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
Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS and RFS2)
Back TO HOMEThe 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
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
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
Realities of the Market
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) EPA's proposed rule reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the RFS's purpose, which was designed to change the realities of the market and the way oil companies do business, and to spur investment
June 15, 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
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
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
Guest Opinion: Misinformation Hurts Ethanol's Place at Pump
by Mike Lefever (Post Independent/Citizen Telegram) ... In the end, though, I hope your take away is the same as mine; there’s a place at the pump for ethanol, petroleum and other fuels. We just don’t want ethanol to lose its place
June 06, 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
Biofuels Are Proven Winners - But Still Get No Respect
by Jonathan H Harsch (AgriPulse) The 2017 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) proposed by EPA disappointed both biofuels and fossil fuels advocates. That's because EPA set next year's mandate for corn ethanol at 14.8 billion gallons - 200 million gallons below the level
June 01, 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
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
Whatever Happened to Advanced Biofuels?
by David Biello (Scientific American) ... Burning cellulosic ethanol as a fuel could result in just 10 percent of the CO2 emissions produced by burning gasoline. One big secret to making it all work is the advanced biofuel refinery's location right next
May 26, 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
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
Hogg Touts Biofuels
by Joe Sutter (The Messenger) Education spending, environmental concerns are a focus for senate candidate -- State Sen. Rob Hogg touted his support for renewables and biofuels while at the Iowa Central Community College fuel testing laboratory Tuesday. The lab is
May 19, 2016 Read Full Article
Guest View: For the Farmers, the Biofuel Bubble Has Already Burst
by Isaac Orr (Quad City Times/The Heartland Institute) ... Many of the agriculture-related policy discussions taking place in the nation’s capital focus on how corn farmers will be hurt by the biofuel mandate because RFS requires traditional forms of biofuel,
May 19, 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
Hope Springs Eternal for Ethanol in the Far East
By Ed Hubbard (Renewable Fuels Association) ... At APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum), I found a delegation of countries that weren’t just committed to biofuels, but eager about the future and promise they held for those countries’ domestic economies, energy
May 18, 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
Proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2017, and the Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2018
(Environmental Protection Agency) EPA proposed increases in renewable fuel volume requirements across all types of biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. These increases would boost production and provide for ambitious yet achievable growth. The proposed volume requirements and associated
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
Guest Commentary: New Gas Pumps Fuel NWI Energy Options
by Michael McIntire (Northwest Indiana Times) ... Family Express, a favorite local company, is installing new fuel pumps across eight counties with help from the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Drivers will have the option to fuel
May 16, 2016 Read Full Article
The Ethanol in Your Gas Tank Should Come from a Tree in a Maine Forest
by Kevin L. Raye (Bangor Daily News/Down East Strategies) Yet our forestry sector is in serious trouble, as mill closures and job losses reverberate through Maine’s economy. The urgency of finding innovative new uses and new markets to maximize the
May 13, 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
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
Evidence of Benefits of Biofuels in Combating Climate Change is More than Ample
(25 x '25) ... While recognition of the role of agriculture in meeting climate change challenges is growing among world leaders, it is of concern that biofuels and the low-carbon benefits they provide, especially when compared to fossil-based fuels like gasoline
May 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Lawmakers Seek Ethanol Cap: House Bill Would Codify Ethanol Blend Wall
by Todd Neeley (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The ethanol industry has hit the blend wall where total production exceeds the available E10 market, and a small group of federal lawmakers wants to keep it that way. ... Legislation introduced in the U.S.
