by Doug Durante (Clean Fuels Development Coalition/Governors' Biofuels Coalition) With 29 million cars on the road and a nearly 14 billion gallon gasoline market, the state of California is a market unto itself. With 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol in the
MTBE (Methyl tert-butyl ether)
Back TO HOMEPurpose-Grown Energy Crops: What Drives Feedstock Innovation
by Glenn Farris (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Diges) In the drive towards a clean energy future and a low-carbon energy environment, purpose-grown energy crops will play a major role. At this time and for many years, researchers associated with universities, national
February 12, 2024 Read Full Article
RFS15 The Policy Origins of the Renewable Fuel Standard (aka, "Ethanol"): The Ethanol Pivot
by Eric Vettel (Energy Today) ... Replacing lead with MTBE reduced emissions almost overnight. By 1995, the Sierra Club celebrated MTBE as the “innovation of the year,” and George H. W. Bush considered the reform one of the most notable accomplishments
August 07, 2023 Read Full Article
OCI Global Fuels First Ever Green Methanol Powered Container Vessel
(OCI Global) OCI Global is fueling the first ever green methanol powered container vessel in a pioneering partnership with A.P. Moller – Maersk; OCI is the world leader in green methanol through its OCI HyFuels brand, pioneering its use as
June 13, 2023 Read Full Article
Biofuels Timeline Reveals 'Incredible Accomplishment'
by Noah Fish (Echo Press) The biofuels industry has made incredible strides since Michael McAdams joined the sector in 1978. McAdams, president of the Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA), manages the voice in the U.S. capital for the advanced biofuels industry. ... In an interview
April 19, 2023 Read Full Article
Ethanol: In Case We've Forgotten Why Ethanol is a Really Good Fuel for Internal Combustion Engines
by Bob Kozak (Atlantic Biomass/Advanced Biofuels USA) Formula 1, Indianappolis 500, and International Sports Car Championships use high volume renewable ethanol fuels. Do they know something we should know? Does ethanol "work" better as as a fuel? Does it help an
April 05, 2023 Read Full Article
USGC: Study Showcases Ethanol’s Advantages in Various Countries
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Grains Council recently partnered with Turner, Mason & Company (TM&C), a leading energy research and consulting firm, to conduct the Fuel Ethanol Cost-Benefit Analysis Study, quantifying the economic and strategic benefits of blending ethanol in
March 27, 2023 Read Full Article
Nigeria Fuel Ethanol Cost Benefit Analysis Study
(Turner Mason and Company/U.S. Grains Council) There is only one grade of gasoline in Nigeria, a 91 RON regular. The gasoline is generally supplied from refineries in Western Europe and tankered to Nigeria. Nigeria has eight domestic refineries, four larger
March 08, 2023 Read Full Article
Local View: Ethanol around the World
by Jan Tenbensel (Lincoln Journal Star) Reduced air pollution and energy security are crucial issues in Japan, which recently committed to achieving carbon neutrality, including through increased use of bioethanol. I was honored to represent the Nebraska Ethanol Board on a
December 22, 2022 Read Full Article
USGC Hosts Ethanol Seminar for Malaysia Fuel Industry
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) To introduce the concept of fuel ethanol in Malaysia and underscore the benefits importers can capture by including it in their import specifications, the U.S. Grains Council’s staff in Southeast Asia and Oceania (SEA&O) recently
June 08, 2022 Read Full Article
GTI’s Terry Marker to Be Honored with Prestigious Don Klass Award at Upcoming tcbiomass2022
(GTI) GTI Senior Institute Engineer and Bioenergy Initiatives Manager, Terry Marker, will be presented with the prestigious 2022 Don Klass Award for Excellence in Thermochemical Conversion Science on April 20th at tcbiomass2022, being held in Denver, Colorado and co-hosted by the
April 05, 2022 Read Full Article
45 years of AgriNews: From ‘Gasohol’ to over 15 Billion Gallons
by Tom Doran (AgriNews) ... AgriNews is celebrating its anniversary by reviewing some of the top agricultural issues over the past 45 years. ... Ethanol has been used as an energy source for nearly 200 years, but when the oil
March 22, 2022 Read Full Article
A Rebuttal to DeCicco: Use Locally Produced Renewable Energy
(Owatonna People's Press/Renewable Fuels Association) The author claims that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was enacted in the wake of 9/11. That is not true. The RFS was enacted after the petroleum industry was unsuccessful in getting Congress to protect the
January 05, 2022 Read Full Article
In Defense of the Ethanol Requirement in Gasoline ‘Unprofitable Refineries Whine because Biofuels Take away Market Share,’ Writes Sen. Chuck Grassley
(Wall Street Journal) As an avid reader of the Journal, I feel compelled to respond to the editorial board following last week’s release of renewable volume requirements by the Environmental Protection Agency (“Biden Raises the Ethanol Gas Tax,” Review &
December 23, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuels, the World’s Energy Past and Future
by Mario Osava (Inter Press Service) The biofuel from this mini biogas power plant in the municipality of Entre Rios do Oeste, in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, is supplied by local pig farmers, who earn extra income while
November 11, 2021 Read Full Article
What Is E85 Gas and Should You Use It?
