by Krista Swanson (National Corn Growers Association) Ethanol is a renewable transportation fuel that can be made from domestically grown corn. Over 98% of the gasoline currently sold in the United States contains ethanol, typically a blend that is 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Autos that
corn prices
Back TO HOMECommentaries: Yes, It’s Time to Rethink Ethanol
by James Lenz (Minnesota Star-Tribune) I enjoyed Karen Tolkkinen’s fresh look at the ethanol situation (“The time is ripe to rethink ethanol,” Sept. 1). Yes, she writes with a tentative voice, obeying the rules for “Minnesota Nice.” Her perspective probably matches what
September 30, 2024 Read Full Article
Report: Low Corn Prices Support Expansion of Chinese Ethanol Production
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol production and demand in China are expected to increase 17% this year, according to a report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network. Domestic ethanol production capacity in China is
September 20, 2024 Read Full Article
USGC Explores Renewed Ethanol Collaboration during China Mission
(WATT Poultry) The mission aimed to foster collaboration that could unlock significant market opportunities. -- Representatives from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the U.S. ethanol industry embarked on an exploratory mission to China aimed at gaining critical insights into the country's ethanol market
September 15, 2024 Read Full Article
Dented Corn Ethanol: A Game Changer for India’s Biofuel Sector
by Dilip S. Patil (The Hindu Business Line) By integrating corn-based ethanol into its biofuel strategy, India can create a more secure, diversified, and sustainable ethanol production system -- India’s Ethanol Blending Program (EBP) aims to achieve 20 per cent ethanol blending by 2025,
July 29, 2024 Read Full Article
Farming Is Hip in Brazil, Where a New Generation Is Outpacing the US
by Clarice Couto, Dayanne Sousa and Michael Hirtzer (Bloomberg) Thanks to its cheap labor, year-round harvests and close ties with mega-buyer Beijing, Brazil has rapidly encroached on the US’s long-held position as the world’s top supplier of key crops. Now,
July 26, 2024 Read Full Article
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Could Help Clear the Air, Former Kansas Senator Says | Opinion
by Pat Roberts (Wichita Eagle/Americans for Clean Aviation Fuels) ... Unfortunately, SAF represents less than one percent of the current market and costs two to four times more than traditional jet fuel. To tackle this challenge, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act
July 15, 2024 Read Full Article
New Study Showcases Corn Farming’s Contribution to the Economy
(National Corn Growers Association) Corn growers were responsible for a $151 billion boost to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to a new report released this week by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). The report, entitled NCGA Economic Contribution Study for 2023, looked
July 12, 2024 Read Full Article
US Farmers Shun Buyers, Cling to Unsold Corn as Prices Slump
by P.j. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) South Dakota farmer Eric Kroupa received a flurry of calls from grain dealers and ethanol plants asking to buy the corn locked away in his bins when prices neared 4-1/2-month peaks last month. He sold
June 17, 2024 Read Full Article
Farmers and 45Z Tax Credit: 45Z Tax Credit Offers a Market for Ag and Carbon Scores, Demands Data and Trust
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Farmers are still planting their 2024 spring crops, but their local biofuel plants are going to be increasingly focused on the carbon intensity score of those crops as well. The initial Treasury Department guidance for the
May 14, 2024 Read Full Article
Biofuels Offer Low-Hanging Fruit in Nascent Carbon Capture Industry
by Amena H. Saiyid (Cipher) Biofuel producers are taking up carbon capture and storage technology faster than any other industry in the United States as demand grows for cleaner fuels for shipping and aviation. Four out of every ten carbon capture and
May 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Govt Plans to Procure More Maize to Ramp up Production of Ethanol
by Zia Haq (Hindustan Times) ... India has drawn up plans to divert more maize to make ethanol for the country’s fuel-blending programme and ramp up output nearly 10 times in five years, three officials said on Monday. Maize, or corn, the
March 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Corn and Soybean Prices Drop 8% to Begin 2024 — and the EPA Is Partly to Blame
by Myra P. Saefong (MarketWatch/Morningstar) Falling gasoline demand put agency in ‘tough position’: energy trader -- Corn and soybean prices have declined on the back of excess supplies, with disappointing U.S. mandates for plant-based renewable fuels contributing to weakness — and pulling
February 09, 2024 Read Full Article
The Link between Oil and Ag -- Understand Why Oil Prices Impact Corn and Soybean Prices.
by Cassidy Walter (Successful Farming) “Petroleum is the floor,” says Owen Wagner, senior grain and oilseeds analyst for RaboResearch. “That’s the best way to think of it; petroleum sets the foundation.” Wagner says the price of oil is not a primary driver
February 05, 2024 Read Full Article
Milei Seeks to Deregulate the Price of Biofuels and Enable Oil Companies to Participate in the Business
(Bichos de Campo (Google Translation)) The National Executive Branch sent to Congress the legislative megaproject with which it will seek to carry out a gigantic reform of the State and regulations, especially economic ones, reducing participation in many sectors. One of the
January 02, 2024 Read Full Article
Govt to Buy Maize at MSP, Raise Output to Meet Biofuel Needs
by Zia Haq (Hindustan Times) The Union government has signed off on a plan to procure maize at federally fixed minimum support prices (MSP) while increasing its output and productivity by expanding the area under cultivation, as part of a strategy to meet
December 11, 2023 Read Full Article
Todd's Take: Has the Case for Ethanol Come Full Circle?