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
May 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Hillary Clinton's Climate and Energy Policies, Explained
by David Roberts (Vox.com) Media coverage of the Democratic primary has not shed much light on Hillary Clinton's proposals for climate change and clean energy policy. But oh, she has proposals. Lots of them! I read the white papers. And
May 10, 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
Cellulosic Growth Likely for Ethanol Industry
by Terry Anderson (Lee Agri-Media/Iowa Farmer Today) Great market opportunities exist for the ethanol industry, Doug Durante said as he opened the Ethanol 2016: Emerging Issues Forum April 28. “We can help the auto industry meet their requirements,” he said. “They provide
May 09, 2016 Read Full Article
THE REGULARS: Clean Energy Incentives Produce Spectrum of Benefits for Iowa
by Katie Colling (Sioux City Journal) ... So my question is, why should non-farming Iowans care about RFS or any of the tax incentives for production of alternative energy forms? ... Iowa now has 41 corn ethanol plants and two cellulosic plants and
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Farmers to Have Role in Changing Ethanol Industry
by Jessica Rose Spangler (Lancaster Farming) Ethanol isn’t a new concept. Using corn to make it isn’t either. And Pennsylvania even has a plant to create it, Pennsylvania Grain Processing LLC in Clearfield, which is capable of producing 110 million gallons
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Inaction in Congress Helping Ethanol Right Now
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) ... Ethanol also remains stuck in a battle with EPA over vapor pressure with 15% ethanol over the summer months. 10% ethanol, E10, has such a waiver so it can be sold during the
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Tenacity Required to Secure Advanced Biofuels Future
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) Once again, we enter spring awaiting the U.S. EPA’s proposal for the renewable volumes obligations (RVO) for the next year. After six years in this cycle, we know that EPA must propose a
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
RFS Central to America’s Manufacturing Strength
by Leif Magnusson (CLAAS Global Sales America Inc./Association of Equipment Manufacturers/Morning Consult) We have heard a lot about the importance of manufacturers during this election season, and as the head of a manufacturing business in Nebraska, I couldn’t agree more.
May 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Co-Optima Stakeholder Listening Day Summary Report
(U.S. Department of Energy) Bioenergy Technologies Office, in partnership with the Vehicle Technologies Office and DOE national laboratories, hosted a stakeholder listening day last June to concurrently investigate the optimization of fuels and vehicles. Formerly called “Optima,” this work is now
April 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups Criticize US Climate Plan for Excluding Biofuels
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... “It is beyond baffling that biofuels or the RFS were not included in the U.S.’ plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “The U.S. should be proud that
April 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellerate + Enogen = More Ethanol Production
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to Syngenta, the combination of Cellerate process technology with Enogen can increase ethanol production by 20 percent. The 18 day trial was conducted at the Quad County Corn Processors (QCCP) plant. Since going online, the
April 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Make Biofuels Part of Paris Agreement Implementation
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ... Nearly a third of global GHGs come from the transportation sector making it a key area of focus in efforts to reduce emissions. Studies have shown that biofuels, like ethanol, are proven to reduce harmful GHGs
April 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Tenacity Required to Secure Advanced Biofuels Future
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) Addressing climate continues to be one of the major reasons to support and develop advanced and cellulosic biofuels. -- Once again, we enter spring awaiting the U.S. EPA’s proposal for the renewable volumes obligations
April 21, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA Submits 2017 RFS Rule to White House OMB for Review
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA delivered the proposed rule for the 2017 renewable fuel standard (RFS) to the White House Office of Management and Budget on April 15. OMB review marks a final step before the
April 19, 2016 Read Full Article
IRFA: Iowa Achieves Record E85, Midlevel Blend Sales in 2015
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) An analysis of a recent Iowa Department of Revenue report shows the average biodiesel blend purchased in Iowa reached 11.0 percent in 2015, an increase from the 9.4 percent average blend in 2014 and a new all-time
April 18, 2016 Read Full Article
ACE, Ethanol Retailers Counter Ethanol Myths during Briefing
(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Drivers want this fuel, and it doesn’t cost an interested retailer an arm and a leg to get the right fueling equipment to sell higher blends of ethanol. That was the theme of the
April 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Rounds Sends Mixed Signals on Ethanol
by Erin Wicox (Capital Journal) Recently, South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds was a keynote speaker at an event in Washington, D.C. hosted by the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF). The ACCF sounds harmless, but if you do a little
April 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Cooper: Don't Reverse Course on Ethanol
by Tom Thoma (Globe Gazette) Alan Guebert’s recent column (“The ethanol trap”) asks, “Where would the nation, its farmers, livestock growers, and rural America be today had ethanol not been given … a role in U.S. farm and energy policy
April 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Implement RFS As Congress Intended
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) The renewable fuel standard (RFS) is the most successful energy policy our nation has seen in the last 40 years. It has created almost 400,000 jobs and contributed nearly $44 billion to the nation’s
April 12, 2016 Read Full Article
