by Brian Scheid and Herman Wang (Platts) Growing pressure for a federal probe of the opaque market underpinning the Renewable Fuel Standard could bolster efforts to dramatically reform the landmark biofuels policy. Earlier this month, billionaire investor Carl Icahn sent a heated,
Regulations-Federal
Back TO HOMEEPA Signals It Will Start Looking at Mandating Higher Octane Gasoline
by Richard Truett (Automotive News) Raising the octane in gasoline -- seen as a way to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions in today’s high-tech turbocharged, direct-injected engines -- looks like it will get some attention from the EPA. That’s the
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Got octane?
by Brian Jennings (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) It’s the Holy Grail for many in the ethanol industry to increase demand for our fuel based on its octane value proposition. The American Coalition for Ethanol has been working on octane
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Here's Why We Need to Keep Pressing Ahead on Renewable Fuels
by John M. Urbanchuk (PennLive/ABF Economics LLP) ... Thanks to the RFS, nearly every drop of gasoline sold now contains at least ten percent renewable fuel, like ethanol, made right here in the United States. Last year, this policy allowed drivers to
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Another Billionaire Bailout?
by Brooke Coleman (Bloomberg/Advanced Biofuels Business Council) ... (Carl) Icahn’s ask is pretty simple. He wants the EPA to change the rules midstream to relieve his petroleum refining assets of their obligations. ... The RFS, for its part, requires petroleum companies like Icahn’s
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Worse for Climate Change than Gasoline, U-M Study Says
by Keith Matheny (Detroit Free Press) The multi-billion-dollar U.S. biofuels industry — promoted and expanded for over a decade by the federal government — may be built on a false assumption, according to a new University of Michigan study published today
August 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Credit Spike Divides Gas Stations
by James Osborne (FuelFix) Now gas station owners say they, too, are losing out after the price of RINs – the credits which refineries must have to prove there is ethanol and other biofuels in the fuel supply — shot
August 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Deserve a Place at the Pump
by Jim Talent (The American Spectator) The case for alternative energy done right. -- ... No other policy has so effectively undermined the international oil cartel that seeks to profit from our dependence on oil. Today, ethanol and other biofuels meet about
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
U.S. Rejects Automakers Request to Extend Fuel Comment Deadline
by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. regulators late on Monday denied a request by major automakers to extend the comment period on a key environmental analysis to determine whether government fuel efficiency requirements are feasible through 2025. ... Automakers had asked to extend
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Open the Toolbox to Give Fuel Economy Rules a Chance
by Doug Durante (The Hill/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) ... The US Department of Energy just last week released a report that confirms the role of high octane and how it would meet automakers' needs for high efficiency, high compression engines. Among
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
It Is Time to Address RVP
by Mike Lorenz (Sheetz) Back in 1990, Congress limited the amount of evaporative emissions from vehicle fuel at 9 pounds per square inch (psi) Reid vapor pressure (RVP) in the Clean Air Act. While pure ethanol has a 3 psi
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Court Upholds Obama's Social Cost of Carbon Accounting for Federal Regulations
by Robert Walton (Utility Dive) The Obama Administration has won a significant victory for its use of a social cost metric to determine the impacts of new environmental and efficiency rules, in a unanimous circuit court decision that appeared to leave opponents with little
August 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Opportunities and Challenges: A State-by-State Look at Higher Blends
by Rebecca Chillrud (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... Gas stations that offer higher blends are currently few and far between, but the ACE’s “Retailer Roadmap” aims to help change the fuels landscape. The Roadmap analyzes the potential demand for higher
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Commits to Meet Statutory RFS Reporting Requirements
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Aug. 18, the U.S. EPA Office of Inspector General published a report finding the EPA’s Office of Research and Development has not complied with a statutory requirements to provide a report to Congress
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Environmentalist Jerry Jung Wants Ethanol Policy Change
by Dustin Walsh (Crain's Detroit Business) Jerry Jung, former owner of Michigan CAT and longtime environmentalist, is using his wealth to take down ethanol production. Jung, chairman of the Michigan Colleges Alliance, recently launched RethinkEthanol.com — a website calling for the
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
What Is to Be Done? Farm Crisis in the Making?