by Todd Hultman (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... The same day President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law, spot corn was trading near $4.39 a bushel and crude oil was near $91 a barrel, not far
September 25, 2023 Read Full Article
Stu Ellis: Biofuels Looking to Takeoff with Help from Lawmakers
by Stu Ellis (Herald & Review) ... And the U.S. Department of Agriculture's projections for exports ratchet down every time a new Supply and Demand report is issued. While this is occurring, Brazil announces increased exports of corn and soybeans —
September 20, 2023 Read Full Article
Driving Revival Fuels Profits for Beleaguered Ethanol Industry
by Tarso Veloso, Kim Chipman (Bloomberg/The Detroit News) ... That's a badly needed turnaround for ethanol makers such as Andersons and Archer-Daniels-Midland. The industry has struggled under the weight of sluggish consumption and skyrocketing corn prices following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
August 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Ag Economy Barometer Shows Farmers Believe Renewable Fuels to Drive Higher Crop Prices
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Indiana, farmer sentiment weakened again in March as the Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer fell 8 points to a reading of 117. The survey included several renewable energy questions focused on the ethanol and renewable diesel
April 12, 2023 Read Full Article
The Ukraine Report: Could 2023 Be the Year to Buy Ethanol in the Country?
by Currey McCullough (RFD TV) The Russian Ukrainian war has spurred the development of bioethanol in the country. ... We are getting a better idea of how the country plans to utilize its bioethanol industry this year, and the problems it
January 24, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuels a Growing Part of Ohio Agriculture
by Patrick Cooley (The Columbus Dispatch) Paul Herringshaw watched the price of corn improve dramatically when the POET Bioprocessing facility opened in 2008 in Fostoria, a short drive from his Wood County farm. The ethanol plant, one of three in Ohio operated
December 19, 2022 Read Full Article
White House Should Move Beyond E15, Boost Biofuel’s Economic, Environmental, National Security and Public Health Benefits
(Solutions from the Land) ... Reports out of Washington indicate that EPA submitted to the White House late last month its proposal on biofuel mandates, calling for a retroactive reduction for years 2020 and 2021, then boosting it back up for
May 20, 2022 Read Full Article
Aemetis Reports Progress with Biogas, SAF Projects
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. released first quarter 2022 financial results on May 12, confirming that the company’s corn ethanol plant in Keyes, California, is operating at near capacity and discussing progress with the company’s biogas, renewable diesel,
May 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Analysis: White House Weighs Inflation vs. Farmers in New Biofuel Mandates
by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The White House is expected to announce in coming weeks the amount of biofuels like corn-based ethanol that U.S. refiners must blend into their fuel this year, a decision that will force it to
May 17, 2022 Read Full Article
Tharaldson Ethanol Plant Joins Opposition to North Dakota Soybean Crushing Project
by Jeff Beach (InForUm) The North Dakota Soybean Processors plant at Casselton, North Dakota, is expected to crush 42.5 million bushels of soybeans in the first year and is a joint venture between the Minnesota Soybean Processors and Louisiana-based CGB
May 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Congressman Rice Introduces Food Before Fuel Act
(Office of Congressman Tom Rice (R-SC 7th) Bill Would Lower Price of Food and Gasoline by Repealing Ethanol Mandate Law -- Congressman Tom Rice (R-SC) introduced the Food Before Fuel Act with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) to repeal the ethanol mandate
May 02, 2022 Read Full Article
Ethanol against the World!
by Matt Reese and Dusty Sonnenberg (Ohio's Country Journal) ... “In a life cycle analysis of ethanol and electric vehicles, you have to look at the base load of carbon intensity. Right now, that number is 114 grams of CO2 per
April 22, 2022 Read Full Article
Biden Administration Studying whether Biofuel Waiver Could Ease Food Inflation -Sources
by Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is studying whether waiving biofuel blending mandates could help offset a surge in prices for key food ingredients like corn and soy oil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two sources familiar
March 04, 2022 Read Full Article
Think Gas Prices Are High Now? If Ethanol Didn’t Exist, You’d Pay Even More
by Andrew Wulfeck (FOX Weather) U.S. Department of Energy reports more than 98 percent of gasoline contains some ethanol -- ... Because of continuous fluctuating prices, studies have had difficulty capturing the exact monetary benefit of ethanol usage but have
February 28, 2022 Read Full Article
ACE Corrects Misrepresentations of RFS Environmental Outcomes
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In South Dakota, the American Coalition of Ethanol said a report released recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences by Tyler Lark and others brought to life several misrepresentations of the environmental outcomes
February 21, 2022 Read Full Article
When Energy Policy and Sustainability Clash
by Guil Signorini (Ohio's Country Journal) ... The Brazilian fuel sector is just as clean. Nearly all fuel stations sell ethanol, gasoline, and diesel. Most passenger cars and motorcycles are equipped with flex-fuel engines that can take gasoline, ethanol, or any
January 19, 2022 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Maker Eyes Low-Carbon Sugar as Its ‘Moonshot’
by Kim Chipman (Bloomberg Green) ...Shares of Green Plains Inc. rebounded to a seven-week high after the U.S. ethanol maker touted progress in its attempt to transform into a powerhouse of high-value ingredients made from corn. At the top of the
November 05, 2021 Read Full Article
Column: Surge in U.S. Ethanol Production Could Use the Exports to Match
by Karen Braun (Reuters) U.S. corn-based ethanol production over the last year or so has been more of a drag than a support on grain markets as demand and world economies continue to claw back from the coronavirus slump. Now, with
November 01, 2021 Read Full Article
Western Ethanol Producers ‘Caught in the Jaws of a Vise’ with Short Corn Supply and Weak Biofuel Demand
by Mikkel Pates (Park Rapids Enterprise) Gerald Bachmeier, chief executive officer of Red Trail Energy, Richardton, North Dakota, and Philip Coffin, vice president of Midwest AgEnergy LLC, at Underwood, North Dakota, discuss countermoves to a drought for acquiring local corn
October 05, 2021 Read Full Article
EXCLUSIVE Biden Administration Mulls Big Cuts to Biofuel Mandates in Win for Oil Industry -Document
by Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is considering big cuts to the nation's biofuel blending requirements, according to a document seen by Reuters, a move triggered by a broad decline in gasoline demand
September 22, 2021 Read Full Article
United States, Brazil Expected to Constrain Ethanol Output in Coming Months
(GrainNet/Reuters) The United States and Brazil, the world’s top two ethanol producers, are expected to hold down production in coming months because of the surging cost of corn and sugar. Tight corn and sugar supplies are passing through to ethanol costs, making