Urban Air Initiative, Energy Future Coalition Challenge EPA Data on Ethanol’s Lifecycle Emissions
(Urban Air Initiative) Urban Air Initiative joined the Energy Future Coalition and the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition (GBC) in calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize an overwhelming body of new evidence showing fuel ethanol can reduce carbon
April 11, 2016 Read Full Article
Major Regulatory Milestones in First Quarter Set Joule Up for Commercial Success
(Joule/BusinessWire) EPA Qualifies Joule Ethanol Under Clean Air Act -- Joule, the pioneer of drop-in liquid fuels from recycled CO2, today announced major accomplishments in the first quarter of 2016 that are accelerating the commercialization of environmentally sustainable ultra-low carbon
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Make Haste with Waste
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... (W)hen you compare them to homogenized, uniform, high-yield, purpose-grown energy crops. residues may be queer, but they are here. Not only available, but reliable, you can count on the fact that they will not
April 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Boom Times: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Renewable Diesel’s Explosive Growth
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, we held a well-attended webinar on “Boom times in Renewable Diesel” Here below is the first slide deck presented on the day, from The Digest. The recorded version of the webinar can be accessed
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Grease Is the Word
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In short, renewable fuels has reached a crisis of growth in the United States — years of expansion have halted, and everyone is entitled to ask why. ... Let’s look at the hard data. Demand signals As
April 07, 2016 Read Full Article
Push Poll Push Back
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The American Petroleum Institute has unveiled yet another anti-biofuel poll. The latest released during a media call today was conducted by Harris Poll. According to the poll, 77 percent of registered voters are concerned that breaching
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Importing to Meet California Demand
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) The U.S. imported a record volume of biomass-based diesel in 2015. ... This increase in imports is particularly interesting because 2015 was a year with no forward-looking $1-per-gallon blender’s tax credit, and, for 11 months
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
CA Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Questioned: Study Raises Doubts About Long-Term Viability of Rule
by Todd Neeley (DTN/The Progressive Farmer) California's controversial low-carbon fuel standard may not be able to survive long term unless more biodiesel and corn-based ethanol are allowed into the state's market quickly, according to a new study. The analysis, conducted by
April 06, 2016 Read Full Article
Ted Cruz on Energy and Climate: Free Market Directions
by Robert Bradley Jr. (Master Resource) ... 1) Do you support ending all energy subsidies, including cleaning up the tax code to treat all types of energy the same? A: Yes, I support a true all-of-the-above approach to energy, ending all
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Election Impacts on the US Biofuels Markets
(Stratas Advisors) The 2016 elections have raised clouds of questions for many involved in the US biofuels markets. The conflicting and inflated rhetoric surrounding biofuels and climate policy gives the impression that drastic change is on the horizon with multiple
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Mandates Around the World: The 2016 Visual Guide
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 64 countries have targets or mandates - but how much where, and when, and what? The bulk of mandates continue to come from the EU-27, where the Renewable Energy Directive specified a 10 percent renewable content
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Redefining Renewable Biomass: A Policy Change with Cascading Outcomes
by Katie E. Moore-Drougas, Daniel T. Schwartz, Laurel James and Jim Durglo (Brookings Institution) ... One solution that has the potential to substantially curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a change in the Energy Independence and Security Act’s (EISA) definition of “renewable
April 04, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Oil Could Lose $10 Billion if E15 is the New Regular
(Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association) A new report by Reuters indicates that the oil industry could lose $10 billion annually if E15 replaces E10 and becomes the new regular in gas stations across the country. The report, which can be found here, said
March 31, 2016 Read Full Article
Setting the Record Straight on Heartland Institute’s False RFS Claims
by Tom Buis (Growth Energy) Last week, the Heartland Institute published a blog post claiming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has a detrimental impact on American farmers and rural corn producing areas. Growth Energy responded to the post, pointing to the
March 24, 2016 Read Full Article
Grassley, Klobuchar, 17 Other Senators Urge EPA to Set a High Blending Target Under the Renewable Fuel Standard
(Office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)) Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and 17 other senators today urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set high blending targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2017,
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
First Midwest Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Is Producing Tank-Car Loads of Fuel
by David Shaffer (Star Tribune) Poet Inc. is shipping fuel from Iowa facility, which could hit full output by year's end. -- Poet Inc., the nation’s first commercial-scale producer of cellulosic ethanol, is shipping the fuel from its plant in
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Big Corn Finds Unlikely Allies in U.S. Biofuel 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 U.S. roads can safely handle E-15 fuel, a gasoline with 15 percent ethanol content, or 50 percent more than
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
The United States’ Shifting Approach to Ethanol and other Biofuels Is a Case Study in Short-Sighted Decision Making.
