Environmental Protection Agency – Advanced BioFuels USA

ABC 2019: EPA Administrator Says Year-Round E15 to Be Approved

by Michael Verdon (Soundings Trade Only Today) ndrew R. Wheeler, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told participants of the American Boating Congress that his agency plans to issue at the end of this month a final rule that will allow year-round sale of E15 gasoline. Wheeler also assured attendees

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Taxes and Bans: That Was the Threat California’s Top Air Regulator Leveled

by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) Taxes and Bans: That was the threat California’s top air regulator leveled Thursday in the ongoing war over the future of the state’s aggressive auto efficiency rules. The Trump administration is seeking to dramatically roll back Obama-era greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, but California

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol: Let’s Ride the Wave–Making Ethanol Part of the “Green Wave” by Debunking Environmental Misinformation.

by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative) Now that we are well into the current Congress, it is clear that many new members are riding in on a green wave with a renewed emphasis on climate, carbon and pollution. Committees in the House of Representatives are fighting for attention as they all

May 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Exclusive: Trump EPA Did Not Await Court Ruling to Loosen Biofuel Rules for Refiners – Documents

by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The Trump administration made it easier for oil refineries to get waivers from the nation’s biofuel law at least four months before a 2017 court decision it often cites to justify the move to the corn lobby, and the move was motivated by a desire to save

May 16, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol, the Fix the Ag Economy Needs

(WOWO News/Hoosier Ag Today) The key to improving the farm economy and raising grain prices is not trade, but renewable fuels. Jeff Broin, with POET, says farmers must stop thinking of themselves as food producers but think of themselves as energy producers as well, “Farmers have thought of themselves as food

May 15, 2019 Read Full Article

Tired of Hearing About the GND and NOPEC? Here Are Energy Policy Moves That Have a Real Chance in Next 12-18 Months

(Raymond James & Associates) … The EPA is moving forward on year-round E15, while concurrently reforming RINs. As a long-standing political matter, federal ethanol policy (under the umbrella of the Renewable Fuel Standard) involves divisions not along party lines but rather regional lines. This is why, for example, Sens. Ted Cruz from Texas

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Handout Recipients Reap Windfall Profits

(Growth Energy) A new report from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that net income for oil and gas companies hit a five-year high last year – in stark contrast to claims of “hardship” oil giants have used to skirt America’s biofuel laws. According to the report, “2018 was

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Issues Guidance on Registration of Corn Kernel Fiber Pathways

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has published a document that provides guidance on how to demonstrate that an analytical method for determining the cellulosic converted fraction of corn kernel fiber co-processed with starch at a traditional ethanol facilities satisfies the applicable regulatory requirement. A notice posted to

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

Letter from Washington – Taxes, Blends, RINs, Jobs and “The Year of the Tree”

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … (C)onsider this for now a Digested summary of the (Washington, DC) news you can use, as short as we can make it so that we return you to the business of building the bioeconomy that will, increasingly in the now and surely in the

May 14, 2019 Read Full Article

House Members Call on EPA to End Refiner Exemptions

(St. Joseph Post) A bipartisan coalition of 35 members of the House of Representatives says the Environmental Protection Agency should stop issuing small refiner exemptions to large or unqualified refiners. The EPA has approved 54 waivers through the Renewable Fuel Standard, totaling 2.61 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons of renewable fuels in the

May 10, 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 sold in the coming year. H.R. 2540 recognizes negative impacts higher ethanol

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 familiar with the matter. The proposed mandate, now under review

May 10, 2019 Read Full Article

Guidance on Qualifying an Analytical Method for Determining the Cellulosic Converted Fraction of Corn Kernel Fiber

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) This document provides guidance on how to demonstrate that an analytical method for determining the cellulosic converted fraction of corn kernel fiber co-processed with starch at a traditional ethanol facility satisfies the applicable regulatory requirements. Public confidence in the volumes of cellulosic ethanol produced under the Renewable

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 2021 RVO for biomass-based diesel and “other changes” to the

May 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Growth Energy Comments Urge EPA to Finalize E15 Year-Round Rule by June 1

(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, the nation’s leading association of ethanol producers and supporters, filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of a proposed rule allowing year-round sales of E15 – gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol. “Unless the EPA acts quickly, the summer market for E15 will be

