rulemaking for the 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) led a letter urging Administrator Wheeler to reset
May 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Pacific Biodiesel Eyes California as Federal, Local Support Wanes
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) Hawaii-based Pacific Biodiesel has long prided itself on producing biodiesel from local resources within the petroleum-dependent archipelago and supplying the renewable fuel back to its community. But as the U.S. biodiesel sector tries to push forward
May 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Wheeler Addresses SREs, RVO Reallocation during Recent Hearings
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler told federal lawmakers in early April that it would be difficult for the agency to reallocate biofuel volumes waived by small refinery exemptions (SREs), even if Congress provided a legislative
April 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Advocates Worry RIN Reform Proposals Will Derail E15 Expansion
by Jordan Godwin (Oil Price Information Service) With about two months to go before the start of the summer driving season, ethanol advocates are growing increasingly worried that EPA's decision to combine in the same proposed rulemaking changes to how Renewable Identification
April 02, 2019 Read Full Article
Backstabbing the Ethanol Industry
by David Kruse (The Daily Reporter) I was told by a director of the Iowa Corn Growers that at a meeting they discussed my recent reports where I had noted that the National Corn Growers Association is dropping the ball in
March 29, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Grants Additional 2017 Small Refinery Waiver from Nation's Biofuel Laws
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted an additional 2017 small refinery waiver from the nation’s biofuel laws, bringing the tally to 35, the agency disclosed on Thursday. READ MORE EPA Grants Another Small Refinery Waiver (Energy.AgWired.com) US EPA approves
March 29, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Likely to Grant Partial Waivers from U.S. Biofuel Laws for 2018: Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is likely to issue partial waivers to some of the 39 small refineries seeking relief from the nation’s biofuel laws for 2018, in an unusual option to balance the competing interests of
March 21, 2019 Read Full Article
Study Shows Biofuels Are 3 Percent of Iowa GDP
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) has released a new study that shows biofuels are responsible for over $5 billion of Iowa’s GDP, or roughly three percent. The study, authored by John Urbanchuk of ABF Economics and commissioned by IRFA, also found
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Waivers Reduce Incentive to Produce Biofuels
(KCRG) Between 2017 and 2018, U.S. ethanol consumption dropped for the first time in a decade and the Renewable Fuels Association says that's because of the Environmental Protection Agency hurting demand. One of the reasons former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned from
March 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Cruz Says EPA’s Wheeler Promised to Continue Granting Small Refinery Waivers
by Jim Wiesemeyer (Pro Farmer) Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says he won “explicit promises” from EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to keep granting small refineries waivers from U.S. biofuel mandates, without retroactively reallocating those quotas to non-exempted facilities. Cruz says he secured
March 19, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Grants More RFS Waivers, Undercuts Add’l Demand for Biofuels
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) U.S. EPA retroactively granted five new small refinery exemptions for 2017, releasing them from their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The five new small refinery exemptions reduced the 2017 renewable volume obligation (RVO) for biomass-based
March 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Biogas To RNG Projects: What, Why And How
by Brad Pleima (BioCycle Magazine/EcoEngineers) With prices for renewable electricity low in many states, biogas producers are turning to the renewable natural gas marketplace. This road map is a valuable navigation tool. -- There is a national trend to reposition biogas-producing assets
March 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Republican Backlash against Trump EPA Pick Fueled by 'Biofuel Reset'
by Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) EPA acting administrator Andrew Wheeler rejected a proposal from his staff that would have reduced the ambition of the nation’s biofuel policy over the next three years, arguing the targeted range it included for annual
February 19, 2019 Read Full Article
RFS Power Coalition Launched by BPA, ABC, ERC
(Biomass Power Association, American Biogas Council and Energy Recovery Council/Biomass Magazine) Three trade associations representing renewable electricity producers today announced the launch of the RFS Power Coalition. The coalition’s purpose is to get the EPA to implement a law passed by
February 13, 2019 Read Full Article
National Wildlife Federation Files Lawsuit over Habitat Destruction from Biofuels Policy
by Mike Saccone (National Wildlife Federation) The National Wildlife Federation, represented by Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit today against the Environmental Protection Agency alleging that it illegally approved expanded volume production of largely corn- and soy-based biofuels despite evidence that such production
February 13, 2019 Read Full Article
RFA’s Cooper: Ethanol Industry ‘Delivering Huge Wins’ Despite ‘Tough Year’ in 2018
(Renewable Fuels Association) Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper told nearly 1,000 National Ethanol Conference attendees today that while the U.S. ethanol industry had a “tough year” in 2018, it “continued to deliver huge wins for consumers,” including