by Alexis Bateman and Yossi Sheffi (MIT Sloan Management Review) How a Lack of Systemic Thinking Threatens a Sustainable U.S. Energy Policy -- ... In 2011, a combination of market conditions and government policies in the U.S. and Brazil led to a
March 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Meet The New 'Tool' In Big Oil's Efforts To Scuttle Ethanol +VIDEO: An Open Letter to George "David" Banks
by Marc J. Rauch (The Auto Channel) I just finished reading your article "Renewable Fuel Standard Continues To Devastate," published in February on the High Plains Leader & Times website. ... In fact, your article looks suspiciously like an article that
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Will Get Back Up
(RPA News) Our top story this month is a blunt reminder of how deeply U.S. policy uncertainty cut down and yanked back the progress of commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol over the past few years. The U.S. EPA’s epic indecision and sometimes indifference
March 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Study Says Ethanol Harms Corn Counties
by Ann Purvis (Heartland Institute) ... (A) new study from researchers at Strata Policy (SP) and the Institute of Political Economy (IPE) at Utah State University suggests RFS also harms the very farmers the ethanol mandate was designed to help. ... According to
March 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Major Impacts on U.S. Carbon Emissions Since the Great Recession
by John Miller (The Energy Collective) U.S. total carbon emissions increased to a historic high in 2007. During the 2007-09 Great Recession U.S. total carbon emissions declined rapidly due to a combination effective Government energy and carbon policies, and economic factors.
March 21, 2016 Read Full Article
Jerke: Despite Big Oil’s Efforts, Biofuels Are Moving U.S. Forward
by Mike Jerke (Dickinson Press/Guardian Energy LLC) American-made ethanol is a clean-burning, environmentally friendly biofuel that represents an exciting step forward from dirty, foreign-sourced oil, yet an op-ed (“Renewable Fuel Standard continues to devastate”, March 10) being circulated in papers
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Bringing up the Throttle on Cellulosic Ethanol
by Holly Jessen and Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Although there are challenges facing the second generation ethanol industry, progress is being made -- U.S. EPA data shows 2.18 million cellulosic ethanol D3 RINs (renewable identification numbers) were generated in 2015.