June 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Biden Weighs Small Cut to Biofuel Targets in Nod to Refiners
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Kim Chipman (Bloomberg/Yahoo!) The Biden administration is developing targets for biofuel that are likely to be relatively flat or even lower as it seeks to balance the interests of blue-collar refining workers and advance a clean-energy
June 16, 2021 Read Full Article
Agricultural Feedstock Costs Drive RIN Prices to All-Time Highs
by Sean Hill and Matthew French (U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration) The prices of renewable identification number (RIN) credits—the compliance mechanism used for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—sharply increased through April of
June 02, 2021 Read Full Article
Green-Fuel Push Stirs Food Inflation Fears in Rebound From Virus
by Kim Chipman (Bloomberg) Oil refiners’ attempt to clean up their act is bumping into growing concerns over food prices and supplies as nations seek to get back on their feet -- Soaring demand for crops has once again raised
May 21, 2021 Read Full Article
American Drivers Are Saving the Corn Ethanol Industry–for Now
by Tim McDonnell (Quartz) ... A year later, American drivers are back at the gas pump, and ethanol plants are back online. ADM re-opened its plants in early April; POET’s plants re-opened in August 2020 but only hit full production capacity in April. Then, just as
May 06, 2021 Read Full Article
Drivers Are Returning to the Road. That Is Good News for Corn Growers.
by Kirk Maltais (Wall Street Journal) The higher demand expected for gasoline additive ethanol could lift already lofty corn prices -- Corn prices are up about 50% over the past six months. ... Corn prices have hit their highest levels in
March 30, 2021 Read Full Article
Renewable Diesel Scaled to Feedstock: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to NextChem & Saola Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Unlocking value at traditional biorefineries is like the holy grail. A partnership between NextChem and Saola Energy has unlocked smaller-scale conversion of corn oil to renewable diesel, with economics that work — already, biorefineries have
January 28, 2021 Read Full Article
China Bought about 200 Million Gallons of U.S. Ethanol for First-Half 2021: ADM
by Karl Plume, Hallie Gu (Reuters) China has bought “roughly 200 million gallons” of U.S. ethanol for the first half of 2021, matching its previous record for annual imports of the corn-based biofuel, Archer Daniels Midland Co Chief Financial Officer Ray
January 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels Pivot under Biden
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Ethanol advocates are pushing for the new Biden administration to boost the portion of each gallon of gasoline that comes from corn. ... WHAT WILL BIDEN DO ABOUT BIOFUELS?President Joe Biden's plan to build out electric
January 27, 2021 Read Full Article
Dozens of Ethanol Plants Remain Idle in Early 2021
by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) Weaker demand is the main factor now, the $5 corn market could delay the industry's recovery. -- Higher corn prices are roiling the U.S. ethanol industry, but the full impact of the corn price spike might
January 15, 2021 Read Full Article
Viewpoint: Pandemic Drives Asia-Pacific Ethanol Markets
by Lauren Moffitt (Argus Media) Weaker crude oil prices have eroded the competitiveness of biofuels as a transport fuel in a global economy battered by Covid-19, leaving any expansion of ethanol-gasoline blending in Asia-Pacific tightly tied to domestic feedstock availability in
December 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Farmers Should Focus on Biofuel to Increase Earning Potential: Gadkari
(The Hindu Business Line) Must make ethanol from corn, sugarcane, biomass and rice husk, says Road Transport Minister -- Farmers in Bihar should diversify to produce biofuel in order to increase their earning potential, said Nitin Gadkari Minister for Road
December 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Listen: COVID-19: Fueling the Grains Market
by Robert Beaman, Alexandre Bobylov and Karim Elafany (S&P Global Platts) The coronavirus pandemic has had opposing effects on the grains and ethanol markets, despite the strong interlinkages between them. While grains are one of the major feedstocks for ethanol production
November 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Ag Retailers: Zero-Emission Truck Plan Could ‘Devastate’ Agriculture
by John Gallagher (Freight Waves) Ag retailers: Zero-emission truck plan could ‘devastate’ agriculture -- An environmental policy promoted by Democratic lawmakers to effectively ban internal combustion engines (ICEs) for heavy-duty trucks by 2040 would be a major economic blow to agribusiness
November 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Continues Recovery: Rising Ethanol, DDGs Prices Fuel Industry's Recovery from COVID Shutdown
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Falling demand for gasoline earlier this year from the COVID-19 economic shutdown sent ethanol producers into a tailspin. Plants closed down and cut production, as margins dipped to their lowest levels ever. Now the craziness has
November 12, 2020 Read Full Article
China's Ethanol Blending Plans Face further Hurdles
by Lauren Moffitt (Argus Media) Faltering 10pc ethanol blending (E10) because of tight and high-priced corn feedstock is fuelling doubts about China's transport decarbonisation strategy. State-controlled Sinopec's Jiangsu subsidiary will halt sales of #92 ethanol blended gasoline from November, citing inadequate ethanol
November 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Looks beyond Trump-Biden Bluster to Biofuel Reset
by Kim Chipman and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg Green) Presidential, Iowa Senate races put biofuel in spotlight; Renewable Fuel Standard uncertainty clouds ethanol outlook -- ... The winner will oversee a “reset” of the congressional mandate to blend biofuels with gasoline. This
November 02, 2020 Read Full Article
Interview: China to Keep Ethanol Program Steady, National Blend Rate Seen at 4%: US Grains Council
by Rohan Somwanshi, Shikha Singh and Mugunthan Kesavan (S&P Global Platts) US corn sales to China shows insufficient domestic supply; US ethanol output blip will not impact DDGS exports to Southeast Asia; Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand to stay top buyers of US DDGS China is
September 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Our View: Ethanol: Trump, Hagedorn, EPA Leave Farmers behind
(Mankato Free Press) President Donald Trump and his Environmental Protection Agency have about six weeks to keep their promises to farmers on ethanol, which have been broken for the past three years. While farmers have backed Trump in varying degrees since he
September 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Farmers Business Network to Spin Out New Venture to Track Carbon Footprints of Crops And Help Farmers Make More for Low-Carbon Ones
by Amy Feldman (Forbes) Agtech unicorn Farmers Business Network is spinning out a new sustainable farming company, called GRO Network, that will track and score the carbon footprint of specific crops down to the bushel and allow farmers to make more
September 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Can Iowa Farmers Survive without Ethanol? Can Trump Survive without Iowa Farmers?