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith Says EPA Plan to Hide Which Refineries Are Allowed to Stop Blending Renewable Fuels Would Hurt Farmers, Rural Communities

(Office of Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said today the Trump Administration’s plan to go back on its promise to name which U.S. oil refineries are allowed to avoid requirements to blend renewable fuels into the nation’s fuel supply could ultimately contribute to job losses across rural

May 3, 2019 Read Full Article

Green Energy Fraudster Convicted at Trial for Scamming Multiple Federal Agencies and His Customers

(U.S. Department of Justice) Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and United States Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced today that a federal jury in Reading, Pennsylvania, convicted David M. Dunham Jr. of the following

May 3, 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 conventional biofuel to reflect market realities. The letter was signed

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Said To Halt Work on Revealing More Info for Small Refiner Waivers

(DTN Progressive Farmer) An EPA plan to reopen comments on a plan it put forth in 2016 to reveal more information on refiners relative to small refiner exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations has been put on hold, according to Reuters. EPA announced April 12 it would reopen the comment

May 2, 2019 Read Full Article

NACS, Fuel Marketers, Comment on EPA’s RIN Market Proposal

(National Association of Convenience Stores) …(P)roposed RIN Market Reform regulations are unnecessary solutions in search of problems, and that EPA should finalize only those aspects of the proposal that enhance disclosure requirements and set aside for future reconsideration those aspects that would modify market behavior. The trade associations Monday filed

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Stalls Biofuel Waiver Transparency Plan after White House Blowback: Sources

by Jarrett Renshaw, Chris Prentice, Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has suspended work on its plan to publish the names of refineries securing exemptions from federal biofuels law after receiving blowback from the White House and parts of the oil industry, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Donald J. Trump, Our Blue-Collar President

by Curtis Ellis (WND) … Last week, members of the International Union of Operating Engineers stood alongside President Trump at a union job-training center as he signed executive orders to expedite the construction of oil and gas pipelines and energy infrastructure projects, including Keystone XL, Dakota Access, Line 3 in Wisconsin and

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Can Go Further than E15

(Urban Air Initiative) The Urban Air Initiative submitted comments to the EPA supporting the agency’s proposal to make E15 available year round. While this is a critical step forward and needs to happen, UAI asked EPA to not stop at E15 and provided detailed analysis as to why the law allows higher

May 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Urban Air Initiative Comments on E15 Proposed Regulations focus on Sub-Sim

(Urban Air Initiative, et al.) EPA’s proposed rule is inconsistent with the text of the sub-sim law, because ethanol is now a fuel additive used in vehicle certification. The proposed rule would codify a “no more than 15%” ethanol limit for the 1 psi RVP waiver. EPA’s 15% limit is based on EPA’s misinterpretation

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Inside California’s Fight against Pollution

by Miranda Green (The Hill) … Asked who she (Mary Nichols, head of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)) thought would benefit the most from the Trump rule change, which she has argued automakers are largely opposed to, Nichols points to the fossil fuel industry. “It has been said, and I believe

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Oil and Renewable Industries Locked in Tug of War over Trump’s Ethanol Plan

by John Siciliano and Josh Siegel (Washington Examiner) The deadline for comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed plan to allow year-round sales of 15% ethanol fuel closes at midnight, but neither side in the fight — that is, the oil and renewable fuel industries — wants the plan to move ahead

April 30, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol’s Tightening Tough Spot

by Alan Guebert (Beatrice Daily Sun) … “U.S. farmers, particularly cornbelt farmers, have gotten a really bad deal from the Trump Administration on the biofuels front.” Both statements are true, according to Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois who, word-for-word, offered the latter one. On April

April 26, 2019 Read Full Article

ABFA Files for Injunction against EPA to Prevent Additional SREs

(Advanced Biofuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Advanced Biofuels Association filed a motion April 24 for a preliminary injunction to prevent U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler from granting any additional small refinery exemptions (SREs) to release obligated parties from compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard until the resolution of its pending lawsuit

April 25, 2019 Read Full Article

Guest Column: Read the Fine Print on the New E15 Rule

by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union) and Jim Seurer (Glacial Lakes Energy) (Farm Forum) … It does in fact, propose to provide year-round exemption from vapor pressure limits for blends of 15 percent ethanol, but does no more. The EPA proposal does not extend to higher blends. The anticipated increase