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
House Hearing Attacks #RFS
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The House Oversight Subcommittees on Interior and Healthcare, Benefits and Administrative Rules held a joint hearing Wednesday to ostensibly examine the Renewable Fuel Standard but was basically an attack on the law. EPA Office of Transportation and Air
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Reduction in Renewable Fuel Standard Has Hurt Iowa
(Iowa Renewable Fuels Association) New study finds renewable fuels continue to power Iowa's economy, but they could do a lot more. -- Joined by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Capitol on March 9, the
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
US EPA 'Analyzing' Potential Shift in RFS Obligation from Refiners to Blenders
by Herman Wang (Platts) The US Environmental Protection Agency is considering a request by several independent refiners to shift the responsibility for complying with the federal biofuels mandate to blenders, a top agency official said Wednesday. But any such move would not
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Low Oil Prices Drying up Ethanol Producers' Profits
by Donnelle Eller and Christopher Doering (Iowa City Press-Citizen) Ethanol producers across the Corn Belt are being battered by tumbling gasoline prices and a glut of the corn-based fuel, pushing some companies to consider scaling back production or merging with another plant to
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
No Pain, No Gain: A Tale of Three Companies, Pacific Ethanol, BioAmber and TerraVia at a crossroads
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... a fascinating look at the evolution in the fuels, renewable chemicals, specialty products and nutrition that make up the advanced bioeconomy. ... The most spectacular news of the week belonged to TerraVia, which landed a
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
Commentary: Implementing The Electric RFS
by Jim Lemon and Michael Lemon (BioCycle/Biogas Researchers, Inc.) Michael Lemon describes steps to move EPA forward on the RFS renewable electricity pathway on Tuesday, April 5 at BioCycle WEST COAST16. ... Steps to expand deployment of clean energy technologies like renewable
March 18, 2016 Read Full Article
No, America’s Not ‘Off Foreign Oil’
by Robert White (Renewable Fuels Association/The Daily Caller) The recent article, “America is off Foreign Oil, No Thanks to Ethanol” has it all wrong. First of all, America is not completely “off” foreign oil, as the article claims. According to
March 16, 2016 Read Full Article
Endless Assault on the RFS
by Doug Durante (The Hill/ Clean Fuels Development Coalition) With regard to the recent opinion expressed by Rob Green of the National Council of Chain Restaurants, all I can say is gosh, what a better source for an objective assessment
March 15, 2016 Read Full Article
King Supports Cruz And RFS
(1380KCIM.com) Congressman Steve King has endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for the GOP Presidential nomination, causing many to ask Iowa’s fourth-district representative about his commitment to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). ... Cruz’ plan is to phase down the RFS over
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
The Miami Republican Debate: Trump vs. Cruz on Ethanol
(FactCheck) ... Cruz said he bravely opposed ethanol mandates in Iowa where they are popular with corn growers, but Trump accused him of waffling on that issue. ... During the run-up to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, Cruz publicly defended his long-standing opposition to
March 14, 2016 Read Full Article
Despite Record Production, Ethanol Mandate Continues to Cost Public
(Institute for Energy Research) 2015 was a good year for the ethanol industry for both production and blending. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. ethanol producers increased their production 3.4 percent to 14.81 billion gallons in 2015, and
March 10, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Gives Rural Communities an Economic Boost
by Rick Edwards (Adams County Farm Bureau/Herald-Whig) Letter to Editor: A commercial airing locally, produced by Smarter Fuel Future, is out to make you believe ethanol is really bad -- bad for you, for your wallet and especially for the
March 09, 2016 Read Full Article
Houston Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Biodiesel Fraud Scheme
(U.S. Department of Justice) Philip Joseph Rivkin, aka Felipe Poitan Arriaga, was sentenced today in Houston, Texas, to 121 months in prison, three years of supervised release and to pay more than $87 million in restitution and was ordered to
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Farmers Try to Make Sense of Presidential Race
by Chris Clayton (DTN/Progressive Farmer/KTIC Radio) ... Kelly Nieuwenhuis, a farmer from Primghar, Iowa, said his take on the election is that “it’s mindboggling who is in the lead in the presidential campaign.” Nieuwenhuis supported Marco Rubio in the Iowa
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Biofuels Rep Defends RFS
(Environmental Compliance News) ... Americans should not misunderstand the current state of domestic production, foreign production, international economics, and low prices, according to Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council. “Oil dependence is still a problem, and recent
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
API’s Understatement of RFS Belies Attempts to Weaken Influential Program
(Renewable Fuels Association) In an interview with POLITICO Pro Energy’s Morning Energy, American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard stipulated that his organization was pivoting its strategy toward reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard rather than continuing to call for