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register/Ames Tribune) ... "I've sat in front of the president, and he does look you in the eye, and he does listen to you," (Bill) Couser said, adding, "It just makes you wonder what happens after
August 28, 2020 Read Full Article
COVID-19 Weighs on Ag Economy: Reports Outline Series of Economic Struggles Continue in Agriculture
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... The number of farm bankruptcies continues to rise and a struggling livestock industry is putting increasing pressure on loan portfolios, both adding to concern about the farm economy. ... A University of Illinois Department of
August 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Anniversary Report Details Success of the Renewable Fuel Standard
(Renewable Fuels Association) Commemorating the 15th anniversary of President George W. Bush’s signing of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which created the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Renewable Fuels Association today released a report detailing how the industry has benefited the nation over
August 06, 2020 Read Full Article
The Corn And Energy Price Link Could Tighten As U.S. Election Looms
by Andy Hecht (Investing.com) ... The biofuel may see lots of volatility in the run-up to the 2020 US election -- The US election in early November will determine the path of energy policy in the world’s leading oil and gas
July 21, 2020 Read Full Article
American Corn Growers Foundation Tells Farmers to Focus on Ethanol
by Robert Pore (Grand Island Independent) A Wilcox farmer and chairman of the American Corn Growers Foundation said farmers counting on corn exports “has always been a questionable strategy.” “Problematic U.S. trade policy, aimed at China, is attempting to protect
June 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Agricultural & Energy DigestData Dashboard for May 2020: Resilience, Crops, Economy, Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the month of May comes to a close and many states are re-opening, The Digest published this "Agricultural & Energy Dashboard" visual guide showing what's going on with ethanol retail prices, liquid energy commodity prices,
May 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Groups Ask Congress to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 11 ag and biofuel groups sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on May 11 asking congress to provide COVID-19 relief for ethanol and biodiesel
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Valero: Q1 Loss for Ethanol Segment, Profit for Renewable Diesel
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Valero Energy Corp. released first quarter 2020 financial results on April 29. While the company’s operations are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the executive team confirmed that demand for transportation fuels is
May 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Demand: A Long, Hard Road to Recovery
by Rhiannon Branch (Brownfield Ag News) A University of Illinois ag economist says he does not expect a bounce back from ethanol demand destruction anytime soon. “I think it’s going to be a long, hard road to recovery.” Todd Hubbs tells Brownfield COVID-19
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Eco Insights Episode 1 Part 1 and Part 2: How Is Covid-19 Impacting the Biofuels Markets?