by Bob Krause (Storm Lake Times Letter to Editor) Only 35 years after the 1980s farm crisis, another storm seems to be brewing. Corn production is forecast by USDA to be up 11% from last year. This crop, possibly over
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
The RINferno, as It Burns up America’s Venture into Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... There’s a separate category of RINs for advanced biofuels. These are fuels that have at least a 50% reduction in fossil fuels compared to 2005 baseline gasoline. Overall, to qualify under the RFS, you need
August 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Corn Finds Unlikely Allies in US Biofuels Push: Carmakers and Drivers
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) ... Reuters' analysis of vehicle sales and government data shows that almost a fifth of the vehicles on US roads can safely handle E-15 fuel, a gasoline with 15% ethanol content, or 50% more than the typical US
August 17, 2016 Read Full Article
RINferno
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Let me see if we got this right. Donald Trump loves the Renewable Fuel Standard --- Carl Icahn loves Donald Trump --- Therefore, Carl Icahn hates the Renewable Fuel Standard With that, welcome to the 2016 United
August 17, 2016 Read Full Article
CEQ Guidance Addresses Biogenic Emissions from Land Management
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The Council on Environmental Quality, a division of the Executive Office of the President, has issued final guidance on considering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change in National Environmental Policy Act reviews that addresses
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Ned Bowman: Common Sense Renewable Fuel Legislation Is at the Forefront
by Ned Bowman (Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association/Florida Politics) ... The RFS was originally intended to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but over time the National Association of Clean Air Agencies discovered that it had produced higher emissions of
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Reflections on What Could Have Been
by Ray Defenbaugh (Urban Air Initiative/Big River Resources/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ah, summertime ..., and the livin' is easy, as the song says. But if not for the U.S. EPA, it could have been even easier. Easier on our customers, easier on
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA and DOT Finalize Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles
(Environmental Protection Agency) Standards address second-largest segment of U.S. transportation in terms of emissions and energy use -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration jointly finalized standards for medium- and heavy-duty
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Should Take Note of New DOE High Octane Fuels Research
by Tracy King (Renewable Fuels Association) For the past several years, the Department of Energy (DOE) has been quietly researching the benefits of ethanol-based High Octane Fuels (HOF), such as E25, E30 and E40. Now, some of DOE’s findings are
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Editorial: End Washington’s Corn Addiction
(The Detroit News) The idea ethanol is the transportation fuel of the future never seems to fall out of fashion among certain members of Congress—including Michigan’s own Debbie Stabenow. But it’s time for this outdated obsession to end. Stabenow was among
August 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Renewable Resource
by John Phillips (Daily Press) I am deeply concerned about the EPA's recent decision to alter the original intent of the Renewable Fuel Standard with a reduction to the renewable volume obligation not only because of the devastating effect it will
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Viewpoint: Run on the RINs Bank This Year
(Argus Media) The bank of carryover RINs used to comply with US renewable fuel mandates faces a draw of nearly 500mn RINs this year to meet a stiff blend requirement of 10.1pc of the country's transportation fuel. An Argus analysis found
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
RFA: Record Corn, Ethanol Production Underscore Need for RFS
(Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) America’s farmers are poised to harvest a record corn crop this fall and achieve the highest yield per acre in U.S. history, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates released today. Meanwhile, the U.S. ethanol
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Good Policy
by Mike Chisam (The Hays Daily News) A recent article in the Hays Daily News, titled “Subsidized madness,” makes erroneous claims about the Renewable Fuel Standard and ethanol. The article attacks the RFS by using the tired, false arguments that are
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor on RFS
by Dan Sanders (Windsor Now) ... The RFS has been the driving force behind the development and production of new, cleaner and lower cost fuel options at the pump. The RFS has also been instrumental in breaking the century long monopoly
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Misguided Energy Mandates Fueling Higher Prices
by Nicolas Loris (The Heritage Foundation/The Intelligencer) ... President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law and expanded it in 2007. The RFS, which originated with that act, mandates that refiners mix biofuels into America's gasoline supply,
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
The Renewable Fuel Standard: Working as Intended?
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... With a potential omnibus spending package on the table this fall, the oil industry and some environmental groups have raised again the proposition of RFS reform. Two major claims made by RFS-reformers are that biofuels,
August 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Moving RFS Obligation Would Cut Biofuel Use, Raise Fuel Prices: NATSO
by Jeff Barber (OpisNet.com) Shifting the point of obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from fuel refiners and importers to blenders would reduce competition at the rack and lead to lower renewable fuel use and higher retail prices, an
August 12, 2016 Read Full Article
In Pitting Biofuels against the Environment, Only Clear Winner Is Oil
by Jessie Stolark (The Hill/Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... The total amount of U.S. land under production by American farmers is down-- not just over the last 50 or 100 years, but also over the last decade according to the U.S. Department of
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
API Ads Target RFS: RFS Reform, Repeal Efforts Continue
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) ... Yet Trump gave an economic speech Monday in Detroit in which he touted boosting domestic oil and gas production and made no references to renewable energy. Trump cited data in his speech from
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
California Congressional Delegation Urges EPA to Drop Distribution Waivers from RFS
by Ilari Kauppila (Biofuels International) The California Congressional delegation has added its voice to the crowd urging the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase its proposed biofuel obligations for 2017. In an open letter addresses to EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, six
August 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil Group to Advertise for Reforms to EPA's Biofuel Mandate
by Kyle Feldscher (The Washington Examiner) The oil industry is planning to make a major advertising push in a wide swath of states against the Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard in the coming weeks. Frank Macchiarola, director of the American
August 10, 2016 Read Full Article
As Price of Biofuel Credits Spike, Refiners Suspect Market Manipulation
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Earlier this year Jack Lipinski, chief executive of the Sugar Land refiner CVR Energy, flew to Washington to plead his case to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His problem: the prices of credits required to
August 08, 2016 Read Full Article
GM, Honda Execs Agree: Higher Octane Gas Needed to Optimize ICE Efficiency
by Lindsay Brooke (SAE International) Raising the octane level of pump gasoline in the U.S. is integral to optimizing advanced combustion engines now in development, said GM and Hondaexecutives at the 2016 CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI.