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
A Conversation with US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
(Industrial Biotechnology) ... My current assessment is that there exists an unlimited sense of opportunity in the biobased products and bioenergy sector. I look at the work being done at the USDA, which is extensive and has been helpful in getting
March 08, 2016 Read Full Article
OPIS Publishes Renewable Fuels Supply Supplement
(OPIS) The Renewable Fuels Supply Supplement is the first publication in the OPIS Market Trends series and is now available! This supplement is designed to analyze, educate and inform the global downstream industry of the latest trends, technologies and regulatory
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
A Model of State and Federal Biofuel Policy: Feasibility Assessment of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Adam Christensen, Benjamin Hobbs (Science Direct/Applied Energy) Biofuel policy is under near constant review at both the federal and state level. For example, as part of on-going implementation of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the California Air
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Iowa Poll: Iowans Love Ethanol Law Regardless of Party
by Christopher Doering (Des Moines Register) Regardless of their political party, Iowans strongly support a government program promoting ethanol — reaffirming its popularity in the nation's No. 1 ethanol-producing state, according to results of the new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll. Seventy-one percent of Iowans favor the Renewable
March 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Stimulating Investment To Grow the Biobased Economy
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest/Biotechnology Innovation Organization) ... The challenge our industry faces right now is to continue building investment in the biobased economy. That can be accomplished with both policy and non-policy activities. ... On the policy front a new coordinated federal
February 29, 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
Vilsack, Goodlatte Debate Biofuels Policy
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Federal support for biofuels came up for discussion at this week’s House Agriculture Committee hearing on the state of the rural economy. Representative Bob Goodlatte of Virginia questioned Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about the USDA’s
February 27, 2016 Read Full Article
DSM's Welsh Talks Company's Plans to Shift Investments to China
by Monica Trauzzi (OnPoint/E&E TV) As the renewable fuel standard continues to face legal and legislative challenges, advanced biofuels companies are seeking alternative investment markets. During today's OnPoint, Hugh Welsh, president of DSM North America, discusses his company's ongoing work
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Mandate and the Price You Pay for Gas
(Agricultural & Applied Economics Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Just last year the USA Today and Chicago Tribune called for an end to the mandate that was created, in part, to reduce the country’s reliance on foreign oil. Professor Bruce Babcock of Iowa
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Fact Checking the 10th GOP Debate
by Glenn Kessler and Michelle Ye Hee Lee (The Washington Post) “What I said is that ethanol [mandate] will phase out; it is phasing out now. By 2022, that program expires by virtue of the existing law, and at that point
February 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Op-Ed: South Carolina Boats, Presidential Candidates and Ethanol Blended Fuels
(BOAT-US) ... E0 (zero-ethanol) gasoline, which is sold at marinas and gas stations, is in effect being pushed out of boat fuel market to make room for the Renewable Fuel Standard-mandated E15 and higher ethanol blends. This means boaters may see
February 25, 2016 Read Full Article
EPA 'Committed' to Releasing RFS on Time
By Spencer Chase (Agri-Pulse) After failing in recent years to meet mandated timelines for the Renewable Fuel Standard, the Environmental Protection Agency is vowing to get the program back on schedule. “We don't like missing deadlines at all,” Janet McCabe, EPA's acting
February 25, 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
Edgington Letter: The RFS Does Work
by Chris Edgington (Globe Gazette) ... Today, energy represents 5.2 cents of every dollar spent on food versus 6.8 cents in 2008. According to the USDA the average grocery bill is up 1 percent in 2015 vs. 2014 and yet the
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Swallowing the Frog
by Doug Rich (High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) The best statement made about the current market situation for grains at the Kansas Commodity Classic came from Chris Novak, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. Novak said if you eat a
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Valero Asks EPA to Redefine RFS Definition of Obligated Party
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Valero Energy Corp. has filed with a petition for reconsideration with the U.S. EPA, asking it to revise its definition of “obligated party” under the renewable fuel standard (RFS). The company has also petitioned
February 23, 2016 Read Full Article
Despite Lawsuits, EPA Investigation, Renewable Fuel Standard ‘Not Doomed’
by Jessica Lyons Hardcastle (Enviromental Leader) In the latest efforts to repeal the US biofuel mandate, last week the American Petroleum Institute and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers both filed lawsuits challenging the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires refiners to
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