(EcoEngineers) EcoEngineers is filming its conversations and making them accessible to the public in a video series called Eco Insights. We're inviting you to have a front-row seat to some of the daily conversations our experts have with each other. We want
April 23, 2020 Read Full Article
New RFA Analysis: Ethanol Industry Could See $10 Billion in Losses Due to COVID-19
(Renewable Fuels Association) As the COVID-19 pandemic and crude oil glut continue to ravage world fuel markets, U.S. ethanol sales in 2020 could fall by more than $10 billion and the industry’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) could drop by
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Farm Bureau Details COVID-19 Impact on Ethanol
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Agricultural commodity prices are taking big hits from the COVID-19 emergency, and one of the most hard hit sectors is ethanol, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). ... Abiding by travel restrictions, people are driving far less, pushing
April 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Grassley Urging USDA to Aid Ethanol Industry through CCC
(The Hagstrom Report/The Fence Post) Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said today that he will send a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging him to use the Commodity Credit Corporation to help the ethanol industry. Grassley said he
April 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry Seeks Bailout to Weather 'Collapsing Demand'
(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
April 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Lower Ethanol Demand Could Impact Planting Decisions
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) USDA’s 2020 Prospective Plantings report released Tuesday estimates planted acres for corn this year at 97.0 million acres, up 8 percent or 7.29 million acres from last year. But when farmers were surveyed a month ago, coronavirus had yet
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-U.S. Ethanol Plants Cutting Output Due to Crashing Demand -Trade Group
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. ethanol producers are on track to shut about 2 billion gallons of annualized output by the end of this week because of a slump in demand for fuel, the head of the Renewable Fuels Association trade
March 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil’s Plunge Is an Existential Threat to a Far Cleaner Biofuel
by Fabiana Batista and Tatiana Freitas (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) ... The spectacular plunge in the crude market is sparking unprecedented reverberations across commodities and economies, with Brazil’s corn-ethanol producers standing out as a concentration of the pain.It goes to show how
March 17, 2020 Read Full Article
COVID-19 Lowers Corn Demand, Ethanol Price
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A report from University of Illinois Extension shows weak demand for corn for ethanol use, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Production will fall dramatically, it predicts. “Estimates of a 15 to 20 percent reduction
March 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil’s Epic Crash Reminds Farmers They’re Also Energy Traders
by Isis Almeida, Michael Hirtzer, and Jen Skerritt (Bloomberg) Oil’s nosedive is sending farmers a stark reminder: they also need to be energy traders. -- Growers have become more vulnerable to energy swings over the past decades as nations from the
March 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Slammed by Price War and Virus in Worst Loss Since 1991
by Dan Murtaugh, Alex Longley, and Jacqueline Davalos (Bloomberg) Saudi Arabia and Russia both plan to increase production; IEA sees unprecedented combination of supply-and-demand shock -- Oil plunged as both Russia and Saudi Arabia stood poised to flood the market with
March 09, 2020 Read Full Article
For Trump, Hints of Trouble in Ethanol Country
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
November 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Volatility in the Ethanol Market Could Increase - Archer-Daniels-Midland Suffers with the Agricultural Sector
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
October 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Going Head-to-Head-to-Head on Ethanol with Chris Edwards
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to write to Chris (Edewards) regarding an anti-ethanol editorial he wrote for the Cato Institute website titled "Time to repeal ethanol subsidies." I didn't have the
October 21, 2019 Read Full Article
As Electric Cars Shift into Mainstream, the Corn Belt Begins to Ponder a Post-Ethanol Future
by Amy Mayer (High Plains Public Radio) ...Lee Tesdell is all-in for reducing his carbon footprint. He began installing solar panels on his farm in Polk County, Iowa, in 2013. “And all the time I was thinking that I would like
October 07, 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
China’s Ethanol Goals Could See Big Increase in Demand
by Sean Pratt (Western Producer) An analyst doesn’t think China will delay implementing its E10 policy until there is adequate domestic capacity because the policy is being driven by a desire to clean up the country’s air before hosting the 2022
August 02, 2019 Read Full Article
The Secret History of Why Soda Companies Switched From Sugar to High-Fructose Corn Syrup
by Tom Philpott (Mother Jones) In a mesmerizing recent article, Mother Jones’ Tim Murphy recounts the surprising backstory of one of corporate marketing’s greatest flops: Coca-Cola’s quickly aborted 1985 effort to tweak its formula and convince consumers to accept “New Coke.” ... Coca-Cola had already started
July 30, 2019 Read Full Article
Ed Lotterman: Oil Prices, War, and a Bad Corn Crop
by Ed Lotterman (Bismarck Tribune) Unless National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo manage to gin up a war with Iran, the terrible crop conditions across much of the Midwest this year means that some fuel
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Some U.S. Ethanol Makers Looking to Buy Brazilian Corn: RFA
by Marcelo Teixeira and Roberto Samora (Reuters) Some U.S. ethanol makers are considering buying corn from Brazil to guarantee supply as domestic crop prices are rising, the chief of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) said on Tuesday. “I haven’t heard that it is
June 19, 2019 Read Full Article
What Trump's New Ethanol Rules Mean for You
by Brittany De Lea (Fox Business) President Trump is in Iowa on Tuesday, just weeks after he lifted restrictions on ethanol – which could be a boon to both farmers and some drivers. At the end of May, the Trump administration announced it would allow
June 12, 2019 Read Full Article
Rising Corn Prices Hurt Ethanol Margins: Heavy Midwest Rains Drive Up Corn Prices, Hit Ethanol Producers Hard
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) ... The latest planting progress report tells the story for worsening ethanol margins. An estimated 58% of U.S. corn was planted as of last Sunday, the slowest progress since at least 1980. Corn planting was up
May 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Strategy for Growth: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Pacific Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest’s new “Stocks Worth Tracking” Multi-Slide Guide Series highlights hot companies that are making strides in the bioeconomy. Today’s “Stock Worth Tracking” is Pacific Ethanol. Pacific Ethanol was originally founded in 2003 as the first
May 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Splitting Ethanol Market Helps Make Brazil a Big Winner as US Struggles
(MENAFN) The ethanol market is splitting in two, which is having a big impact on the crops used to make the biofuel: corn in the US, and sugar in Brazil. There's a massive ethanol glut in the US. That's helping to drive
April 29, 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
April 09, 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
April 01, 2019 Read Full Article
Oregon Rack Gasoline Jumps Nearly 34 Cents in Two Weeks on Ethanol Troubles
by Kenneth Raphael, Jeffrey Bair and Wes Swift (S&P Global Platts) Portland, Oregon, rack gasoline has jumped more than 33 cents since March 12 on ethanol shortages tied to the recent "bomb cyclone" in the US Midwest that set off flooding
March 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Rural America Is Ready for Some Sort of a New Deal, Preferably Green