by Andy Jensen (Advanced Auto Parts) ... E85 is widely available, an affordable alternative for many popular vehicles. Here's why you should take another look at ethanol. ... E85 is a gasoline and ethanol blend, much like your regular gas. If you
October 22, 2021 Read Full Article
Biofuel Symposium Addresses Korea’s Carbon-Neutrality Policy
(U.S. Grains Council) To create opportunities for an ethanol renewable fuel standard (RFS) in Korea’s carbon-neutrality scenario, the U.S. Grains Council, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in Seoul and The Environment Daily News co-hosted the “Climate Crisis and Biofuel Symposium” on Sept.
September 24, 2021 Read Full Article
There at the Beginning: Bob Dinneen
(Renewable Fuels Association) One of the leading authorities on the history of the U.S. ethanol industry didn’t get his start working for the energy or agriculture sectors. He grew up in the suburbs of Boston before finding his way to our
August 12, 2021 Read Full Article
RFA Welcomes E10 in UK, Recommends Tighter Blend Range
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked the United Kingdom’s Department of Transport for its draft regulations requiring the introduction of E10 ethanol blends beginning in September. However, in comments submitted to the agency, RFA recommended they adjust the
June 11, 2021 Read Full Article
Hydrous versus Anhydrous Ethanol in Gasoline
by Hans Keuken (Process Design Center) Hydrous ethanol can be distilled up to 3.5 volume% water (limit = azeotrope); • Anhydrous ethanol is further dehydrated to contain less water typically < 1%; • Dehydration units require additional capital & operating cost
May 10, 2021 Read Full Article
“Just a Minute” Educational Series Presents Episode 5: Why Biofuels? Diving Deeper into the Benefits of Renewable Fuels, and Their Many Benefits to Society
by Hannah DelSordo* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The fifth episode of “Just A Minute (or So) about Renewable Fuels” focuses on the environmental and geopolitical benefits of using renewable fuels. It is vital to look towards renewable fuels in order to
January 29, 2021 Read Full Article
Data, Data, Everywhere: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Bioenergy Data
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The U.S. Department of Energy and Next Rung Technology shared this illuminating slide guide on the creation, valorization and disposition of bioenergy data assets. By looking at data types, data assets, checking back in on
October 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Bioethanol: UTC Experience
(UABIO) ... Bioethanol raises the total octane number, raises the efficiency of the engine, increases the oxygen content in the fuel up to 3.7% and reduces emissions of PETROL, dioxins, carcinogens. Reducing CO is an indicator of harmful emissions and human
October 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Man’ Reflects on Biofuels
by Larry Sullivan (Lee Enterprises Consulting, Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... There is much common ground between Big Oil, Big Soy, and Big Corn. Minnesota Big Iron companies provided computing power to the early days of Big Oil’s seismic surveys, and Iron
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
China’s Ethanol Demand Evaporates on COVID-19
(Agri-Pulse Daybreak) China is one of the biggest potential markets for U.S. ethanol, but the country has – at least for now – given up on the idea of increasing its usage of the fuel to reduce air pollution. Chinese ethanol consumption
August 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Leaders See Happy Days in the Future
by Nat Williams (Illinois Farmer Today) The ethanol industry has a long, complicated history. But supporters believe the best days are ahead. “Fuel ethanol was a thing as early as early as automobiles. Henry Ford made his automobiles to run on ethanol
July 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Prophet Tilts at Petroleum
by Mikkel Pates (AgWeek) South Dakota ethanol promoter Orrie D. Swayze likes to hear promotions for 30% ethanol blends in gasoline but thinks 50% would be better for the environment and human health. -- ... Swazey, 76, ... became worried
July 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Just Because It's in Popular Science That Doesn't Mean It's True: An Open Letter to Jennifer Lu and Popular Science Magazine
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... The reason I'm contacting you today, in 2020, is because yesterday I received a message from a reader who disagrees with my advocacy of ethanol based upon your article. In my reply to
May 26, 2020 Read Full Article
PODCAST: Ethanol: The Future of the Fuel Industry, with RFA's Bob Dinneen and NCGA's Mark Palmer
(National Corn Growers Association) This may be a tumultuous time for corn farmers and ethanol producers. But then again, the ethanol industry's entire history has been a roller coaster ride. In this episode, NCGA CEO Jon Doggett revisits the battles that got us
April 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Mexico's Supreme Court Rules against Hiking Ethanol Fuel Content
by David Alire Garcia and Sharay Angulo (Reuters) The Mexican Supreme Court ruled against the modification of a fuel rule on Wednesday that would have allowed higher ethanol content in gasoline, similar to content rules in the United States, arguing that