February 12, 2019 Read Full Article
NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) Favors Giving Consumers Options at the Pump
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For the National Association of Convenience Stores, selling E15 is a matter of giving consumers plenty of fuel options. “We like the optionality of being able to have lots legal choices and really sell what
February 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Biofuels Group Growth Energy Sues U.S. EPA over Small RefineryExemptions
by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) Biofuels group Growth Energy filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, challenging the agency’s renewable fuel mandate for 2019 as failing to address rising waived biofuel volumes. “EPA’s inaction on addressing lost gallons
February 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Interview: RFA Hoping EPA Will Be More Restrained on SREs
by Jeff Barber (Opis Biofuels News) The U.S. ethanol industry, which spent most of 2018 dealing with the fallout from EPA's decision to allow a record number of small refineries to escape their Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance obligations, believes the
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Moving the RFS Forward
by Amie Simpson (Brownfield Ag News) There is a false notion that the Renewable Fuel Standard ends in 2022, but that is not the case. Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says even those in the industry sometimes misunderstand
January 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Biodiesel an Underutilized Solution as US Carbon Emissions Climb
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) ... The transportation sector remained the largest source of U.S. emissions for the third year in a row, “as robust growth in demand for diesel and jet fuel offset a modest decline in gasoline consumption,” the
January 14, 2019 Read Full Article
A Rightful Role in the RFS: The Electric Vehicle Market Is Predicted to Soar, and, Pending Overdue Action by the U.S. EPA, Biomass Power Producers Are Positioned to Help Meet Goals Set Forth in the Renewable Fuel Standard.
by Anna Simet (Biomass Magazine) ... The vast complexities of the RFS extend far beyond these components, but a much lesser-known provision is beginning to attract attention—the role of renewable electricity in the program, and it’s abilities to fuel electric
January 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Alternative Fuels Council Offers Biodiesel Strategy
by Jeff Hove (Biodiesel Magazine) Jeff Hove, vice president of NATSO's Alternative Fuels Council, provides perspective on current political, regulatory and market events relating to biodiesel blending, and how a myriad of potential changes will affect downstream operators. -- ... But renewable
January 05, 2019 Read Full Article
A Fox Guarding the RFS Henhouse
by David Kruse (The CommStock Report/Spencer Daily Reporter) From a subscriber: "I asked my local Cenex manager why the price of E85 was still high. E10 has dropped 43 cents in the last couple of months and E85 hasn't changed from $1.94. He
January 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Evonik to Expand Sodium Methylate Capacity at Mobile, Alabama Facility
(Evonik) Evonik Corporation will undertake a significant capacity expansion of its sodium methylate facility located in Mobile, Ala. Upon completion, the Mobile plant will be capable of producing up to 90,000 metric tons per year. The decision to expand capacity follows Environmental
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Exclusive: EPA Lifts Advanced Biofuel Mandate for 2019 - Document
by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lifted its annual blending mandate for advanced biofuels by 15 percent for 2019, while keeping steady the requirement for conventional biofuels like corn-based ethanol, according to an agency document seen by Reuters on
November 30, 2018 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide ABLC Guide to Aemetis
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Aemetis owns and operates 110 million gallons per year of ethanol and biodiesel facilities in the US and India, and is upgrading the plants using patented technology to produce lower carbon, higher value advanced biofuels and
November 23, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Plans Biofuel 'Reset' as Program Misses Congress' Targets
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will propose new targets for the final three years of the nation’s renewable fuel program in January, replacing ambitious decade-old goals set by Congress with volumes closer to the industry’s current output,
November 21, 2018 Read Full Article
More RFS Exemption Requests Monroe Energy, Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Want Full RFS Waiver
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Pennsylvania's governor and state refining interests are putting pressure on EPA to grant waivers to the Renewable Fuel Standard program, just ahead of the agency's Nov. 30 deadline to finalize new biofuels volumes for
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuel Groups Ask Federal Judge to Freeze U.S. Refinery Waiver Program
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) A group representing biofuel companies asked a federal judge on Tuesday to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop exempting small refineries from renewable fuel laws until a lawsuit challenging the agency’s actions is resolved. Producers United
November 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Weaker RINs Lure Gasoline Shipping into US East Coast Ports: Sources
(Hellenic Shipping News) A decline in the US obligation for biofuels has prompted an increase in imports from Canada and Europe into the Atlantic Coast, according to market sources and federal government data. The renewable fuels obligation for a gallon of imported