August 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Does the U.S. EPA Not Want Biofuels?
by Nathan Vander Griend (ERI Solutions, Inc./Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) mission is to protect human health and the environment. They are charged with delivering on that mission by using the best scientific information
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Trump Should Push Biofuels on Corn Belt Swing, Santorum Says
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Republican nominee Trump backs U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard; Tactic would exploit a Clinton weakness, Rick Santorum says -- Donald Trump’s campaign swing through the Corn Belt on Friday should include a hearty endorsement of U.S. renewable
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
US, Brazil Demonstrate What’s Possible
by Leticia Phillips (UNICA/Ethanol Producer Magazine) UNICA wants to focus the discussion on the importance of advanced biofuels, like sugarcane ethanol. The RFS is one of the world’s most ambitious programs promoting biofuels and a key policy for the future of
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Blend Wall Crumbles in Retailers’ Eyes
by Ron Lamberty (Ethanol Producer Magazine) There is no such thing as a 10 percent blend wall unless petroleum marketers don't allow a choice. Independent retailers are demonstrating the blend wall can be breached. -- When the U.S. EPA held
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Sulfur Compounded in Ethanol Regulations
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) As the Tier 3 deadline approaches, it's important to understand the difference between EPA and ASTM treatments of the element. -- The U.S. EPA’s Tier 3 rules are not new—they were finalized two years
August 05, 2016 Read Full Article
SD Farmers Union Pumps E-30 Ethanol Blend in Pierre for a While
by Stephen Lee (South Dakota Capital Journal) South Dakota Farmers Union representatives were out hustling higher-ethanol-blend gasoline Wednesday for a couple hours at a Pierre Sinclair station. “We want to bring attention to the benefits of E-30,” said Matt Sibley,
August 04, 2016 Read Full Article
The Pew Charitable Trusts Advocates for Strong Fuel Efficiency Standards
(The Pew Charitable Trusts) ... Federal agencies are evaluating the standards that apply to model year (MY) 2022-25 passenger vehicles and will determine whether the auto industry is capable of meeting these long-term criteria. It is imperative that these agencies don't
August 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Report: Clinton Talking about RFS Alternative
by Ed Tibbetts (Quad City Times) A new report saying that Hillary Clinton's campaign has talked with California officials about how the Renewable Fuel Standard might be revamped is drawing criticism from a top Republican in Iowa. The Clinton campaign said
August 04, 2016 Read Full Article
CEI Releases Another Anti-#RFS Report
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) A new report released this week by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) is arguing that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be repealed for its “numerous economic, ethical and real-world problems”. “Running Drivers into the Blend
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Our View: Ethanol: Politics May Change, but Realities Don’t
(Mankato Free Press) Why It Matters: Ethanol as a clean energy has come under criticism but the pollution caused by fossil fuels remains the reality. -- The politics of green energy have evolved over the last two decades in a
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Franken Keeps Pushing RFS
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) A U.S. Senator from Minnesota says bipartisan efforts continue to restore the Renewable Fuel Standard to its original statute. Al Franken tells Brownfield he and other lawmakers have met frequently with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy following
August 03, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Sets Stage for Regulating Airplane Emissions
by Devin Henry (The Hill) Regulators have formally concluded greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes pose a threat the environment, the first step toward new federal rules. The moved, called an “endangerment finding,” from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires officials to
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Cellulosic Production Volume Projections and Efficient Producer Reporting
(Federal Register/Environmental Protection Agency) The Environmental Protection Agency has submitted an information collection request (ICR), “Cellulosic Production Volume Projections and Efficient Producer Reporting” (EPA ICR No. 2551.01, OMB Control No. 2060-NEW) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
August 02, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA, CFTC Asked to Investigate Alleged Manipulation in Biofuels Market
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) The Renewable Fuels Association today asked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and EPA to investigate whether anyone is manipulating the market for a key biofuels compliance credit to drum up support for repeal of the
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Valero Says RFS Compliance Costs Are Soaring; Renewable Industry Snaps Back “Poor Capacity Planning”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Texas, Reuters is reporting that “Valero Energy expects to get hit with a half-billion-dollar bill in the second half of the year” and the news agency attributed the costs to “the rising cost of
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Bloomberg Gets Duped by Anti-RFS Crowd
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Here we go again. We didn’t think it could get much worse than the Associated Press hit piece on ethanol in late 2013. But an ethanol hatchet job by Bloomberg published this week actually
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
How To Make Biofuel Policy Work
by Morteza Soleymannezhad (Forbes) ... In my opinion, RFS needs an overhaul. It should start phasing out first-generation biofuels and refocus solely on sustainable biofuels such as the ones obtained from cellulosic materials and algae. As Jeff Turrentine, culture & politics columnist at NRDC’s
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Blunder? Renewable Fuel Mandate Is Having a Negative Effect on Home Run Totals
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) Biofuel mandate was supposed to fix everything, but no one has hit over 60 home runs in the past 15 years -- I just finished reading an anti-ethanol Bloomberg editorial written by Jennifer A. Dlouhy.
