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by Silvia Amaro (CNBC) -The European Union is assessing whether to implement a carbon border tax, which would hit importers from countries that do not respect climate goals. -U.S. officials have already raised concerns about such plans, arguing they could hurt American businesses. -The EU and the U.S have been
White House
January 28, 2020
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by John Herath (Farm Journal Ag Web) If elected president, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) plans to immediately roll back all of the small refinery exemptions made to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Klobuchar made the pledge on the AgriTalk Radio show talking with host, Chip Flory. “We have 137 things
January 24, 2020
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(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 Trump got a warm welcome when he spoke at the
January 22, 2020
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by Ben Nuelle (AgriPulse) Biofuel industry advocates say they’re pleased with how the Democratic presidential candidates are talking about ethanol and biodiesel in Iowa, although most of the campaigns haven’t provided specifics about how they would increase demand. READ MORE Trump to farmers: Your ‘best days’ are ahead (AgriPulse) Trump
January 22, 2020
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by Ryan Beene and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Revised proposal will require modest annual efficiency gains; Draft rule is under review by White House budget office — … A draft of the final rule, now undergoing a final White House review, includes several changes that could make it easier to
January 22, 2020
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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 that had been filed as of Dec. 19, 2019. A
January 17, 2020
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by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) As the keynote speaker at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said “2019 sucked” but the industry is focusing forward now into the “Roaring ’20s.” Cooper offered four predictions for the new decade. 1. The battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard
January 17, 2020
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. has purchased a partially complete ethanol plant in Kansas. While the company previously said it would convert the facility to cellulosic production, Aemetis Chairman and CEO Eric McAfee said there are currently no plans to build at the site. … In its third
January 16, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA and NHTSA on Tuesday sent their new auto emissions and fuel efficiency rules to the Office of Management and Budget for review, EPA confirmed to ME. This is the second half of the SAFE Vehicles rule and covers model years 2021 through 2026,
January 15, 2020
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by Simone Preissler Iglesias Samy Adghirni (Bloomberg Quint) Washington will likely take time to lift a ban on Brazilian fresh-beef imports amid frustration at the South American country’s decision to keep quotas on tariff-free imports of U.S. ethanol, according to people familiar with talks in Brazil. The breakdown in negotiations on
January 13, 2020
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by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) The recent conflict with Iran and its proxies in Iraq has served as a reminder of the enduring potential for geopolitical risk to unsettle petroleum markets – not just globally but also in the U.S. While the U.S. has become significantly more energy-secure over the
January 13, 2020
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(Hoosier Ag Today/NAFB News Service) China this week announced a suspension of its ethanol mandate, signaling a further reduction of imports from the United States. The E10 target was suspended because China says, “any promotion of ethanol-gasoline must be based on the precondition that food security is guaranteed.” The mandate was
January 13, 2020
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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 Small Refinery Exemptions are intended to protect refineries in
January 11, 2020
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Tensions in the Middle East have inflamed global oil markets, sending Brent crude oil futures over $70 per barrel and pushing U.S. gasoline futures to a nine-month high. Analysts expect these gas price increases to reach the pump in the days ahead, hitting consumer pocketbooks and again underscoring
January 8, 2020
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) … Another looming fight: EPA’s proposals to weaken rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Trump administration has revoked California’s waiver authority, but its sweeping rollback of federal emissions standards has stalled ahead of an April deadline to set CAFE standards for 2021
January 6, 2020
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(Renewable Fuels Association) RFAEditor’s Note: In keeping with a long-standing RFA holiday tradition, our very own Senior Strategic Advisor offers his views on what is on the way “out” as we turn our calendars to 2020 and what will be “in” as the new year begins. The 2020 Out-In List — 2019
January 3, 2020
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“Locally, a chain of convenience stores has installed blender pumps selling mid-level blends in addition to E10 and E85. Consumers are responding by purchasing nearly as much E30 as E10, resulting in 2.5 times more ethanol sales compared to E10-only retailers.” Dave VanderGriend laments that this is apparently illegal according
December 31, 2019
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by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative/ICM) Mid-level blends are the future of the ethanol industry, and the U.S. government can’t be trusted to promote their use. … An overlooked provision in the recent rule allowing year-round sales of E15 caps ethanol blends at 15 percent by making
December 31, 2019
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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 need now. As long as we remain committed to the
December 31, 2019
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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 countries (U.S. and Brazil) are powerful multiparty blocs of legislators
December 28, 2019
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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 refinery waivers and low margins for ethanol plants. The year
December 24, 2019
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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 industry advocates on last week’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency renewable
December 23, 2019
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by Erica Werner (Washington Post) The bill passed by a vote of 385 to 41 and is expected to pass the Senate early next year. — The House of Representatives voted Thursday in favor of a new trade deal for North America, delivering a hard-fought victory to President Trump and