by Art Cullen (The Guardian) Here in farming country we have the opportunity to rethink our approach to renewable energy and food production -- ... Meanwhile, we’re losing our precious topsoil and polluting our rivers – killing the Gulf of Mexico in
March 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Report: Feds' Biofuel Policy Produced Unintended Environmental Consequences
(Public News Service) A new report says the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, created to spur ethanol production and cut air pollution, is responsible for a number of negative environmental impacts, including reduced water supplies in Texas and other drought-prone areas. Producing a single
March 09, 2019 Read Full Article
It’s a (Trade) War: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to U.S.-China Trade War Impacts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Mark Pomykacz, from Federal Appraisal LLC and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting offers this illuminating overview of the U.S.-China trade war impacts, cash flows, and values in the biofuels industry, and more. READ MORE U.S./China Trade
March 07, 2019 Read Full Article
Stabilizing Income: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Hedging Ethanol Production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Robert Boslego, an expert in energy price risk management and a member of Lee Enterprises Consulting, shares a six-step process to create risk management (hedging) strategies that can reduce risk and increase income, and more. READ
March 05, 2019 Read Full Article
Evolution of Ethanol
by Kristin Danley-Greiner (The Messenger) ... Monte Shaw, director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said that an estimated 10,000 families are directly invested in locally owned ethanol plants. There are hundreds of thousands of producers who are directly linked,
February 26, 2019 Read Full Article
Iowa Operatives Say Ethanol Worship Is Now as Corny as The West Wing
by Ben Jacobs (The Guardian) ... Tim Gannon, the Democratic nominee for Iowa secretary of agriculture in 2018, told the Guardian the idea of ethanol as a dealbreaker in the state was “very much a stereotypical thing because of The West
February 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Open the Door to Higher Blends
by Doug Sombke (South Dakota Farmers Union and Farmers Union Enterprise/Biofuels Digest) ... The reality is that the RFS is going backwards, we have effectively capped the use of corn ethanol in the United States, and the EPA continues to play lip
February 13, 2019 Read Full Article
Empirical Evidence Suggests Negligible Indirect Land Use Effect of Corn Ethanol in the U.S.
(Agriculture & Applied Ecoomics Association/CISION/PR Web) AAEA Members release research that finds corn ethanol production and crop price changes had negligible impact on cropland -- Since 2007 corn ethanol production has doubled and there was also a sharp upturn in corn prices
January 29, 2019 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Production Has Minimal Effect on Cropland Use, Study Shows
by Madhu Khanna (Farms.com) Ethanol production has increased sharply in the United States in the past 10 years, leading to concerns about the expansion of demand for corn resulting in conversion of non-cropland to crop production and the environmental effects of
December 28, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study Shows that Corn Acreage and Total Crop Acreage Are Not Very Responsive to Local Ethanol Production and Crop Prices
by Ruiqing Miao, Yijia Li and Madhu Khanna (FarmDocDaily) Land-use change is in the forefront of human-nature interaction and is the nexus of food security, farm economy, greenhouse gas emission, and ecosystem services. How the development of corn-based biofuel affects land-use change, particularly
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuels Lead Efforts to Protect the Climate
by Craig Willis (EurActiv/Growth Energy) With every passing year, the pathway to a stable climate gets narrower and more difficult to navigate. Meanwhile, the reports from our planet’s top scientists paint an increasingly grim picture of what to expect if the
December 13, 2018 Read Full Article
Closed Doors, Open Windows: Tariffs in China and Brazil ...
by Lisa Gibons (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Tariffs in China and Brazil have deeply affected U.S. ethanol exports, but other markets remain, new ones are opening and opportunities still abound for the world’s lowest-cost octane. Despite a 20 percent tariff rate quota implemented
December 06, 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
Green Plains Sheds Three Plants, Shutters Another and Offloads Storage and Rail Assets
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Nebraska, Green Plains Inc. announced that it completed the previously announced sale of its three ethanol plants to Valero Renewable Fuels Company LLC for $319 million in cash, including net working capital and other adjustments. The transaction
November 16, 2018 Read Full Article
President Opens up E15 Sales: Trump Directs EPA to Allow Year-Round E15 and a More Transparent RINs Market
by Chris Clayton and Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) Leading into President Donald Trump's trip to Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Tuesday, a senior White House official said Tuesday that the president has directed the Environmental Protection Agency to create a
October 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Why Donald Trump Is Feeling the Heat From Midwestern Farmers
by Justin Worland (Time Magazine) On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made two big promises: renegotiating free trade agreements and helping corn growers by supporting ethanol. ... As tensions over trade have proven painful to Midwestern farmers in the short term, demands
September 14, 2018 Read Full Article
NCGA: USDA Trade Aid Won't Make Up for Lost Markets
(National Corn Growers Association) The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today said plans unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide aid to farmers negatively impacted by trade tariffs and ongoing trade uncertainty would be insufficient to even begin
August 31, 2018 Read Full Article
China Corn Rallies as Beijing Signals Support for Ethanol Plan
by Hallie Gu, Josephine Mason (Reuters) China corn futures rallied on Thursday after the central government said it would promote the use of ethanol in vehicles, its first public statement on its ambitious biofuel policy in almost a year. China will promote the
August 25, 2018 Read Full Article
Brazil’s Corn-Based Ethanol Industry Booms
(Bloomberg/Hellenic Shipping News) The processing plants peppering the agricultural heartland of Brazil attest to the country’s position as the world’s biggest sugar-cane producer and the undisputed king of ethanol made from the crop. But debt has crippled the industry, paving the
August 24, 2018 Read Full Article
European Drought Increases Ethanol Feedstock Costs but Also Boosts Dried Distillers Grains Prices
by Chrysa Glystra (S&P Global Platts) The hot and dry weather that has swept across Northwest Europe over the summer months has seen grains prices skyrocket but has also increased demand for animal feed, including dried distillers grains, a by-product of ethanol
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
The 'Octane Olive Branch' Is Full of Thorns
by Doug Durante (The Hill/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) With a final rule on fuel economy likely to come out in the near future, a considerable amount of attention has centered on higher octane fuels as a pathway to increased efficiency in
July 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Provides Value to Everyone in the Chain
by John Duff (Delta Farm Press) ... Regardless of policy, ethanol presents a value proposition to all involved. Ethanol gives farmers access to more markets and greater global market liquidity. In a world where 74% of the variance in the price
June 26, 2018 Read Full Article
Ethanol Discussion Needs to Be Based on Facts
by David Kessel (Marin Independent Journal) ... Discussions on energy use and production are important, but need to be based on factual information, not made up red herrings. • The articles state the intent was to increase renewable fuels. Not mentioned
June 25, 2018 Read Full Article
All Eyes On Ethanol: Brazil’s Ethanol Industry Continues to Grow with the Help of Renewable Fuel Goals and International Partnerships.