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Hillary Clinton's Climate and Energy Policies, Explained
by David Roberts (Vox) ... I'm going to break this down as a series of numbered lists — not one, not two, but five lists of three: The three key facts the campaign took as starting points The three overarching goals of
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Small Fuel Retailers Push EPA to Change RFS Obligation
by Alex Guillén (Politico Morning Energy) A newly-formed group of small fuel retailers is adding to the calls for EPA to shift responsibility for complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard, which currently is the responsibility of refiners and importers. The
August 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Don't Weaken Obama's Fuel Economy Standards
by Varun Sivaram (Politico/Council on Foreign Relations) When the Obama administration released its ambitious fuel economy rules for new vehicles in 2012, the economic rationale behind the standards was obvious. The price of oil hovered near $100 per barrel. With
July 26, 2016 Read Full Article
White House Takes Aim at a Fast-Growing Source of Emissions: Airplanes
by Brady Dennis (The Washington Post) ... The EPA issued a scientific assessment known as an “endangerment finding,” which determined that emissions from certain kinds of plane engines contribute to pollution that fuels climate change and creates health risks for Americans. Emissions that
July 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Angling for Ethanol
by Brian Sowers (Crappie Masters TV/ODU Magazine) ... The truth is that ethanol blends are ideal for watercraft, and companies like Kawasaki, Mercury Marine, OMC, Pleasurecraft, Tigershark, Tracker, Honda, and Yamaha all approve the use of E10 in their machines. The same
July 25, 2016 Read Full Article
All Smoke, No Fire on RFS Reform, Repeal Efforts
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) While Congress will be preoccupied with other legislative issues as it winds down this session, the RFA will continue to be on guard, hitting back at misinformation and making sure the RFS
July 25, 2016 Read Full Article
Forty Senators Call for Higher Biodiesel Targets in RFS
(National Biodiesel Board) Lawmakers Ask EPA to Boost Volumes in Pending Proposal -- Forty U.S. senators from across the country Thursday called on the EPA to strengthen biodiesel volumes in the pending Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposal. The senators emphasized that
July 21, 2016 Read Full Article
BIO Submits Comments on Proposed 2017 Renewable Fuel Standards
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), on behalf of its member companies, ... submitted comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2017, and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2018. The comments demonstrate that EPA’s
July 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Plant Scientists Study Interactions between GMOs and the Environment
(University of Connecticut) ... The research team is led by professor emerita Carol Auer and supported by a grant from the Biotechnology Risk Assessment Grant Program, an initiative of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Auer and her research
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
PODCAST: How Does the Renewable Fuel Standard Affect Me?
(National Association of Convenience Stores) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), has been around for more than a decade. Today, ethanol comprises about 10% of the total fuel sold in the United States, but there are some changes coming that will
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Governors Tout E30
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Coalition Sees Opportunity in Higher Fuel Economy Standards -- Leaders and founders of the Governors' Biofuels Coalition see a push for higher fuel-economy standards as the next opportunity to spur more biofuels production around
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
The Energy and Job Creation Program that Works for People and the Environment
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Morning Consult) ... Not every lawmaker is sold on the idea of renewables, but it’s hard not to appreciate the billions of dollars of economic activity across the U.S. that has been driven by the RFS.
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Abengoa’s Hugoton Cellulosic Ethanol Project Goes on the Block
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Missouri, Ocean Park Advisors has been retained by Abengoa Bioenergy to find a strategic partner or to complete a sale of Abengoa cellulosic ethanol plant, electricity cogeneration plant and related assets in Hugoton, Kansas. Additionally,
July 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Vehicle Rules Will Fall Short on Emissions, Fuel Savings, Agencies Say
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) U.S. vehicle efficiency rules won't deliver the carbon reductions or fuel savings President Barack Obama promised in his first term because cheap gasoline has set off a buying spree of gas-guzzling trucks and sport-utility vehicles,
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Nearly 42,500 Comments Filed on 2017 RFS Proposal
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The comment period on the U.S. EPA’s proposed rule to set 2017 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the renewable fuel standard (RFS), along with 2018 RVOs for biomass-based diesel, has officially closed. According to information
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
US EPA, US DOT, California’s Air Resources Board Issue Draft Technical Assessment Report of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Economy Standards for Model Year 2022-2025 Cars and Light Trucks
(U.S. Department of Transportation) The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the California Air Resource Board (CARB) today took the first step in the mid-term evaluation of the National Program for greenhouse gas emissions
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Sulfur Compounded in Ethanol Regulations
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) As the Tier 3 deadline approaches, it's important to understand the difference between EPA and ASTM treatments of the element. -- The U.S. EPA’s Tier 3 rules are not new—they were finalized two
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Repeat After Me: High Octane, Low Carbon
by David VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative/ICM/Governors' Biofuel Coalition) The signs are everywhere highlighting our product and how it can find its true value as an octane enhancer while lowering carbon emissions. Using our research at the Urban Air Initiative and in conjunction with
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
5 Signs Your Current Good Manufacturing Processes Are Ready for the Food Safety Modernization Act
by Phil Cleary (Christianson & Associates/Biofuels Digest) The Food Safety Modernization Act covers the operation of a facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds animal food for sale in the United States. Renewable fuels facilities producing feed co-products are no exception. In
July 18, 2016 Read Full Article
DOE Issues Update to Its Loan Guarantee Programs
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Loan Program Office of the U.S. Department of Energy recently introduced a number of important updates to the Loan Guarantee Solicitation for Applications for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects as well as to
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
RFA to EPA: Raise the Conventional Renewable Fuel 2017 RFS RVO to Statutory Requirement
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) submitted comments today to EPA on its proposed 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations (RVO), urging the agency to raise the requirement for conventional renewable fuel volumes to the statutory level
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
NCC Calls for Further Reduction of 2017 Ethanol Levels
(National Chicken Council) The National Chicken Council (NCC) strongly supports efforts to create a more reasonable and sustainable approach to the nation’s biofuel fuel policy, as the compelled diversion of corn from feed to fuel continues to exact a heavy
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
17 House Biofuels Caucus Members Urge EPA to Finalize Strong RFS
(Renewable Fuels Association) Today, 17 members of the House Biofuels Caucus sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, urging the agency to complete its 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) “in a manner consistent with the Congressional intent to aggressively
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
ACE Submits Comments to EPA on 2017 RFS
(Fuel Marketer News) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the proposed blending volumes for 2017 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). ACE’s full comments can be read on the ACE website.