December 20, 2019
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(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 has seen in its relatively short history. The best news
December 20, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, Congressional leaders announced a five-year extension of the biomass-based diesel tax credit as part of a year-end tax extenders package. As Christmas gifts go, the importance and value of this to the biomass-based diesel universe cannot be overemphasized. No phase down Unexpectedly, the five
December 20, 2019
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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 yet another key promise to the American people, American farmers
December 19, 2019
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by Matt Carr (New Energy American/The Hill) … In 2016 Big Oil received the gift of the century in a Donald Trump presidency. Despite promises in Iowa to grow the renewable fuels industry and to promote clean air, he immediately set out to do exactly the opposite. He put fossil fuel boosters Scott Pruitt and Andrew Wheeler in charge
December 19, 2019
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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 could undermine President Donald Trump’s support among biofuel advocates
December 18, 2019
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(Grand Rapids Herald Review) Recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the chair of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, along with South Dakota Gov. and coalition vice chair Kristi Noem, sent a letter to President Trump urging the administration to consider 30 percent ethanol blends, or E30, as a way to reduce toxic aromatics
December 13, 2019
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by Mark Weinraub and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) … (Indiana farmer Paul) Hodgen’s troubles reflect the increasing difficulties faced by America’s corn farmers as a meltdown in the ethanol industry hits the corn market – adding strains to farmers already facing poor weather and the U.S. trade war with China. Some 13
December 13, 2019
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(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has submitted comments to the Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) on the bioeconomy, explaining the critical role America’s biotechnology industry plays in feeding, fueling, and healing the world. The comments were recently highlighted by Tom DiLenge, president of BIO’s Advocacy, Law & Public Policy
December 13, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) European countries are threatening to impose tariffs on goods from countries like the United States that have failed to match their climate change policies. … A PAGE OUT OF THE TRUMP PROTECTIONIST PLAYBOOK: European countries worried their plans to cut greenhouse gases will
December 12, 2019
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by Gabe Schneider (MinnPost) In August, Corn Plus, one of the oldest biofuel plants in the state of Minnesota, closed. Forty employees lost their jobs. The reasons for a slump in the biofuels industry are many, but one stands out: a Trump administration policy allowing a substantial number of gasoline refineries
December 11, 2019
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(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy, the nation’s largest ethanol association, hailed the announcement of a long-awaited deal on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade. The USMCA modernizes the previous trade pact, strengthens the trade relationship between these North American nations, and provides critical market access for U.S. agriculture. Following the announcement,
December 10, 2019
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by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration will finalize its rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions standards next year and expected it would provoke a new legal challenge by California. … Trump said on Friday that the dispute was over “a tiny amount of
December 10, 2019
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(U.S. Grains Council) As the ink dries on the final signatures needed for the new U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is celebrating improved access to the Japanese market and more than 50 years of partnership with one of the largest and most loyal customers of U.S. coarse grains
December 6, 2019
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by Jennifer Jacobs, Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg News/Transport Topics) White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow is developing a new plan to bolster biofuel-blending requirements after ethanol allies in politically important farm states complained the current proposal doesn’t do enough to compensate for waivers exempting some small refineries from
December 5, 2019
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(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) Administrator Andrew Wheeler expressing concern over the proposed supplemental
December 4, 2019
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Gov. Kim Reynolds gave a boost Tuesday to Iowa’s renewable fuels industry, requiring that all new state-owned diesel-powered vehicles — from cars and trucks to snowplows and graders — be able to use at least 20% biodiesel. Reynolds signed the executive order at the Iowa Farm
December 4, 2019
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(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 in which the proposal falls short in ACE’s written
November 29, 2019
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(Governors’ Biofuels Coalition) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Say Poisonous Aromatics Put Our Health at Risk — In a letter to President Trump today, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem asked him to enforce a provision of the Clean Air Act that
November 25, 2019
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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 a flurry of conversations between President Donald Trump and corn-state
November 25, 2019
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by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) In another response to EPA’s actions regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard, POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels LLC announced Tuesday the company will “pause” production of cellulosic ethanol at its Project Liberty plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels is a 50-50 joint venture between Royal DSM and
November 21, 2019
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Three-fourths of Iowa’s registered Republicans back President Donald Trump’s approach to trade with China, and half say his tariffs have done more to help than harm Iowa agribusiness, a new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows. The poll includes 502 registered Republicans who do not plan to caucus