January 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Informal Ethanol Market Thrives in Mexico
by Sergio Meana (Argus Media) Drivers in Mexico are using high concentrations of ethanol in their tanks as a direct, cheaper substitute of gasoline despite blends over 10pc being illegal, conventional fuel retailers said. Retailers in often informal street-side outlets advertise ethanol on
December 04, 2019 Read Full Article
Stop the Anti-Ethanol Ridiculousness--An Open Letter Reply to an Unmistakable Editorial Failure
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) This past Saturday, a media outlet called THE ATLANTIC published an anti-ethanol editorial titled "STOP THE ETHANOL MADNESS." ... The following is my rebuttal to him and THE ATLANTIC: Dear Editors - The anti-ethanol editorial written by
November 25, 2019 Read Full Article
Despite Domestic Policy Disputes, Biofuels Retain Significance on World Stage
(Solutions from the Land) The domestic biofuel industry has taken some harsh hits in recent times, as evidenced by the heated disputes over biofuel policies and the questionable restraints the current administration seems to be placing on the sector's ability
November 08, 2019 Read Full Article
Global Ethanol Summit Panel Focuses on the Economics of Octane
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Day two of the inaugural Global Ethanol Summit began with a discussion about the economic benefits of blending ethanol in gasoline. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper began the panel with a discussion about
October 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Japan Receives First Shipment of ETBE from US Corn-Based Ethanol
(Biofuels International) Following a recent policy change by the Japanese Government, the country has received its first shipment of ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) made from US corn-based ethanol. According to the US Grains Council (USGC), this first shipment to Japan marks the
July 22, 2019 Read Full Article
E10 in China and Potential Market Devastation in Store for MTBE: Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back in the Fuel Pool
by Steven Slome, Ron Cascone, and Matthew Morton (Nexant Inc./Biofuels Digest) As of mid-2019, the Chinese government has only six months to make good on its 2017 pledge to roll out mandatory ten percent ethanol content in gasoline (E10) on a
July 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Alternative Oxygenate Effects on Emissions
(Urban Air Institute) The Urban Air Initiative (UAI) would like to thank the Coordinated Research Council (CRC) for its recent study that shows simply adding an oxygenate lowers tailpipe emissions. This recent CRC study, Report No. E-129, titled ALTERNATIVE OXYGENATE EFFECTS ON EMISSIONS,
July 01, 2019 Read Full Article
USGC Demonstrates Ethanol’s Cost Savings in Indonesia
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol could generate significant cost savings while boosting octane in fuel supplies in Indonesia. That’s the message the U.S. Grains Council and its partners are conveying to Indonesian importers and government agencies to promote increased ethanol
May 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Houston We Have a Problem…
by Doug Durante (Biofuels Digest/Clean Fuels Development Coalition) and Dave VanderGriend (Urban Air Initiative) Floods, horrible chemical fires, and now a barge accident in the port resulting in a chemical spill that further reveals the dirty little secret of gasoline — that
May 27, 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
US Ethanol Producers: We Are Oil’s Biggest Competitor, Cleaner Too
by Sarantis Michalopoulos (EURACTIV) Increasing ethanol use will help countries around the world meet their Paris Agreement climate goals in a cheaper way, US producers told EURACTIV.com, staking their claim to a higher role for the fuel, alongside electricity, in decarbonising transport. Speaking
December 14, 2018 Read Full Article
Sharing The Octane Advantage Of Ethanol With World Markets
(U.S. Grains Council) ... Global markets vary greatly in their experiences with ethanol, from fully realizing the advantages of increased ethanol use to continued reliance on expensive and environmentally harmful fossil fuel additives. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) wants countries around
November 05, 2018 Read Full Article
Concept to Construction and Exports are Crucial
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) In the U.S. ethanol industry, three plants are under construction, while a fourth makes its way through the permitting process. -- In an industry with more than 200 existing plants, four new projects is a
October 24, 2018 Read Full Article
USGC Joins USDA Trade Mission to Promote Ethanol
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. Grains Council and ethanol industry partners added an octane enhancer to the USDA’s Agricultural Trade Mission to Indonesia in July, led by USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney. The Council delegation
August 14, 2018 Read Full Article
USGC Explores Potential Ethanol Demand in Chile and Argentina