July 15, 2016 Read Full Article
2022: A Cliff for Clean Fuels and the RFS?
by David Cox (Biomass Magazine/Renewable Natural Gas Coalition) ... It says that “for calendar years after the calendar years specified in the tables,” (i.e., after 2022), the EPA administrator will set applicable volumes using specified criteria, which are thereafter laid out. (ii) OTHER
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
A Simple Regulatory Solution for Biogenic Emissions
by Bob Cleaves (Biomass Magazine/Biomass Power Association) ... Also at the top of the list is how the plan will eventually treat biomass. For us, there is a very simple solution: If fuel is derived from residues, whether it’s forest, agricultural
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Standard Helps Keep Summer Fuel Prices Low
(Convenience Store Decisions) High-octane ethanol gasoline blends are helping American’s to enjoy low fuel prices this summer. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is proving to be beneficial to Americans in more ways than just providing a cleaner fuel supply. Gas prices in
July 06, 2016 Read Full Article
No Surprise: RFS Missing Its Target
by Howard Gruenspecht (U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration/Iowa Farmer Today) ... Substantially increased use of biofuels can only occur if they can be used in forms other than low-percentage blends of ethanol and biodiesel that account for nearly all of
July 06, 2016 Read Full Article
How Biofuels Can Help Break Up Big Oil’s Marketshare Monopoly
by Bob Dinneen (Morning Consult) ... In 2015, 14.8 billion gallons of ethanol was produced, supporting 85,967 direct jobs, while net petroleum import dependence fell to just 25 percent, and would have been 32 percent without the addition of domestically produced
July 06, 2016 Read Full Article
How Detroit Is Dealing With Cleaner Car Standards
by John Lippert (Bloomberg/IndustryWeek) Fuel economy standards will increase a projected 53% to 54.5 miles per gallon within the next decade, and tailpipe emissions will need to fall. What does Detroit think about the pending challenge? And how will they
July 05, 2016 Read Full Article
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. Launches TSCAblog.com to Provide News and Analysis on TSCA Reform Implementation and Related Legal and Policy Developments
(Bergeson & Campbell) Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) announced today the launch of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Blog (TSCAblog™) to track and report regulatory, scientific, legal, and policy developments under the "new TSCA." On June 22, 2016, President
July 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Boating Industry Magazine Report: "Ethanol Repair Issues Growing"
(BOAT US) "It ruins their day, their boat and their entire boating experience" -- When it comes to recreational boating and the Federal Renewable Fuel Standard’s requirement to put more corn ethanol into gasoline, those that see its negative consequences
July 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Biofuels Are Vital to an All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy
by William Feehery (The Hill/DuPont Industrial Biosciences) ... One of the most vital and immediate tools at our disposal in the campaign for energy independence is renewable fuel. It is the only technology that can address the de-carbonization of the
July 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Who Pays for our Renewable Fuel Policy? America's Wildlife
by Collin O'Mara (Fox News/National Wildlife Federation) ... The worst part is that none of this was supposed to happen. In the law, Congress defined acceptable biofuels under the mandate as those coming from crops grown on land that was in agricultural
July 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Prices of U.S. Biofuels Credits Jump on Supply Worries
by Chris Prentice and Jessica Resnick-Ault (Reuters) Prices of U.S. biofuels compliance credits jumped in early trade on Wednesday as worries mounted over potential supplies after Goldman Sachs Group signaled potential tightness next year on higher biofuels use requirements, according
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Intrexon: Will Its GTL Business Arrive in 2018?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The indictment was handed down this week in The Motley Fool, which averred: While investors have been told to expect the natural gas-to-fuels platform to be commercialized by 2018, real-world indicators essentially guarantee that won’t be
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
LaHood: Stick with Final 54.5 mpg Standards
by Alex Guillén (Politico Pro) Former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is optimistic that auto manufacturers can meet the Obama administration's goal of lifting the nation's fuel economy standard to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. "I don't think we should deviate"
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
TSCA Reform: EPA Publishes First Year Implementation Plan
(Bergeson & Campbell) On June 29, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted an Implementation Plan that outlines EPA's plans for early activities and actions under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, legislation that significantly
June 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Study Finds Biodiesel Industry Supports Nearly 48,000 Jobs
(National Biodiesel Board) Nearly 100 biodiesel industry leaders are converging on Capitol Hill Tuesday to call for strong clean-fuels policy as a new study found that the industry is supporting nearly 48,000 jobs nationwide. The study, which conducted by LMC International,
June 28, 2016 Read Full Article