November 21, 2019
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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 gallons waived. The letter is signed by Sens. Charles Grassley,
November 18, 2019
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by Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) Lawsuit marks the latest in an escalating fight over one of the nation’s biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. — California and 22 other states sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, asking a federal court to block the Trump administration from
November 16, 2019
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by Clair L. Jarvis: … Perhaps the most interesting thing about the expansion of the biofuels industry — as a share of the fuel market and a lobbying power — is that the general public hasn’t really noticed. Compared with fracking or coal, biofuels aren’t the subject of many policy reports
November 15, 2019
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(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 annual waivers to some petroleum refineries, called small refinery exemptions (SREs), which
November 15, 2019
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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 from Midwest Senators, the American Coalition for Ethanol, how both
November 11, 2019
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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 standard. “I did visit with the president actually, again, two
November 8, 2019
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by Amy Klobuchar (Argus Leader) ‘When we’re straight with the American people, we can build an even bigger coalition with an optimistic economic and justice agenda for this country.’ — From town halls to fish fries, debate stages to Hall of Fame dinners, we have talked a lot about changing our
November 6, 2019
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by Art Cullen (Storm Lake Times/Washington Post) … (J.D.) Scholten, a 39-year-old former semi-pro pitcher, was out on a 14-county “Don’t Forget About Us Tour” targeting Iowa towns of 1,000 people or fewer in his uphill climb against Rep. Steve King, the anti-immigrant Republican who dabbles in white nationalism. King’s
November 5, 2019
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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, but if you look what he’s done with the RFS
November 5, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) A broad coalition of biofuel and farm advocates today sent a letter to the White House calling on President Trump to fix a flawed proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which “fails in its mission to reinvigorate farm economies and reopen biofuel plants across America’s heartland.” The letter
November 5, 2019
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by Matt Kaye (FarmWeekNow.com) Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper called the proposed supplemental rule issued by EPA a “bait and switch.” — … During a hearing before a U.S. House Energy subcommittee, Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) chief Geoff Cooper accused EPA of secretly granting Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) as
October 31, 2019
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(Finance & Commerce/Bloomberg) Donald Trump’s effort to boost corn demand by allowing year-round sales of ethanol-blended gasoline has run into a logistical problem. Few stations offer it. In corn country, gasoline with a 15% blend of ethanol is now pretty accessible year-round. But in large population states including California, New York
October 31, 2019
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by Gavin Bade (Politico’s Morning Energy) House lawmakers will hold a hearing today to critique the White House plan to roll back vehicle fuel economy standards, a day after GM, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota said they would side with the Trump administration on the proposal. … Lawmakers on the House Committee
October 29, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the White House hosted the Summit on America’s Bioeconomy earlier this month, and the summary of the remarks is now available. The White House opined, “the Summit marked the first gathering at The White House of our Nation’s foremost bioeconomy experts, Federal officials, and
October 28, 2019
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(Our Daily Planet) Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, on Friday announced a $450 billion/10 year “Clean Cars For America Climate Proposal” to accelerate the transition to net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century by making clean cars
October 28, 2019
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USDA, DOE Sign Major MOU to Promote Rural Energy, Advance Rural Communities, Domestic Manufacturing.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Donald “DJ” LaVoy and U.S. Department of Energy Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes today (October 24, 2019) announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the two departments to promote rural energy and the development of technologies
October 25, 2019
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by Walker Orenstein (Twin Cities Business) Minnesota lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have come out in support of ethanol and biodiesel, which they believe could help boost agriculture and reduce carbon emissions. — In turbulent times for trade-dependent corn and soybean farmers, elected officials across the political spectrum in
October 23, 2019
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(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 Trump administration about its new approach to small refinery hardship
October 23, 2019
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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 documents from a White House review of the Environmental
October 23, 2019
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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 industry merely want the law to be enforced as written—and
October 23, 2019
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by Andrew Hecht (Seeking Alpha) Summary: Lots of action in ethanol since the 2018 low. Liquidity declines in the biofuel. The trade war impacts ethanol – a policy decision fails to keep a promise. The falling Brazilian currency is also a factor. ADM is an ethanol producer. … The trade
October 22, 2019
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by Jim Wiesemeyer (Pro Farmer) President Donald Trump today said a plan to recalculate biofuel-blending requirements to offset waivers exempting refineries from the mandates is approved, done and ready to sign and that the deal is “going to be terrific for the small refiners” that have “been hurt for a long
October 22, 2019
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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 were made to the EPA’s SRE data. In addition