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Increased global bioethanol use is only a well-constructed policy decision away in markets like Argentina and Chile. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) traveled to both countries in June to investigate their existing ethanol markets and discover
August 06, 2018 Read Full Article
Mexican Ethanol Optimism Returns after States Ask for Ban Repeal
(UkrAgroConsult) The Mexican ethanol market could have more room to grow as the states of Nuevo Leon and Jalisco have asked for a repeal of a ban on ethanol blending in their principal cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara, respectively. "If our gasoline
July 12, 2018 Read Full Article
Octane Overconfidence
by Ron Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... (W)hy oil refiners wouldn't use ethanol as a source of octane, under a high-octane fuel standard, without an RFS or RINs. -- ... Ethanol is the best and cheapest source
June 27, 2018 Read Full Article
Mexican Court Overturns Ethanol Blending Injunction
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) A federal tribunal in Mexico Thursday overturned an injunction blocking ethanol blending from climbing to 10% from 5.8%, two sources connected to the case told S&P Global Platts. "Effectively, today the collegiate court decided to revoke the suspension,"
June 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Repeating History with Octane Biofuel Standards Is a Huge Mistake
by Mike Carr (New Energy America/The Hill) Recently, Chet Thompson of American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) testified before Congress and proposed a “fuel neutral” octane standard as a “potential replacement” for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Octane is a fuel characteristic that allows engines
May 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Isobutanol: Now on the Radar for USA COMMENTS DUE April 30, 2018
by Jess Hewitt (Biofuels Digest/Lee Enterprises Consulting) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened a comment period for the registration of the use of Isobutanol in gasoline. Why is this important? Because since the states banning of the use of MTBE
April 30, 2018 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
In his article suggesting scrapping Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in favor of a Clean Air Act life cycle analysis-based methodology for CO2 transportation emission reduction, Bob Kozak advised, "(I)f anyone asks what will be the economic incentive for a
February 16, 2018 Read Full Article
Let’s Regulate CO2 Emissions, and Forget the 55.4 MPG 2025 Corporate Annual Fuel Economy Standard: The Inexpensive Way to Quickly Reduce Green House Gases
by Robert Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard of 54.5 miles/gallon has become a significant issue since the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Besides the Administration’s near religious fervor against
February 15, 2018 Read Full Article
Cruz Taps Texas Mistrust of Ethanol
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) Attack on federal biofuels mandate provides chance to appeal to base -- ... But for the junior senator, facing re-election this year as Democrats show new swagger in the age of Trump, ethanol provides the chance to appeal
January 03, 2018 Read Full Article
US Grains Council : USGC Explores Potential For Ethanol Use in Indonesia, Thailand
(U.S. Grains Council/4 Traders) Representatives from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) recently traveled to Indonesia and Thailand to visit with ministry and industry officials there and gain a better understanding of the opportunities for and challenges to expanded ethanol use in
December 26, 2017 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If our gasoline composition is right then ethanol can work," said Alfonso Martinez, undersecretary of protection of the environment and natural resources in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in a phone interview with S&P Global Platts. "We have nothing against ethanol, we
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Feature: Mexican Ethanol Optimism Returns after States Ask for Ban Repeal
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) The Mexican ethanol market could have more room to grow as the states of Nuevo Leon and Jalisco have asked for a repeal of a ban on ethanol blending in their principal cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara, respectively. ... Mexico
November 28, 2017 Read Full Article
Feature: Mexican Ethanol Blending Faces Legal Hurdles Following Injunction
by Josh Pedrick and Silvia Struthers (Platts) A future that once looked rosy for climbing ethanol blends with gasoline in Mexico could be in jeopardy as legal challenges to a new fuel regulation have found traction in court. A Mexican federal judge has issued
October 24, 2017 Read Full Article
Houston Companies Join High-Octane Battle over Fuel in Mexico
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) At a Rice University forum last year, Mexican Energy Secretary Pedro Joaquin Coldwell was asked whether his government would allow refiners to increase the concentrations of ethanol in gasoline beyond the 5.8 percent that it had
October 13, 2017 Read Full Article
Can The Corn Ethanol Lobby Win In Mexico, Too?