US Biofuels Supporters Push Back against MOVES Model
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) ... "We should have included T70 as a metric in the model, it entirely changes the perception of the model," said Shon Van Hulzen, director of quality control at US ethanol producer POET, in a presentation Wednesday. T70
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
RFS Hearing Finds New Issues to Dig into
by Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) ... When it comes to land use, Colin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, testified that a University of Wisconsin study had shown that 7.3 million acres of land had been brought into production between
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Soy Crop No Help for U.S. Biofuel Makers Overrun by Imports
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) Biodiesel plants idled as shipments from Asia, Argentina jump; Foreign supplies cheaper or cleaner than fuel from Midwest soy -- Makers of renewable fuels derived from the vast soybean fields across the American Midwest can’t seem to
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
House Hearing Focuses on RFS Implementation
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On June 22, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy and Power Subcommittee held a hearing on the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The event featured testimony from government officials, biofuel supporters and other stakeholders. During
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
South Dakota Ethanol Industry Calls for Larger Ethanol Market
by Selena Yakabe (The Dickinson Press) South Dakota’s $3.8 billion ethanol industry is facing a “glass ceiling,” according to officials. ... Hunter Roberts, the South Dakota representative for the Governor’s Biofuel Coalition, said this (Renewable Volume Obligation announced by the Environmental
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter: Don’t Believe Scare Tactics against Vehicular Use of Ethanol
by Robert Miller (TC Palm) ... The oil industry doesn't want ethanol to go away, but it doesn't want to give up any more market. It needs the low-cost oxygenate as refineries have been retooled to run more profitably by producing a
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Exxon, ConocoPhillips Top List of Methane Polluters
by Katie Fehrenbacher (Fortune Magazine) This is how much methane pollution that eleven oil and gas companies emit annually. Eleven oil and gas giants in the U.S. leak so much of a potent green house gas into the atmosphere every year that
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Dozens of Senators Push EPA for Higher Ethanol Mandate
by Devin Henry (The Hill) A bipartisan group of senators on Friday chided federal regulators for pulling back on the federal ethanol mandate. In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy, the 39 senators said the agency should
June 27, 2016 Read Full Article
'Threat Map' Aims to Highlight the Worst of Oil and Gas Air Pollution
by Zahra Hirji (Inside Climate News) Two activist groups used government data to show 12.4 million people in the U.S. live within a half-mile of an oil and gas facility—and its pollution. -- Environmentalists have launched a new mapping tool
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Pushing Outdated, Costly Ethanol Fuel
by Ryan Rowden (Missouri Petroleum Council/Kansas City Star) ... It’s good to be the world’s leading oil and natural gas producer. But an obsolete law passed before the U.S. energy resurgence could interfere. ... The problem could be even worse in Missouri if
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Congressmen Seek E15 Reprieve from EPA Following National Marine Manufacturers Association Lobbying
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, following a lobbying push by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, 45 congressmen have sent a letter to the EPA administrator voicing concerns about the 2016 blending mandate under the Renewable Fuel Standard and
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
RFS Policy Instability Continues to Chill Investment in Advanced Biofuels, BIO Says
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) EPA’s new methodology for setting annual Renewable Fuel Standards continues to chill investment in advanced biofuels, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) finds in a new analysis released today. Investment patterns clearly demonstrate that EPA is sending a
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
NBB to Congress: Biodiesel Is Advanced Biofuel Success Story
(National Biodiesel Board) Biodiesel is delivering the vast majority of Advanced Biofuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard and is poised for continued growth with strong policy, National Biodiesel Board Vice President of Federal Affairs Anne Steckel said in prepared testimony
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
A Gift to the Next Generation
by Chris Soules (The Courier) ... The RFS is one law nearly every farmer knows. It requires oil companies to offer consumers clean, renewable choices at the gasoline pump, including blends of homegrown ethanol produced from agricultural products. For family
June 20, 2016 Read Full Article
The Annual Battle for Renewables
by Bob Dinneen (The Hill) ... It’s worth recalling why a bipartisan coalition of policymakers, including President George W. Bush, worked together in 2007 to expand the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires oil companies to make increasing amounts of biofuel
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Local Officials Meet with Grassley in Washington, D.C.