October 18, 2019
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by Brian Dabbs (National Journal) … Now, though, two retiring Republican House members want to carve out a new future for U.S. liquid transportation fuel policy. Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois, who represents some of the most prolific corn-producing counties in the U.S., and Rep. Bill Flores, a petroleum-backing Texan,
October 18, 2019
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by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register) Angry over proposed ethanol changes, Iowa agriculture leaders warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump will lose rural voters next year unless he makes good on a deal to restore millions of gallons of lost renewable fuel demand. “No more Iowa nice. Now, it’s Iowa pissed,” said Craig Floss, CEO
October 18, 2019
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(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 “big beautiful deal” EPA announced last week raised more
October 17, 2019
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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 Standard today, and the bioeconomy is up in arms, and
October 16, 2019
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by Nadja Popovich and Denise Lu (New York Times) Transportation is the largest source of planet-warming greenhouse gases in the United States today and the bulk of those emissions come from driving in our cities and suburbs. The (interactive) map … shows a year’s worth of CO2 from passenger and freight traffic
October 10, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) First and foremost, the group asked Trump to expedite any new rulemaking process aimed at the waivers issue. … As part of the biofuels announcement last week, the Trump administration also directed EPA and USDA to take steps to address barriers to the use
October 10, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) A group of large investors is calling on GM to join a voluntary emissions deal struck between California, Ford and three other automakers — a deal that’s currently the subject of a Trump administration antitrust investigation, Pro’s Alex Guillén reports. “Joining the agreement with California
October 9, 2019
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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 that have been provided suggest that the plan won’t do
October 8, 2019
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(Biofuels International) A new nationwide US survey conducted by Morning Consult has found strong support for ethanol and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Support for the latter has reached its highest level since the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) began polling on RFS support in 2016. The survey additionally found that
October 7, 2019
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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 more, …. The 4-Point Agreement The Administration announced that the
October 7, 2019
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The White House removed language calling climate change a “serious challenge” from a proposal that limits California’s ability to set tougher vehicle emissions standards, according to reporting from E&E News. A draft of the document obtained by E&E shows the White House striking the phrase “while global climate
October 4, 2019
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(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 has led to an agreement that continues to promote
October 4, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Registered voters oppose the Trump administration’s actions to exempt oil refineries from renewable fuel blending obligations by a margin of nearly two to one, according to new polling data released today by the Renewable Fuels Association. The nationwide survey, by Morning Consult, also found strong support for ethanol
October 3, 2019
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by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Two small refiners not receiving exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard in EPA’s latest round of waivers announced on Aug. 9, continue to fight the agency’s rejection in federal court. At the same time, agriculture and biofuel interests continue to wait for a potential biofuels
October 2, 2019
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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 SREs (small oil refinery exemptions) granted has exploded during the
October 2, 2019
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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 gasoline. The waivers, which the Trump administration has approved almost
October 2, 2019
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by Scott Waldman and Benjamin Storrow (E&E News) Ukraine, now at the center of a rapidly accelerating impeachment inquiry against President Trump, has been central to the president’s efforts to increase U.S. exports of fossil fuels. The Eastern European nation sits at the crossroads of Europe and Russia. Today, roughly
October 1, 2019
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(Safe Gasoline Campaign) In a wide-ranging interview on a popular South Dakota Business Radio program, Sombke and Daschle stressed that moving to high octane gasoline is a way to build on the success of the Renewable Fuel Standard. The path to get there is through the Safe Affordable Fuel Efficiency (SAFE) rule currently
September 30, 2019
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by Ben Lefebvre (Politico) At a closed-door meeting this summer, oil and gas industry lawyers criticized the Trump administration’s failure to recruit enough qualified people to secure policy victories that would outlast this presidency, according to a recording of the gathering. The audio from an Independent Petroleum Producers of America meeting
September 30, 2019
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by Dave Blower Jr. (The News Gazette) The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) along with 12 other Indiana farm, ethanol and biodiesel plants and allied industries wrote to Indiana’s congressional delegation expressing frustration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to compel the
September 27, 2019
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by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Leaders in the renewable fuels industry say it’s urgent that President Trump fix the demand destruction and “economic crisis” created by RFS waivers. Ron Heck of Perry, Iowa, secretary of the National Biodiesel Board, says there’s no time to wait. “Many farmers are losing patience with
September 27, 2019
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by Mario Parker (Transport Topics/Bloomberg News) … Japan will reduce tariffs in stages on U.S. farm goods, such as beef and pork, USTR said in a statement Sept 25. The country will eliminate tariffs on $1.3 billion of U.S. agriculture products, including almonds, blueberries, sweet corn and sorghum, it said.