November 14, 2018 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Producers Feeling the Pinch from Trump Trade War
by Jarrett Renshaw, Michael Hirtzer (Reuters) U.S. ethanol producers drew a bleak picture of their industry in quarterly filings and analyst calls this week, detailing how the critical farm belt business has been devastated by President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and
November 12, 2018 Read Full Article
2018 Midterm Elections—Implications for the Bioeconomy
by Jesse Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) And while the bioeconomy – biofuels, biobased products, chemicals, and more – enjoy bipartisan support, the new political landscape means that the biobased sector and stakeholders still need to be on their
November 10, 2018 Read Full Article
Another Year of Uncertainty for Biofuels
by Michael McAdams (Biomass Magazine/Advanced Biofuels Association) As we approach the end of 2018, we reflect on a year that was full of surprises for the biofuels industry. What stands out the most was former U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s application of
November 06, 2018 Read Full Article
BioFry 2018 Draws Hundreds for French Fries, Biodiesel Facts
(National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) The National Biodiesel Board hosted its annual Capitol Hill BioFry Sept. 25 to educate congressional staff about biodiesel and the U.S. companies that produce it. Hundreds enjoyed a free French fry snack while learning about biodiesel. -- Hundreds
November 02, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA: Additional Small Refinery Petitions Filed for 2017, 2018
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has released updated data on small refinery waivers filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The new data shows that additional petitions were filed for 2017 and 2018 compliance years over the past
October 29, 2018 Read Full Article
OMB Releases Estimated Timelines for EPA’s E15 Rule, 2 RFS Rules
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Trump Administration has released estimated timelines for the development of three U.S. EPA rulemakings that pertain to the Renewable Fuel Standard and year-round E15 sales, including one that includes a “reset” of statutory blending targets. The
October 25, 2018 Read Full Article
NBB Letter to EPA: Small Refinery Exemptions Destroy Demand for Biodiesel
(National Biodiesel Board) New EPA dashboard confirms more than 300 million gallons of lost demand for biodiesel -- National Biodiesel Board (NBB) delivered a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler asking that the agency fully account for small refinery
October 19, 2018 Read Full Article
US Environmental Protection Agency Aims to Adopt New Fuel Economy Rule by March, E15 Rule by May
by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency aims to adopt final rules for fuel economy standards by March and year-round sales of higher ethanol blends by May, according to a fall regulatory agenda released Wednesday by the
October 18, 2018 Read Full Article
D.C. Circuit Will Be All Ears for RFS Arguments
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A panel of D.C. Circuit appellate judges today will hear yet another iteration of arguments over the Renewable Fuel Standard. The court has allowed an hour and 40 minutes to delve into the issues
October 05, 2018 Read Full Article
NBB, ASA Ask President Trump to Support Biodiesel Producers, Soy Farmers
(National Biodiesel Board) Allowing year-round use of E15 is a positive step for ethanol, but doesn’t support biodiesel -- Today, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) wrote President Donald Trump asking that he “provide additional help to
September 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Small Refinery Exemptions and Ethanol Demand Destruction
by Scott Irwin (FarmDocDaily) Small refinery exemptions (SREs) represent the latest controversy to engulf the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). When the U.S. Congress first created the RFS in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-58) it included a temporary exemption
September 17, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Bill Would Require EPA to Reallocate Biofuels Gallons Lost to Waivers
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) While EPA remains in an impasse on requests to reallocate biofuels gallons lost to small refinery waivers of the Renewable Fuel Standard, a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would require
September 10, 2018 Read Full Article
EPA Needs to Reallocate Gallons from RFS Waivers
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) : Incoming RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper addresses the small refiner exemptions issued by the U.S. EPA last year, and how they affect the ethanol market -- The U.S. EPA remains committed to
September 07, 2018 Read Full Article
New Analysis Shows RFS Waiver Price
by Kelly Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA's small refinery waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard could cost the ethanol industry 4.6 billion gallons of domestic demand and close to $20 billion in sales revenue over the next six years, according
September 07, 2018 Read Full Article
Making America Great Again Starts with the States
by David Vander Griend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) Dave VanderGriend, president of Urban Air Initiative, doesn't mince words in his column this month, calling out EPA for what he says is collusion with the oil industry. -- ... The 15.8 billion
September 05, 2018 Read Full Article
An Open Letter to EPA Acting Administrator Wheeler
by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Consider this a blueprint for restoring the trust EPA has broken with farmers and rural America. 1. Make good on the president’s promises to allow E15 use year-round. Trump has made three or four