by David Blackmon (Forbes) ... The elimination in the U.S. of the use of MTBE as a gasoline oxygenation agent by the EPA was a big factor in the initial turn to ethanol .... ... Taking advantage of major changes to the country’s energy
September 26, 2017 Read Full Article
China to Import More Corn to Meet Ethanol Fuel Use – Analyst
by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton (Reuters) China could import up to 20 million tonnes of corn a year, more than six times the current level, to meet a switch to greater use of ethanol in fuel, an analyst predicted on
September 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Behind the Battle for Octane
by Denton Cinquegrana (Oil Price Information Service(OPIS)) What you need to know as the refining, agricultural and auto industries gear up to vie for their piece of a multi-billion-dollar market -- Premium gasoline has clearly become a sought-after commodity for U.S.
August 22, 2017 Read Full Article
Mexico Biofuel Regs Favor US Imports: Industry
(Argus Media) Mexico's recently approved increase in allowable ethanol content in gasoline to 10pc could boost US gasoline imports over domestic ethanol production, some Mexican companies say. The increase initiated last month in the allowable ethanol blend from 5.8pc seemed good news
July 07, 2017 Read Full Article
Is Ethanol Worth the Fight?
by Tim Snyder (Equities.com/Crudefunders) ... With that in mind, we decided to break down the question of, “Is it worth it?” into four parts: price benefits, reduction of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), oxygenate replacement and green fuel alternatives. ... Ethanol was introduced in 2006, into
May 01, 2017 Read Full Article
Proposed Mexico Fuel Rule Seeks More Ethanol Blending
by David Alire Garcia (Reuters) A plan to raise the amount of ethanol that can be blended with motor fuels in Mexico, which could power job growth and lower air pollution, was submitted to the country's energy regulators by an industry
April 26, 2017 Read Full Article
Opportunities to Transition Ethanol Facilities to Biochemical Refineries
by Daniel A. Lane and Joel A. Stone (Lee Enterprises Consulting/Biofuels Digest) ... As the market for gasoline grew, a shortage soon developed for the lighter fractions of crude oil. This shortage led to the development of the catalytic cracker, which breaks
April 24, 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
Health Effects Institute Takes Hard Look at Ethanol vs Aromatics
by David Hallberg (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative) Candid discussions at the Health Effects Institute offer hope ethanol's positive emissions profile will be taken seriously, writes a UAI advisor and Siouxland Ethanol board member in the Clearing the Air column
February 14, 2017 Read Full Article
Busting the Mythology of Food vs. Fuel
by Jeff Rice (Journal-Advocate) Making ethanol doesn't rob the hungry of needed nutrition ... Ethanol has long been recognized as an additive to increase octane and help internal combustion engines burn cleaner. Until 2005, the chief oxygenation additive was primarily methyl
November 30, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter: Pink out with Ethanol
by Krista Willis Willmar (Hutchinson Leader) ... And some consumer choices do significantly impact our exposure to cancer-causing toxins. Vehicle fuel is an excellent example. That’s why several major chains of gas stations across six states — including Minnoco in
October 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Is Ethanol in Your Gas a Problem? We Revisited the Question with an Expert
by Jeff Zurschmeide (Digital Trends) ... For this article, Digital Trends spoke in-depth with Dr. Andrew Randolph, Technical Director for ECR Engines. Dr. Randolph holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University, with a specialty in the combustion properties of ethanol-gasoline blends.