McCarthy Addresses RFS, Role of Biomass in CPP during Hearing
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On Feb. 11, the House Committee on Agriculture held a hearing on U.S. EPA policies that impact the rural economy. The renewable fuel standard (RFS) and Clean Power Plan were among the programs discussed
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Cellulosic Ethanol Falls A Few Billion Gallons Short
by Robert Rapier (Energy Trends Insider) ... From zero commercial production in 2006, (Vinod) Khosla foresaw the first 100 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol hitting the market in 2008 (see Slide 78), ramping rapidly to 2.5 billion gallons in 2011, 14.6
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Mandate Triggers `Constant Litigation,' USDA Chief Says
by Mario Parker (Bloomberg) EPA reduced ethanol volumes below statutory levels in November; Valero Energy files suit against U.S. government over target --- The conflict between agriculture and petroleum interests over the government’s ethanol mandate shows no signs of abating, U.S. Department
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Let’s Not Leave the Discussion in Iowa
by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ICM/Urban Air Initiative) ... Regardless of where candidates stood on ethanol, having this first step on the road to the White House begin in Iowa provides an opportunity to talk about an issue that affects everyone
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
#RFS Is a Top Issue for Ag Equipment Makers
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) hosted an Ag Executive Outlook panel during the opening day of the 2016 National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville this week and one of the top issues for the organization is
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Valero Energy Sues U.S. EPA over Biofuels Plan
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Valero Energy Corp filed lawsuits against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday to push the regulator to alter a U.S. policy designed to boost use of renewables in transportation fuels. The country's top refiner and No.
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Flint Hills Resources Licenses Edeniq’s Pathway Technology
(Edeniq) Edeniq’s Pathway Technology produces cellulosic ethanol, enhances yield, and increases oil recovery -- Edeniq, Inc., a biorefining and cellulosic technology company, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Flint Hills Resources, a leading U.S. ethanol producer, to
February 15, 2016 Read Full Article
Con: As Climate Change Disasters Loom, It’s No Time to Discard Obama’s Environmental Legacy
by Wayne Madsen (GazetteXtra) EDITOR’S NOTE: The writer is addressing the question, “Should the U.S. scrap ethanol mandates and use its energy surplus to spur the economy?” Critics, particularly big businesses and right-wing conservatives, keep carping about the costs of the
February 12, 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
Following-up on RFS Questions
by Jonathan Coppess (Farm Doc Daily) The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been a hot topic of late given the release of the final rule and its rather prominent feature leading up to the recent Iowa caucuses. The RFS discussions have
February 11, 2016 Read Full Article
DuPont Says RFS Volumes Put Company's Cellulosic Ethanol Investments at Risk
(DTN/Progessive Farmer/KTIC Radio) DuPont filed a motion Friday to intervene in a lawsuit seeking review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Renewable Fuel Standard volumes, arguing the final volume requirements put the company’s cellulosic ethanol investments at risk. ... DuPont has completed
February 09, 2016 Read Full Article
A Map to Progress
(American Coalition for Ethanol) To coincide with the fly-in, ACE created an ‘infographic’ promoting the benefits of the RFS. Titled “The Right Direction: How the RFS is a Map to Progress,” the new infographic pinpoints how the RFS is accomplishing
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Biodiesel: Fightback Needed against the Merchants of Doubt, says NBB Chief
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Though optimistic, NBB CEO Joe Jobe also noted significant challenges still remain. “While our fight is not over, we have a different future. 2016 is going to be our strongest year yet,” he said. “A
February 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Supporters Push Back against ‘False Narrative’
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Ethanol supporters are pushing back against what they say is a “false narrative” regarding Senator Ted Cruz’s victory in the Iowa caucuses. Some political pundits say Cruz’s victory is a sign that the ethanol industry
February 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Stations Continue to Sell Ethanol-Blended Gas, Despite State Law Repeal
(KHON2) One month after gas stations were allowed to start selling fuel without ethanol, Hawaii drivers are still stuck with mostly the same blended gasoline. The new law removes the mandate that required up to 10 percent of ethanol in the gas. Many drivers
February 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Cruz's Iowa Victory Could Be Big Blow to Big Corn
by Chris Prentice (Reuters) Feb 1 U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz's victory on Monday in corn-rich Iowa could represent a major blow to the nation's controversial biofuels program, reflecting its waning influence over politicians even in the U.S. farm
February 02, 2016 Read Full Article
In the Ethanol Wars, Both Sides Are Wrong
by C. Boyden Gray (Des Moines Register) The Iowa primary has put into play one of the more obscure issues in the political life of the nation — ethanol, of all things. Donald Trump led off his rant against Sen.