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Time to Keep the Promises for Farmers to Compete in Energy

by James Talent (The Hill/Americans for Energy Security and Innovation) … (Environmental Protection Agency head Andrew) Wheeler announced more oil industry handouts last month, bringing the total to 2.6 billion gallons over two years, which is enough to eliminate the market for nearly one billion bushels of grain. … Rural Republicans who

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Jury Finds Pennsylvania Biofuel Company Owners Guilty of Tax and False Statements Conspiracy

(U.S. Department of Justice) Following a 14-day jury trial in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Ben T. Wootton, of Enola, Pennsylvania, and Race A. Miner, of Buena Vista, Colorado, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to make false statements to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), six counts of making false statements to

April 24, 2019 Read Full Article

NFU Urges Implementatin of E15 Waiver, Common-Sense Provisions for Higher Level Blends

(National Farmers Union/KTIC Radio) As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works towards allowing year-round use of E15 gasoline, National Farmers Union (NFU) is concerned EPA’s proposed rule will make it harder for retailers to sell higher level blends of ethanol. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, NFU President Roger Johnson

April 19, 2019 Read Full Article

Thank You, Biodiesel Industry

by Donnell Rehagen (National Biodiesel Board/Biodiesel Magazine) … This past year we engaged with organizations like National Renderers Association, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, American Soybean Association, Petroleum Marketers of America, and many more. The National Biodiesel Board has strengthened its reach and relationships by increasing regular dialogue with our industry

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

Where Will All the Feedstock Come From?

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) As a new wave of large-scale biomass-based diesel projects develops, experts suggest market forces are ready to deliver the necessary fats, oils and greases. — …Many of these new biomass-based diesel projects intend to produce renewable diesel at a much larger scale than even the largest biodiesel

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Seeks Comments on SRE Portion of Proposed REGS Rule DEADLINE: TBD

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The U.S. EPA announced April 12 that it will reopen the comment period on one aspect of proposed rule issued in 2016 in an effort to “expand transparency surrounding the small refinery exemption program and provide further opportunity for input.” The agency’s announcement relates to its proposed

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA to Propose Rule on Biomass Carbon Neutrality This Summer

by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler recently informed federal lawmakers that the agency is working on a rulemaking that will define biomass as carbon neutral. A proposed rule is expected to be released this summer. … During the hearing, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said the past several

April 17, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA to Revise Proposed Freeze of Vehicle Fuel Economy Rules

by David Shepardson (Reuters) The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday the agency would revise its proposed freeze of vehicle fuel economy standards before unveiling its final regulation in the coming months. In August, the EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed freezing requirements for new

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA’s Latest Effort on SRE Transparency Helpful Progress But Not Enough

(Growth Energy) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced they will take comment on the current process for issuing small refinery exemptions, allowing EPA to post the names of refineries who have applied for and received small refinery exemptions, an important first step in providing transparency in the process. While

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA May Grant Fewer Biofuel Waivers Due to Low Credit Prices: Wheeler

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could grant fewer waivers exempting small refineries from the country’s biofuel policy as lower prices for blending credits have reduced the cost of compliance, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler told Reuters on Thursday. The Trump administration’s use of such waivers to save the

April 12, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Industry Gets Welcome News: USDA Study Shows It’s More Environmentally Friendly than Gasoline

(The Messenger) … The United States Department of Agriculture has just released the findings of a USDA study about the environmental impact of the corn-ethanol industry. The conclusions are superb news — ethanol has significant greenhouse gas benefits when compared to gasoline. The most important conclusion of an extensive research project,

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

Study Shows Ethanol’s Impact

by John Huthmacher (Hastings Tribune) Ethanol continues to be a driving force in Nebraska’s economy, affecting a sizable portion of the state’s business sector. This, according to a recent impact study released by University of Nebraska-Lincoln economists. The report examines the economic impact of Nebraska’s ethanol industry between 2015-17. Authors are UNL agricultural

April 9, 2019 Read Full Article

ABLC 2019 Round-Up

by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) … ABLC 2019 kicked off on Wednesday with about 540 delegates in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture building complete with secret service protection and escorts for some big-name super star speakers, with a pretty exciting vibe in the room. In ABLC terms,

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Emissions from Low- and Mid-Level Blends of Anhydrous Ethanol in Gasoline 2019-01-0997