October 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Don’t Fall For Ethanol Spin
by Bill Delahunt (Coastal Angler) ... There is a lot to like about ethanol. It displaces cancer-causing chemicals in gasoline like benzene. It replaced MTBE, which polluted drinking water throughout the 1990s. Just this year, ExxonMobil was required to pay millions for the
September 12, 2016 Read Full Article
The War Against Ethanol, Part 1
by Jamie Kitman (Automobile Magazine) Getting real about ethanol -- ... But until solar and wind power charge our national fleet of electric and hydrogen vehicles, ethanol is worth discussing. Because all in all, gasoline is better with it in it.
August 22, 2016 Read Full Article
EPAct’s 11th Birthday Is Something to Celebrate
by Rachel Gantz (Renewable Fuels Association) On Monday, Aug. 8, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) celebrated its 11th anniversary. Not on a first name basis with acronyms? It’s the law that gave us the original renewable fuel standard,
August 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Claim a Dangerous Combination of Misinformation, Power
by Doug Berven (Portland Press Herald/POET) Gov. LePage and his allies need to look at the facts before alleging that there's a link between the fuel additive and Maine's drug crisis. ... Most importantly, ethanol replaces petroleum-based toxins such as benzene, toluene
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA: E15 Keeps Growing in the US, but Not Fast Enough to Raise Mandates
(Biofuels International) Government and industry investment in new equipment will dramatically increase access to higher-ethanol blends but not fast enough to raise mandates to use the fuel next year, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Grants supporting the installation
June 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Are Ethanol Opponents Sniffing Glue? Something Is Making Them Dizzy!
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... In preparation for this hearing and EPA process, a group called American Council For Capital Formation (an oil industry lobby shill group) commissioned a report from Dr. Daniel De La Torre Ugarte, Research Professor,
June 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol And Octane For Beginners
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) Ethanol is often talked about as a high-octane fuel. But not everyone has a clear understanding of octane and how it affects the performance of their cars. So let's start right at the beginning : what is
June 01, 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
BREAKING: High Court Turns Away Exxon's Challenge To $236M MTBE Verdict
by Keith Goldberg (Law 360) The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to review a $236 million trial judgment against ExxonMobil Corp. in a groundwater contamination case in New Hampshire, leaving in place a verdict the energy giant claims is a violation
May 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Boating and Engine Experts Call on Lawmakers to Boost Biofuel Blends
(Fuels America/The Auto Channel) Certified mechanics, engine performance experts, and professional fishermen are briefing lawmakers on Capitol Hill today about the importance of ethanol in protecting the environment, preserving America’s energy security, and providing a high-octane boost to marine engines.