by Tim Albrecht (Ethanol Producer Magazine) More than 90 percent of all new cars licensed in Brazil each year are flex fuel. Every liter of fuel sold in Brazil includes 27 percent ethanol. Consumers have chosen to replace almost 40 percent
May 30, 2018 Read Full Article
Biofuel Policy Adds to Agricultural Market Uncertainty
by Pat Westhoff (Columbia Tribune) ... Biofuel policy decisions also have the potential to have large impacts on commodity markets and farm income. Most cars in this country run on a blend of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. At current gasoline
May 18, 2018 Read Full Article
The New War Over Ethanol, And How It Might Affect You
by F. Todd Davidson (Forbes) A seemingly small action from the Environmental Protection Agency could spark a new war between Big Oil and Big Ag that could have far-reaching effects on the U.S. agricultural, energy, and transportation industries. Last month the EPA granted an
April 23, 2018 Read Full Article
Trump Ethanol Moves May Be Worse for Farmers Than Soy Tariff
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Change to biofuel mandate may mean destruction of corn demand; Growers already dealing with trade concerns, crop gluts -- Based on his own back-of-the-envelope calculations, Minnesota farmer Kirby Hettver could lose tens of thousands of dollars of earnings because
April 10, 2018 Read Full Article
China's 2020 Ethanol Blending Target Faces Obstacles
(Argus Media) China faces several challenges to hit an ambitious 10pc (E10) ethanol blending target in its gasoline fuel mix by 2020, according to participants at the Argus China Ethanol conference in Beijing. The government announced the target last year to reduce
April 05, 2018 Read Full Article
RIN Price Cap a Demand Cap: Oil Industry Study Makes Ethanol Industry's Case on Motive, Impact
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) A study commissioned by the country's largest oil refiner explains how a waiver credit would freeze ethanol demand. Ethanol industry groups are pointing to several statements in the oil industry's own report to make the
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
New Study: RIN Price Cap for E15 RVP Waiver “Deal” Would Cut Ethanol Consumption and Trounce Corn Prices
by Emily Druckman (Renewable Fuels Association) Any action to artificially cap Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices in exchange for an RVP waiver allowing year-round sale of E15 would be a bad deal for rural America and the nation’s consumers, according to
March 08, 2018 Read Full Article
Farmers Grow Their Own Market through Ethanol
by Steve White (Nebraska TV) Nebraska farmers grow their own market through ethanol. It creates jobs, but it also provides hometown demand for corn and they’re optimistic Pres. Trump will help the industry. Farmers like Bill Schuster of Hamilton County can’t imagine
February 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Sweet Sorghum as an Ethanol Feedstock in Western Nebraska - Could It Happen?
by Richard Perrin, Lilyan Fulginiti, Subir Bairagi, Ismail Dweikat (KRVN) It has been proposed that non-irrigated sweet sorghum might be grown in western Nebraska as a seasonal substitute for corn grain in corn ethanol plants. In the research summarized here1, we
January 20, 2018 Read Full Article
Ontario Proposal Aims to Double Ethanol Blend in Fuel
by John Greig (Manitoba Co-operator) An Ontario government proposal could dramatically increase the amount of Ontario corn going into ethanol production and help bring consistency to the basis price for corn in the province. The government has posted its proposal to increase
January 04, 2018 Read Full Article
Inside Insight
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) To kick off the new year, we rounded up a few experts to discuss five main industry topics: exports, policy, production, finance and technology. Find out what they said. -- As we head into 2018, ethanol
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Editorial: Keep Biofuel Benefits Flowing
(Wisconsin State Journal) ... A study conducted for the U.S. Agriculture Department found corn ethanol’s life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, by 2022, will be 43 percent lower than gasoline baseline emissions if ethanol plants continue as usual. If ethanol production makes improvements with available
December 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Basse Bullish on Biofuels
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Even if volume obligations for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard are mostly stagnant or lower in 2018, agricultural economist Dan Basse of AgResource Company is bullish on growth in the sector next year. One reason is lower prices for
December 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Ending Food Waste Not Biofuels Should Be Food Security Priority
by Alex Brinkley (National Newswatch) Groups concerned that using grains to make biofuels threatens food security should be paying more attention to the impact of waste on the food supply, says Andrea Kent, Vice-President of Government and Public Relations at Greenfields
October 30, 2017 Read Full Article
Could China’s Ethanol Mandate Jolt US Corn Prices?