by Austin Harrington (Ames Tribune) ... During the trip, Culhane (Dan Culhane, president and CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce and the Ames Economic Development Commission) and the other members of the delegation had a meeting that lasted nearly a
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
Helping Tell Ethanol’s Real Story
by Dave VanderGriend (ICM, Inc./Urban Air Institute/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In the world of ethanol, we need to get people smarter and "coach up" the public, media and policymakers as to the real story about our product. -- ... In our world
June 17, 2016 Read Full Article
High Octane, Low Carb #Biofuels Better for Fuel Economy
by Joanna Schroeder (Energy.AgWired.com) Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Tom Daschle, is leading an effort to ensure that high octane, low carbon fuels are part of EPA’s midterm evaluation of the progress of federal fuel economy standards. Daschle was the
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
RFS Supporters Say Biofuel Is ‘Nuanced’ Issue
by Gene Lucht (Iowa Farmer Today) ... What happens in 2022 is that Congress stops setting annual levels of renewable fuel usage, but the actual law does not expire. It would take an act of Congress to make it go away,
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
The Huge Flaw in How Congress Is Approaching Burning Wood for Energy
by Chelsea Harvey (The Washington Post) ... The controversy centers on a specific provision in theHouse appropriations bill for fiscal year 2017 regarding the burning of biomass (typically wood and other plant material) for energy. The bill proposes that the Environmental Protection Agency treat
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Power Plants Are No Longer America’s Biggest Climate Problem. Transportation Is.
by Brad Plumer (Vox) A new energy era is upon us: For the first time since 1979, America’s cars, trucks, and airplanes emit more carbon dioxide than its power plants do. ... The story here is that the United States has made
June 15, 2016 Read Full Article
TSCA: What Effect Will the TSCA Amendments Have on Proposed and Future Rulemakings?
(Bergeson & Campbell) On June 7, 2016, the Senate passed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) by voice vote and sent it to President Obama for signature. As reported in our May 26, 2016,
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Valero Presses EPA for RFS Change
(Argus Media) US Environmental Protection Agency administrators should shift the burden of US biofuel blending mandates closer to retail stations, US independent refiner Valero said today. The company, one of the largest US producers of both gasoline and ethanol, petitioned EPA
June 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Connecting the Dots
by David VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM Inc./Urban Air Initiative) ... We’ve learned that we can reduce harmful emissions by replacing toxic compounds in gasoline with clean burning ethanol, which improves air quality and protects public health. We can do so
June 13, 2016 Read Full Article
ADM, Biofuel Supporters Say EPA Underestimates Use of Higher-Ethanol Fuels
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Archer Daniels Midland Co and other supporters of biofuels on Thursday said U.S. regulators grossly underestimated the amount of higher-ethanol fuel blends at pumps when requirements for next year's use of renewables were proposed. The comments came
June 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Blasts EPA 'Hogwash'
by John Siciliano (Washington Examiner) The ethanol industry will lay into the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday for proposing a 2017 renewable fuel standard that it says is based on oil industry "hogwash." The industry also will threaten continued litigation if
June 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuel Boosters Rally Support for Higher Blend Levels in 2017
(Fuels America/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The nation’s leading biofuel advocates are rallying supporters to urge the U.S. EPA to increase its proposed 2017 targets under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). With the start of the EPA’s public comment period this week
June 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuel Volumes Disappoint
by Jane Fyksen (AgriView) ... But the proposed increases fall short of National Corn Growers Association expectations. Chip Bowling, National Corn Grower president and Maryland farmer, said while the EPA has moved in a better direction, the organization is disappointed
June 02, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Posts Supporting Documents for RFS Rulemaking
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On May 31, the U.S. EPA published its proposed rule to set 2017 renewable fuel standard (RFS) volume requirements in the Federal Register and posted dozens of supporting documents under the rule’s docket folder
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Summer Brings Ethanol Quirk to Iowa Gas Stations
by Charlie Good (Des Moines Register/Good and Quick) ... Today, due to a combination of a quirk in federal regulation and the heavy-handed tactics of the oil industry, I walk out to my fuel pumps and change a sticker so that
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Applauds Trump’s Pro-RFS Statements
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Growth Energy has spoken out to applaud a statement made by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in support of the renewable fuel standard (RFS). Meanwhile, two former senators are asking Trump’s energy advisor
June 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Point/Counterpoint: Is It Time for Greens To Reassess Their Opposition to Ethanol?
by Senator Timothy Wirth and C. Boyden Gray (Yale Environment 360) The criticism of ethanol by environmentalists is misguided and just plain wrong. In fact, thanks to improvements in farming techniques, increasing the amount of corn ethanol in U.S. gasoline
May 28, 2016 Read Full Article
TSCA Reform: An Analysis of Key Provisions and Fundamental Shifts in the Amended TSCA
(Bergeson & Campbell) The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (Lautenberg) makes important changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that result in fundamental shifts in the requirements and approach under the law, while introducing
May 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Trump's Right to Support Ethanol Mandates
by Kevin Skunes (Grand Forks Herald) ... Thankfully, there's one vital energy policy that both Trump and his opponent, Hillary Clinton, have promised to support: the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires that oil companies make increasing levels of clean, homegrown fuels
May 26, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Schedules Hearing on RFS Proposal, Registrations Due May 31
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has announced it will hold a public hearing June 9 in Kansas City, Missouri, on its proposed rule for the 2017 renewable fuels standard (RFS). Parties wishing to testify at the
May 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Called Fuel of Future
by Erica Quinlan (AgriNews) Bobby Likis is an engine builder with 45 years of experience in the automotive service industry. He’s serviced around 200,000 vehicles and answered upward of 100,000 car-related questions on the radio. In this time, he’s seen no mechanical
May 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Why Is the BBD RVO So Low and What Can NBB Do about It?