May 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Letter: Rebuttal to My Voice on Ethanol
by Mike Pap (Angus Leader) In response to the My Voice written by George “David” Banks, “Corn ethanol mandate harmful to environment.” Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, I question Bank’s intent, thinking he probably has oil interest in
May 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Fact Sheet: A Brief History of Octane in Gasoline: From Lead to Ethanol
by Jessie Stolark (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) A cornerstone of U.S. environmental policy has been the reduction of harmful tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks. Thanks to EPA regulations of mobile sources, air pollutants have been reduced by millions
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Life As We Might Have Known It: What If Ethanol Was Our Primary Engine Fuel
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... Our exchange began with his comments that government should not decide which fuel is the winner; that fossil fuels dominance over alternative fuels was due to consumer choice; and that society owes a
March 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol: The Rise and Fall of a Political Force
by Tristan R. Brown (The Conversation) The 2016 primary race is defying conventional wisdom, with erstwhile fringe candidates competitive in the polls despite their unorthodox policy positions. The Iowa Republican Caucus provided additional material for this storyline as Senator Ted Cruz defied
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Keeps Gasoline Prices Down
by Fred Yoder (The Columbus Dispatch/Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association) When the original renewable fuel standard was passed in 2005, gasoline manufacturers were under heavy pressure to do something about the contamination of thousands of groundwater sources from using methyl
February 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Putting Corn in Your Car Isn’t as Crazy as It Sounds
by Nathanael Johnson (Grist) When I first looked at the environmental impact of corn ethanol I thought it was simple: Grow an acre of corn for fuel and it means you have to grow another acre elsewhere for food, which
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
India's First Biofuel Refinery to Be Ready by 2019
by Supratim Dey (Business Standard) With Indian oil marketing companies (OMCs) witnessing a surge in the requirement of bio-fuel, as national policies mandate certain percentage of its blending with petrol and diesel, India within next three years will get its first bio-fuel
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
The Shocking Truth About America’s Ethanol Law: It Doesn’t Matter (For Now)
by Dan Charles (New England Public Radio) ... If you oppose government interventions in the free market, as Cruz does, the RFS is an outrage. ... This view of the RFS is widely shared across the political spectrum, including, for instance, the
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Export Markets for ‘Liquid Corn’
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Global trade for U.S. ethanol has been trending up in the past decade, becoming an important part of the industry’s growth strategy. -- Looking at the numbers, it doesn’t take long to conclude that
January 22, 2016 Read Full Article
The Looming Octane Shortage?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In a time of rising gasoline demand and targets for higher engine efficiencies, the world could use more octane. What about ethanol, and what about iso-octane itself? The Digest looks at the economics and the supplies. Over
December 29, 2015 Read Full Article
EPA Review Raises Alarm in Maine over Potential Increase of Ethanol in Gasoline
by Whit Richardson (Portland Press Herald) Critics say the change would cost drivers, farmers, fuel sellers and small-engine equipment owners. ... But that report is clearly politically motivated to sway the EPA’s decision and its conclusions are unreliable, said Jonathan
November 23, 2015 Read Full Article
The Drivers Seat: Ethanol Update
by Bobby Likis (Car Clinic Network) Recently, Lauren Fix appeared on the Jacki Daily Show and took aim at Ethanol. Really? Yes, something needs to be fixed. And it’s not ethanol. What needs to be fixed is the egregiously incorrect
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Lauren Fix Takes Ethanol Opposition To New Level Of Stupidity
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) ... On an official basis, E15 is approved by the EPA to be used in all gasoline-powered passenger vehicles manufactured in or after 2001. The vast majority of gasoline-powered vehicles on the road in
August 31, 2015 Read Full Article
Repeal the Ethanol Mandate
by John McClaughry (Watchdog.org) ... Back in the Nixon years scientists discovered that tetraethyl lead used to improve combustion in gasoline led to serious environmental and health damage. Adding lead to gasoline was banned. That was a good thing. But gasoline
August 20, 2015 Read Full Article
Shedding Light on U.S. Biofuels: The 'Food versus Fuel' Debate
by Stephanie Mercier (Ag Web) The U.S. biofuels sector marks its birth back in 1979, when Congress established a blender’s credit for ethanol as the earliest piece of federal biofuel policy as part of the Energy Tax Act of 1978 as
August 17, 2015 Read Full Article
Celebrating a Decade of Success: The RFS Turns 10!
(Renewable Fuels Association) This Saturday marks 10 years since the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) containing the original Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The first RFS set America on a path
August 10, 2015 Read Full Article
USGC: Ethanol Can Improve China’s Air, Water Quality
(U.S. Grains Council/Ethanol Producer Magazine) A U.S. Grains Council mission including U.S. environmental and public health specialists recently traveled to China to discuss how air and water quality in that country could be improved through the use of ethanol in the
August 03, 2015 Read Full Article
Valero Expands into Ethanol Export Market for 1st Time
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Valero Energy Corp, one of the biggest U.S. oil refiners, is preparing to sell ethanol for export for the first time, the company said, betting on the $2 billion overseas market as U.S. demand remains plagued
July 14, 2015 Read Full Article
The Need For A New Fuel Paradigm: Transitioning From Legacy Fuels to Modern Efficient Fuels
by Bill Brandon (Leaders in Energy) ... This two-part White Paper presents the proposition that we need to transition away from the legacy fuels we use today to modern liquid and gas fuels[1] that: 1) reduce or eliminate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
June 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Building Markets for Ethanol Exports
by Cindy Zimmerman (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Expanding export markets for U.S. ethanol was the focus last month as a group of industry representatives to Mexico and Japan on trade missions coordinated through a partnership between the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA),
June 19, 2015 Read Full Article
Corn Ethanol Yields Continue to Improve
(US DOE Energy Information Administration) In 2014, U.S. fuel ethanol production reached 14.3 billion gallons of ethanol fuel, the highest level ever. The growth in U.S. fuel ethanol production has outpaced growth in corn consumed as feedstock—as the industry has
May 14, 2015 Read Full Article
Biofuels: What's Happened and Where Are We Going?