(The Fence Post) ... Answering the call for clean air, China plans to dramatically boost ethanol use in its gasoline supply, moving to E10 blends by 2020. Considering China is the world's largest car market, and currently ranks number three for fuel
September 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Listen to Farmers, Not Oil Industry Lobbyists
by Kris Tom (The Brazil Times) This paper recently published a letter from oil lobbyist Maureen Ferguson attacking Indiana farmers and ethanol producers. I’m a farmer, and I want you to know the oil lobby is flawed in its arguments. Her claims
August 22, 2017 Read Full Article
New Study Shows Renewable Fuel Standard Helps—Not 'Harms'—the US Economy
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/The Hill) Buried deep within the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent proposal for 2018 renewable fuel standard (RFS) blending requirements is a curious request for public comments on whether the proposed biofuel volumes would somehow cause “severe
August 18, 2017 Read Full Article
House Committee Debates Future Federal Support of Biofuels
by Sara Taginawa (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On Tuesday, July 25, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing examining the future of biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to Emily Skor, chief executive officer
July 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter: Ethanol Production Helps Local Farmers
by David Howell (The Herald Bulletin) While increased production is usually a good thing, the bumper crop is leading to a global glut of corn and a third straight year of tumbling commodity prices. To complicate matters, farmers are facing uncertainty
June 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Emphasis on Oil Has Made Ethanol Unprofitable
by Gerald Kosmicki (Grand Island Independent) ... Why not just say farmers need a higher price for their corn, rather than the posturing concern for the environment? We had $7 corn during the Obama years, but a cry from the GOP
June 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Producers Must Engage in Upcoming Farm Bill Debate
by John Duff (Ethanol Producer Magazine/National Sorghum Producers) A drastically changed farm economy means the next bill will likely be very different than past ones. ... -- It is hard to believe the current Farm Bill expires in less
May 18, 2017 Read Full Article
The Digest’s 2017 Multi-Slide Guide to Industrial 5C and 6C sugars
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest had a well-received webinar on C5 and C6 sugars, featuring in-demand industry consultant David Dodds and Fluid Quip exec Jeffrey Robert — looking at transformative approaches to making sugars and the chemistry that we can
May 03, 2017 Read Full Article
Kansas Corn Growers Look to Mexico as Top Trade Partner
(High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) Increasing concerns about trade relations with Mexico spurred Kansas Corn along with the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Department of Commerce to plan a trade mission Mexico to learn about their agricultural industry and
April 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Here Comes BioChina: Amyris, Others Bypass the 4 Myths of Business in the Middle Kingdom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From California arrives the very interesting news that Amyris has entered into an agreement with Blue California whereby its affiliates will provide access to its fermentation manufacturing in China and provide the necessary capital to
April 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Guest View: Corn Is for Food, Not Fuel
by Stanford L. Levin (The Southern) ... If corn were used for food instead of for ethanol, two beneficial things would happen. First, we would create more high-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry as demand increased and output
April 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Grains Piled on Runways, Parking Lots, Fields Amid Global Glut
by P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume (Reuters) ... World stockpiles of corn and wheat are at record highs. From Iowa to China, years of bumper crops and low prices have overwhelmed storage capacity for basic foodstuffs. Global stocks of corn, wheat, rice
April 11, 2017 Read Full Article
Managing Margin, Risk, Financial Transparency in the Ethanol Industry
by Steve Rosvold (KRM Business Solutions/Ethanol Producer Magazine) When it comes to margin and risk management, ethanol producers have difficult and unique choices. In most commodity processing industries, the output price is highly correlated to input price. ... The ethanol industry is different. The
April 05, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Administration a Wild Card for Ethanol Industry
by Mike Hughlett (Star Tribune) With production on the rise, there's anxiety over unknown policy shifts. -- ... While there are positive indicators for 2017 — corn prices are forecast to be stable and the federal mandate for ethanol production
March 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Ethanol Is a 'Win-Win'
by Rick Fox (Ohio Ethanol Producers Association/The Courier) ... Back in 1996, well before the Renewable Fuel Standard was ever implemented, corn was $3.67 a bushel. Today it is $3.64 a bushel. Why? Thanks to technology and improvements in farming practices, farmers are
February 15, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biofuel Policies
by Nicolas Loris (DownsizingGovernment.org/The Heritage Foundation) ... The problem is not with the voluntary use of biofuels in the marketplace, but rather policies that mandate and subsidize biofuels. ... Congress should end its intervention in the biofuels industry. It should terminate subsidies
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Protect Illinois Farmers from Crude Manipulation
by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/Belleville News-Democrat) When Illinois farmers sell wheat, rye or oats on the open market, they can rightly expect that supply and demand will set the price, with no interference from foreign cartels
February 08, 2017 Read Full Article
Trump Swamp Work Can Start with RFS Repeal
by David Williams (Houston County News/Lacrosse Tribune) ... Billionaire investor and Trump confidant Carl Icahn is requesting changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard, the federal law requiring gasoline manufacturers to incorporate renewable fuels into their blends. Coincidently, Icahn would reap
January 27, 2017 Read Full Article
New UN Report Shows Food vs Fuel Fallacy
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) finds that food prices declined for the fifth year in a row in 2016, down 1.5 percent from 2015. That included a steady decline
January 17, 2017 Read Full Article
Competitive Enterprises Institute Wants RFS Frozen and Sunsetted
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Competitive Enterprises Institute has put forth proposals for the next session of Congress including freezing the Renewable Fuel Standard below the blend wall while setting a sunset period for 2022. The CEI
January 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol Increasingly a Stabilizing Factor for Iowa Farmers' Income
by Jon Leu (Daily Nonpareil) At a time when Iowa farmers produced a second consecutive record corn crop amid falling prices for their commodity, the state’s growing ethanol industry remains a stabilizing factor. National crop production reports released in mid-December showed