(SAE International) Typically ethanol is present in gasoline as a 10% blend by volume (E10), although E15, E85 (51 to 83%), and E0 are also available at selected stations. Numerous studies of tailpipe regulated emissions have been conducted to compare emissions from E10 and E0, and there is a growing body

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

California Sues Trump Administration over Rollback of Emissions Standards

by Bob Egelko (San Francisco Chronicle) California’s Air Resources Board sued the Trump administration Friday for information that might support the federal government’s claim that its proposed weakening of auto emissions standards would save lives. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced regulations last August to roll back fuel-efficiency standards adopted under

April 8, 2019 Read Full Article

Sen. Grassley Honored for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy

by Cindy Zimmerman (AgWired.com) Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) was honored at the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference (ABLC) in Washington DC this week with the Holmberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Bioenergy. Accepting the award, Grassley said he was honored, but noted that his “work’s not done yet.” The Iowa senator, who has been

April 5, 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 mechanism to do so. He also said the agency aims

April 5, 2019 Read Full Article

UPDATE 1-EPA Waits on DOE Input to Process Small Refinery Waivers for 2018 from U.S. Biofuel Law

by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is waiting to receive input from the Department of Energy to process 2018 applications exempting small refineries from U.S. biofuel laws, the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Tuesday. Speaking at a hearing at the House Appropriations Committee, Wheeler said he expected

April 4, 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 Number (RIN) credits are trading and a volatility waiver for

April 2, 2019 Read Full Article

Democrats Still Need Rural Voters to Defeat Trump

by J.D. Scholten (The Hill) … To win back the White House, Democrats can’t just rely on “Whole Foods” districts of educated, affluent suburbanites. Democrats can do well in “Dollar General” districts if they show up and address the issues. No one gave me much of a chance when I ran against Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), but

April 1, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels Advocates Testify at EPA Hearing

(Ag News Wire) The Environmental Protection Agency held a hearing Friday on proposed regulatory changes related to retail sales of 15% ethanol blended fuel (E15) and the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. Biofuels advocates, organization representatives and company officials testified at the hearing about the proposal

March 29, 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 pushing back against President Donald Trump personally on renewable identification

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 another 2017 small refinery exemption to RFS (Biodiesel

March 29, 2019 Read Full Article

Fuel Standards to Prevent Overdependence on Foreign Oil Are Out of Date

by Merrill Matthews (The Hill/Institute for Policy Innovation) … President Trump wants to roll back unattainable Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards imposed by President Obama. And he wants those revised fuel efficiency ratings to apply nationwide, including California, according to The Hill. But environmentalists and the Golden State are rejecting the change. They

March 28, 2019 Read Full Article

South Dakota Farmers Union: Say No to E15 Rule; Farmer Leader Says We Can Do Better

(South Dakota Farmers Union) On the eve of a public hearing to receive comments on the long awaited ruling to allow year round rvp relief for E15, the South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) called the rule a backdoor effort to limit ethanol blends. In a call with supporters today, SDFU President

March 28, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA Seeks Input on E15 Information Collection Request Extension DEADLINE: May 17, 2019

by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of a proposed extension of an existing information collection request (ICR) related to E15 it plans to submit to the Office of Management and Budget. A notice published in the Federal Register March 18 explains

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Petrochemical Fire in Houston Reveals Much Larger Issue.

(Urban Air Initiative) On Sunday, March 17, tanks of toluene and xylene caught fire at Intercontinental Terminal in the Houston, TX area, releasing plumes of black smoke into the air. As a result, incomplete combustion of toluene and xylene combined to form benzene, a known carcinogen. Toluene and xylene are toxic aromatic chemicals added

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Biofuels: Recent Stability and Future Uncertainty

by Pat Westhoff (Columbia Daily Tribune) … Long-term changes in the vehicle fleet could result in even larger changes in biofuel demand. If electric cars and trucks become widespread, the demand for both petroleum-based fuels and liquid biofuels could decline. How the biofuel industry develops will be critical to U.S. agriculture.