by Scott Chabina (Fierce Energy) The transformation of Gen 1.0 to 1.5 and the reality of Gen 2.0. Advanced, commercially viable biofuel facilities no longer "unicorns on the horizon" ... Conventional, or "Gen 1.0", corn ethanol producers have continued to diversify
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
The Economic Competitiveness of U.S. Ethanol
by John M. Urbanchuk (ABF Economics/Renewable Fuels Association) ... Reflecting this enhanced competitiveness and maturation, ethanol prices (both FOB plant and delivered at key U.S. markets) have declined, while crude oil and conventional gasoline prices remained stable or increased. Consequently: 1. U.S.-produced ethanol continues to improve
July 23, 2014 Read Full Article
Why Are Ethanol Prices and Production Profits So High?
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (FarmDocDaily/University of Illinois) The ethanol production industry is in the midst of a long "winning streak" in terms of profits. The current run of historically high profits began in March 2013 and was punctuated
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Expanding American Ethanol to China
by Kelly Davis (Renewable Fuels Associations) I (Kelly Davis, Director of Regulatory Affairs) had the unique opportunity to participate in a 10-day U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) trade mission to China that began on May 5. I joined USDA Under Secretary
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
How Big Ethanol Hopes You’re a Dope
by Alex Fitzsimmons (Institute for Energy Research) ...Millions of gallons of ethanol would be produced and used every year without the Renewable Fuel Standard since refiners would use it as an oxygenate. The problem is not ethanol per se, the problem
September 05, 2013 Read Full Article
DfT: 66% of Biofuels Supplied in the UK Are Sustainable
(E2B) According to the Department of Transport, between 15 April 2012 and 14 January 2013, 965 million litres of renewable fuel were supplied, of which 66 per cent have so proven to be sustainable. 18 per cent of sustainable renewable fuel
May 09, 2013 Read Full Article
AFPM, RFA Trade Charges after Verdict in MTBE Case
by Jordan Godwin (Platts) ...(American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers President Charles T.) Drevna responded Wednesday to a New Hampshire verdict earlier that day in a case where ExxonMobil was found negligent for putting MTBE in gasoline without warning the state of its risks.
April 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol--Does the RFS Matter?
by Scott Irwin and Darrel Good (University of Illinois/FarmDocDaily) ...The suggestion to waive the mandate assumes that ethanol production and blending is motivated only by the RFS and that a lower mandate would result in less ethanol production and blending and
March 21, 2013 Read Full Article
UK Releases Open Source Data on Biofuels Usage Since 2008
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, the government has made available open source data regarding the country’s use of biofuels through April 14, 2013 (despite the fact that it’s still a month away), the fifth year of the Renewable Transport
March 12, 2013 Read Full Article
IKCO Adapts Engines for Ethanol
(AMEInfo.com) A mutual collaboration between IKCO (Iran Khodro) and Bio-energy Research Center of Tarbiat Modares University, has provided the ability of using ethanol in IKCO cars. Mehrdad Elyasi, design manager of powertrain and control systems in IKCO R&D center said that in
January 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Defending Tomorrow's Ethanol Today - Q&A
by Tim Portz (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman talks controlling the industry’s narrative and the delicate challenge of battling ethanol’s only customer for market share. Recognizing that the arguments for advanced ethanol as well as the
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Evonik Produces BioMTBE with Material Refined from Crude Glycerin
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) While petroleum-based methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) has largely been replaced with ethanol as a gasoline additive in the U.S. due to environmental concerns of groundwater contamination, Evonik recently announced it has been producing commercial volumes
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
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