September 26, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Renewable Fuels Association sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Sept. 25 criticizing statements he made during a Sept. 19 congressional hearing where he claimed small refinery exemptions (SREs) are not impacting the ethanol industry. Wheeler appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives
September 26, 2019
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(Sierra Club) Today, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will join 14 other states in adopting clean car standards requiring new cars sold in the state to emit fewer greenhouse gases. They also mandate an increasing percentage of cars sold in the state to be zero emissions. The governor
September 25, 2019
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(Our Daily Planet) Looking to take further action against the State of California, the Environmental Protection Agency under the guise of enforcing the state’s non-compliance with the Clean Air Act (CAA) says it will take away billions in federal funds provided to the state of California to implement low carbon transportation
September 25, 2019
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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, retailers selling E15 had already planned to increase
September 24, 2019
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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 to small refineries from the Renewable Fuel Standard from 2016
September 23, 2019
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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 likely to make oil companies that have been given permission
September 23, 2019
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by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) President Donald Trump on Thursday discussed biofuels policy with senators from U.S. oil states, including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, who said the president was engaged on the issue that has pitted Big Oil and Big Corn against each other. The oil industry is opposed to the
September 20, 2019
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(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) President Trump promised the American people that his Administration would address and correct the current fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards, and today (September 19, 2019), his Administration is taking steps to fulfill this promise. Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
September 20, 2019
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by Dino Grandoni and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) 22 other states, plus D.C., Los Angeles and New York City, joined in the lawsuit — California and 22 other states filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to revoke the most-populous state’s right to
September 20, 2019
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by Miranda Green (The Hill) President Trump announced on Wednesday that his administration will be removing California’s tailpipe emissions waiver under the Clean Air Act, a decision likely to face fierce backlash in courts. Trump made the announcement via Twitter while touring California for private fundraisers and a visit to the
September 18, 2019
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“I’ve been hoodwinked so many times, not just by the EPA on this issue, but by other bureaucracies as well, so I’m going to see if what we talked about is the end product,” Senatory Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters on September 17 referencing enforcement of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
September 18, 2019
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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 become muddied with rhetoric about special interests and government
September 18, 2019
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by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The Trump administration will revoke California’s right to set stricter air pollution for cars and light trucks on Wednesday, according to two senior administration officials, as part of a larger effort to weaken an Obama-era climate policy curbing greenhouse gas emissions from
September 17, 2019
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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 crop was known. That’s not great news for corn growers,
September 16, 2019
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(Renewable Fuels Association) Drone attacks Saturday in Saudi Arabia destroyed oil fields and caused a record spike in oil prices overnight, again calling into question claims that increased U.S. oil production has made America energy independent. The following is a statement from Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper: “The
September 16, 2019
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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 of 15 percent ethanol fuels, four industry and other sources
September 16, 2019
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by Donavan Lim and Yi Jeng Huang (S&P Gobal Platts) US ethanol exports are forecast to fall around 100 million gallons year on year to 1.5 billion gallons in 2019 as trade flows redirects away from China toward Southeast Asia and India, according to industry executive in an interview at
September 13, 2019
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(Federal Register) The Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) requests input from all interested parties on the U.S. Bioeconomy. The Bioeconomy represents the infrastructure, innovation, products, technology, and data derived from biologically-related processes and science that drive economic growth, promote health, and increase public benefit. Through this Request for
September 13, 2019
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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, including the Toledo Refining Co. operation in Oregon, at risk
September 12, 2019
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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 a plan to bolster corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel. In
September 12, 2019
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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 to include executives from Louis Dreyfus Co., Renewable Biofuels
September 11, 2019
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by P.J. Huffstutter and Tom Polansek (Reuters) … Many farmers are angry, and some are directing their anger not at the Republican president, but at Washington’s bureaucracy. Trump has faced backlash from agricultural groups, ethanol producers and Midwestern politicians upset that his trade war with China has slashed export sales