by Don Scott (National Biodiesel Board/Biofuels Digest) EPA proposes to continue growing the Required Volume Obligations (RVO) for Biomass Based Diesel (BBD) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), but at a paltry 100 million gallons a year to 2.1 billion gallons
May 26, 2016 Read Full Article
After 40 years: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Toxic Substances Control Act reform
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform has been a “work in progress” for years. House and Senate passage in 2015 of substantive TSCA reform measures considerably improved the odds that Congress would enact TSCA-reform legislation
May 26, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Is Trying to Get Out of Its Own Way on the RFS
by Brent Erickson (Biotechnology Innovation Organization/Biofuels Digest) ... The practical and legal constraints on the RFS are mostly of EPA’s own making. As EPA admitted in the final 2014-2016 rule, it set the volume obligations for those years according to
May 23, 2016 Read Full Article
What Kevin Cramer Is Telling Trump about Making American Energy Great Again
by Mark Drajem (Bloomberg) Say what you will about the EPA, but it doesn’t take the easy way out. EPA issued its proposal for the 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard yesterday, surprisingly early given that it has been increasingly tardy in issuing the
May 20, 2016 Read Full Article
Ernst: EPA’s Latest RFS Levels Don’t Follow 2007 Law
by O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa) Senator Joni Ernst says EPA administrators may be called before congress to explain the agency’s recent decision on renewable fuel standards. “There is clear direction from congress,” Ernst says, “and the EPA continues not to
May 20, 2016 Read Full Article
My Voice: The Positive Reach of Ethanol Impacts Many
by Keith Alverson (Argus Leader) As a sixth-generation corn farmer in South Dakota, and one who is deeply involved in sustainability programs in U.S. agriculture, I have learned first-hand how biofuels such as ethanol are good for our health and environment,
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Why Ethanol in Gasoline Remains a Good Idea
by John M. Urbanchuk (The Intelligencer) I am writing in response to Andrew Mikula's May 13 letter ("With oil now plentiful, why the need for ethanol in gasoline?"). Several points come to mind. Ethanol has several characteristics that make it an ideal
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
National Biodiesel Board Says Production Is Already Ahead of EPA Targets
by Nicole Heslip (Brownfield Ag News) The National Biodiesel Board says the industry has already met the biodiesel targets set by EPA for 2018. Vice President of Federal Affairs Anne Steckel tells Brownfield they’re happy to see the timeliness of EPA’s
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
It’s Time for an Octane Boost
by Tracey King (Detroit News) While our automobiles have experienced remarkable changes over the past several decades, the fuels we put in them have not. Specifically, the octane rating of regular gasoline today is the same as it was 40
May 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blending Pressures Already Shrinking Refiner Margins
by Laura Blewitt (Bloomberg) Federally mandated ethanol blending is adding extra pressure to the faltering profits of U.S. refiners. The worst crude oil downturn in a generation, which at first helped refiners’ profits, has now passed through to the fuel prices. Now,
May 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Oil Market Manipulation Is Alive and Well
by Jim Talent (Americans for Energy Security and Innovation/The Hill) Opponents of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) claim that the free hand of an unrestricted marketplace will guide biofuels into our fuel supply, driving economic competition and giving consumers better
May 13, 2016 Read Full Article
Cruz Aims to Declaw Energy Security Hawks with Appropriations Amendment
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The Def Con 2 alert from the biofuels educational and advocacy group (Advanced Biofuels USA) noted a House Subcommittee draft for defense appropriations, which had this language in Section 8132: None of the funds made available
May 13, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Finalizes Stronger Methane Emission Rules
by Devin Henry (The Hill) The Obama administration on Thursday finalized a new rule designed to cut methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector, pushing a stronger standard than one proposed last summer. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) methane
May 13, 2016 Read Full Article
The E15 Perspective from Those Marketing the Fuel
by Maura Keller (Fuel Marketer News) ... The argument among those marketers and retailers that have embraced the fuel is that E15 fuel allows them to market a cleaner-burning, higher-octane fuel that can technically be used by more than 200 million cars
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Brings Biofuel Production Changes To White House
by Kali Hays (Law360) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday sent some proposed changes to its Renewable Fuel Standard program to the White House for review, as the agency looks to promote the production of renewable fuels by removing
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
UAI Calls Court Decision on MOVES Model a Temporary Setback
(Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The effort to stop the U.S. EPA from implementing a model that unfairly blames ethanol for increased emissions hit a “temporary setback,” according to officials from the Urban Air Initiative in response to action by
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Meeting 2025 CAFE Good for Consumers, Necessary for Climate; Getting There No Easy Feat
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) ... To achieve CAFE for the light duty fleet – there is no one-sized fits all solution. Considering each potential CAFE compliance pathway alone -- biofuels, improvements in fuel efficiency and electrification -- won’t realistically allow
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol’s Success Post-2022
by Senator Mike Rounds, R-SD (Capital Journal) In a recent letter to the editor, “Rounds sends mixed signals on ethanol,” the author’s critique was based on my decision to speak at an event sponsored by an anti-ethanol group. I’d like to be very