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

Gaetz Drafting ‘Green Real Deal’ Climate Resolution

by Zack Coleman (Politico) Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is circulating a “Green Real Deal” resolution to counter the “Green New Deal” floated by Democrats, according to a draft copy obtained by POLITICO. The resolution acknowledges climate change as a threat to national security and says the government should promote innovation to reduce greenhouse

March 26, 2019 Read Full Article

E15 Ethanol Is Coming, Like It or Not. Here’s What You Need to Know

by Jim Koscs (Hagerty) … In the United States, ninety-eight percent of gasoline sold already contains some amount of ethanol. Cars produced in the past two decades or so generally have no problem burning the common E10 blend, which contains 10 percent ethanol. Some stations have offered E15, which bumps the amount

March 24, 2019 Read Full Article

Alternative Protein Startups: Let’s Get the Facts Straight about Livestock’s Carbon Footprint

by Lauren Manning (AgFunder News) … the issue of livestock farming’s impact on the environment is not as clear cut as many of these businesses would have you believe. In fact, many of the data dairy and meat alternative businesses are using to market their animal-free wares are inaccurate and misleading.

March 23, 2019 Read Full Article

Comment Period for E15 Underway

by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) The EPA has given stakeholders a little more than a month to weigh in on the proposed rule that would allow year-round sales of E15. The proposal is being published in the Federal Register today, and the comment period ends April 29th. Minnesota Corn Growers president

March 22, 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 oil and corn producers, two sources briefed on the matter

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 that biofuels account for over 48,000 Iowa jobs and

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 the agency was because of approving dozens of refiner

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Come Together: At NEC, a GM Executive Outlined Some Controversial Advice for the Ethanol Industry.

by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) …Collaborate with the automotive industry, the petroleum industry, fuel retailers and other stakeholders in the liquid fuels market to push for a national high-octane standard. “We’re advocating for a reasonable and manageable proposal—a new, national high-octane based fuel for all new vehicles,” said Dan

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Amy Klobuchar Knocks EPA’s Secret Waivers that Boost Big Oil

by Pat Rynard (Iowa Starting Line) Senator Amy Klobuchar blasted the Trump Administration’s continued use of blending waivers for renewable fuels usage while in Iowa this weekend. Using it as an example of how Donald Trump’s presidency has hurt rural America, she linked the EPA’s decisions to the first decline in

March 20, 2019 Read Full Article

Public Hearing for Modifications To Fuel Regulations To Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations March 29, 2019

(Environmental Protection Agency/Federal Register) The EPA is announcing a public hearing to be held in Ypsilanti, MI on March 29, 2019 for the proposed rule ‘‘Modifications to Fuel Regulations to Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations.’’ This proposed rule will be published separately in the Federal Register. The pre-publication version of this proposal can be

March 19, 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 those commitments after joining with other Republican senators to slow

March 19, 2019 Read Full Article

UAI’s Studies Tell the Truth

by Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Institute/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The need for an updated fuel testing process. — Every time we fill our gas tanks, we are exposed to chemicals known to cause cancer. Think about how often that happens, and how a cleaner fuel is rarely an option. These toxic chemicals, known as

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. Ethanol Market Sees First Sales Decline in Decades: Lower U.S. Demand, Plunge in Exports Made for Rough 2018.

by Jim Spencer and Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) … As production increased and sales to foreign countries rose to record levels, profits went down roughly 20 cents per gallon. … The domestic market for ethanol had stopped growing at the same time production hit a new record. Figures from the U.S.

March 18, 2019 Read Full Article

Ethanol Use Falls for First Time in 20 Years

by John Herath (Farm Journal Media) RFA Blames Waivers for Refiners — Ethanol use in the United States last year fell for the first time since 1998, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is blaming that fall on waivers EPA granted to refiners allowing them

March 15, 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 diesel by an additional 48 million gallons. Previously granted exemptions

March 15, 2019 Read Full Article

EPA’s Proposed Rule Changes Around Higher Ethanol Blends Draw Mixed Reactions

by Danielle Romano (Convenience Store News) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing regulatory changes around higher ethanol blends, and they’re drawing mixed reactions. … “NACS is concerned that the proposed rulemaking would generate more problems than solutions,” said Paige Anderson, NACS’ director of government relations. “We believe that EPA’s proposal would

March 14, 2019 Read Full Article

U.S. EPA to Decide on 2017 Waivers from Biofuel Laws within Week

by David Gaffen and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will decide on the seven pending applications for small refinery waivers from the nation’s biofuel laws for the 2017 calendar year in the next week, agency administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Monday. Once the 2017 applications are decided, the