September 10, 2019
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by Ty Rushing (NWestIowa.com) … During his town hall, King addressed multiple topics including immigration, trade negotiations and the struggles of the agricultural renewable fuels community. POET Biorefining, the nation’s largest ethanol producer, has a plant south of Ashton, which King made reference to when questioning a recent decision by the
September 9, 2019
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by Arnold Schwarzenegger (Washington Post) California has been a leader in the fight to clean our air since one of my heroes, Ronald Reagan, was our governor. The Trump administration, for some reason, is hellbent on reversing decades of history and progress. Whether it is political pettiness, shortsightedness or just plain jealousy,
September 9, 2019
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by Chris Prentice, Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. agricultural trade groups on Friday told the Trump administration a proposed biofuel reform package falls short of expectations, four sources familiar with discussions said, complicating plans the administration had for presenting the proposal to President Donald Trump. … The plan
September 8, 2019
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Justice Dept. Launches Antitrust Probe of Automakers over Their Fuel Efficiency Deal with California
by Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson (Washington Post) The Justice Department has launched an antitrust investigation of four leading automakers over an agreement they forged with the state of California to maintain higher fuel efficiency standards than those sought by the Trump administration, escalating the stakes in the long-running battle between
September 6, 2019
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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 along with a stark warning: You’ve got a problem in
September 6, 2019
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(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 Trump seeks to temper farm-state criticism he has undermined U.S.
September 6, 2019
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by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico’s Morning Energy) California and the Trump administration will duke it out in court today over EPA’s initial decision to undo Obama-era auto emissions standards. … It’s California vs. Donald Trump today at the D.C. Circuit in an early test of the clash between the state and federal
September 6, 2019
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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 president of the American Petroleum Institute) said the petroleum industry
September 5, 2019
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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 over year, significantly undermining biofuel production by destroying nearly 4
September 4, 2019
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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New Jersey, Senator Cory Booker announced that, if elected as US President, he would “Immediately end the granting of unwarranted RFS small refinery waivers to big oil companies, and substantially increase funding for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Booker became the second US
September 3, 2019
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by Luciano Costa and Jake Spring (Reuters) Brazil has renewed and increased the size of its tariff-free quota for ethanol imports, but the new allotment will last only one year instead of the two years allocated to the former quota that expired on Saturday, according to the country’s official gazette. The
September 3, 2019
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by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) On Wednesday, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers and the American Petroleum Institute sent a letter to President Trump in response to reports that the administration is considering measures to mitigate the harm that the renewable fuels industry has experienced as a result of the
September 1, 2019
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by Doug Sombke (The Hill/Farmers Union Enterprises and the South Dakota Farmers Union) … I recently wrote a letter to the president suggesting a pathway out from under the proverbial rock. I urged him to direct the EPA to enforce the mandatory provision of the Clean Air Act that requires it to reduce the toxic
September 1, 2019
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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 package might be. Trump’s tweet followed weeks of outrage by
September 1, 2019
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by Tal Axelrod (The Hill) The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) blasted the Trump administration on Tuesday, saying the government has put it in “one hell of a bad situation.” The trade association hammered President Trump for approving what it called 31 “unjustified” refinery waivers tied to ethanol, along with his year-plus trade war
August 28, 2019
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by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds and Midwest governors are planning a trip to Washington, D.C. to talk with President Trump about unrest in farm country. “Let him know first-hand what’s happening on the ground,” Reynolds said this morning. The Trump Administration recently granted waivers to oil companies,
August 28, 2019
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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 refinery waivers issued under the Renewable Fuel Standard, restore the
August 28, 2019
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by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In China, Reuters reports that as part of another $75 billion in tariffs on US imports in the latest round of the on-going trade war, as of December 15 US-origin ethanol will face an additional 10% import duty on top of existing duties that already make
August 27, 2019
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(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 proposed rule for 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). According to
August 27, 2019
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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. farm states essential to his re-election, has ordered federal agencies
August 26, 2019
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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 boost biofuel demand, four sources familiar with the matter said.
August 22, 2019
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by Brian Dabbs (National Journal) Democratic presidential candidates are exploiting a controversial White House ethanol policy to try to generate support among President Trump’s staunchest backers. The Environmental Protection Agency waived ethanol blending requirements for more than 30 petroleum refiners earlier this month, in a move that continues to infuriate
August 22, 2019
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by Alex Guillén (Politico’s Morning Energy) The Trump administration is considering reallocating the volumes of ethanol that were reduced when it allowed dozens of refineries to waive their Renewable Fuel Standard requirements to blend the biofuel with gasoline, four industry sources with knowledge of the discussions told Pro’s Eric Wolff.
August 22, 2019
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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 petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
August 21, 2019
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by Alex Guillén (Politico’s Morning Energy) EPA’s internal watchdog is being asked to determine how the agency decided to grant the vast majority of exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard that oil refiners have requested. EPA approved 31 petitions for waivers from the 2018 requirements, while rejecting just six, and
August 21, 2019
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by Robert Rapier (Forbes) … My proposed solution is for the Midwestern states to band together to provide sufficient state incentives to develop a major Midwest corridor where E85 — a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline — is the primary fuel of choice for consumers. There is enough
August 19, 2019
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by By Todd Neeley and Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) …The president sided with oil refiners over ethanol producers and corn farmers, just two months after reiterating his support for ethanol at a rally held at Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to celebrate the approval of year-round
August 19, 2019
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by Andy Knight (The Herald Bulletin) Officials with POET Biorefining in Alexandria are monitoring the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China, which has resulted in significant tariffs on U.S. ethanol shipments to that country. POET employs more than 40 people in Madison County and, according to the company’s
August 16, 2019
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by Humeyra Pamuk (Reuters) A phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump last week ended a nearly two-month-long review of the nation’s biofuels program, three sources familiar with the matter said, with the White House siding in favor of oil refiners over corn growers. Trump gave Andrew Wheeler, head of the U.S.
August 16, 2019
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by John McCormick and Jesse Naranjo (Wall Street Journal) … “He’s doing the right thing,” said Leo Balk, a fifth-generation farmer who raises corn, soybeans, oats, beef and dairy cows on about 300 acres near New Hampton, Iowa. “It hurts, but his concept is absolutely right.” One of the reasons farmers
August 15, 2019
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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 made by President Trump to look into why big oil
August 12, 2019
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(GreenTechMedia) An analysis published Wednesday by clean energy advocacy group Energy Innovation found that if the administration does eliminate California’s waiver, costs from the rule change would total $400 billion in 2018 dollars by 2050. By 2035, Energy Innovation projects that transportation emissions will be at least 10 percent higher than
August 8, 2019
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by Hallie Gu and Tom Daly (Reuters/Zawya) Beijing is honouring its pledges to buy U.S. agricultural products, state media cited China’s state planning body saying, dismissing an accusation from U.S. President Donald Trump that it had not met purchasing promises in the sector. Trump had said on Thursday that Beijing had
August 7, 2019
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by Rachel Gamarski and Fabiana Batista (Bloomberg) Decision may be taken before tax-free quota expires end-August; Any tariff on U.S. ethanol would hurt bilateral trade talks — As China turns its back on American ethanol in a lingering trade spat, Brazil is considering opening its doors to U.S. biofuel. — Brazilian authorities are
August 6, 2019
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by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA submitted its final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks to the White House Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 2. OMB review marks a final stage before the public release of the
August 6, 2019
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by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) Thirteen states filed suit against the Trump administration Friday, arguing it was breaking the law by cutting penalties for automakers that do not meet Obama-era fuel efficiency standards. The suit, led by California’s and New York’s attorneys general, goes after a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule that
August 5, 2019
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by Dennis Lundell (The Cap Times) Dear Editor: With the recent move to lift restrictions on E15 by President Trump, the agricultural community has an opportunity to build America’s economy with more renewable biofuels. And that means less reliance on foreign oil, cleaner air and more income in rural communities.
August 2, 2019
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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 11,700 comments were filed on the proposal, according to data