February 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Senate Energy Bill Sees Several Renewable Fuel Amendments
(Environmental and Energy Study Institute) On January 27, the Senate began consideration of the Energy Policy Modernization Act (S. 2012). The bill was shepherded through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Maria
February 01, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Misinformation Clutters 2016 Campaign Coverage
by Andy Eubank (Hoosier Ag Today) ... But the media play of ethanol has been inaccurate at times, for example when they refer to a corn ethanol subsidy. “There actually is no subsidy for corn ethanol. We gave that up in 2011. They
January 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Every Presidential Candidate's Position on Ethanol
by Ben Potter (Ag Web) Agriculture has not provided many hot-button issues for the candidates of the 2016 presidential election to discuss – with one exception. Because the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is oft-argued, and because the candidates are spending so
January 29, 2016 Read Full Article
Cruz Victory in Iowa Threatens Ethanol's Power
by Alex Guillen and Jenny Hopkinson (Politico) ... Already, the Republican Texas senator has defied the caucus' usual political gravity by flying high in the polls in Iowa, despite his years of efforts to kill a federal ethanol mandate that supports
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
The Problem with Biofuels
by Richard Martin and Michael Reilly (MIT Technology Review) The U.S. Navy is touting its “Great Green Fleet,” but why haven’t biofuels made a bigger splash despite a decade of hype and investment? ... The mandates outlined in the legislation created an
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Trump, Cruz, Clinton, Carson, Paul, Christie and the Ethanol Boondoggle
by John Stossel (Fox News) ... They support ethanol because Iowa is the first state to vote on presidential candidates. Candidates want to look strong at the start of the race, so every four years they become enthusiastic ethanol
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Olden Days, Golden Days, and Golden Gripes
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... So, how fast did petroleum expand production, in comparison to low-carbon renewable fuels? ... One thing is clear, renewable fuels are moving fast, by comparison. From 1866 through 1899 (a year when negative attention on the
January 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Growing Beyond the RFS to Drive Demand for Ethanol
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ... “The RFS helped kick start the significant volumes of ethanol production we see today, but we cannot rely on the RFS to ensure a continued market,” Durante (Doug Durante, Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) executive
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Ethanol Mandate Hurts Iowa Corn Farmers
by Thomas Pyle (The Hill/ American Energy Alliance) ... Fortunately for the corn industry, “advanced” biofuels have failed to take off as Congress expected. Moreover, EPA can reduce the volumes Congress called for in the statute, which they have done for several
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Our Commitment to a Sustainable Future
by Carlos Araujo (Biodiesel Magazine/Evonik Corp.) Biodiesel is a real solution to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the threat of climate change the world over. Many countries are adopting plans to reduce greenhouse gases, and biodiesel is an effective part of
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Back On Solid Ground
by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine) After an extended period of policy uncertainty, the final renewable fuel standard (RFS) rule and a two-year retroactive reinstatement of the $1-per-gallon blenders tax credit are expected to bring stability back to the U.S. biodiesel
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton Speaks In Support Of Renewable Fuels
(CBC Online) Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton is on the campaign trail and she’ll be making a stop in Carroll prior to the Iowa Caucuses. Late last week Carroll Broadcasting talked with Clinton about lowered Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) set by
January 27, 2016 Read Full Article
Biodiesel Production Rises in 2015 as Consumers Seek Cleaner Fuels
(High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) U.S. consumers used a record of nearly 2.1 billion gallons of biodiesel in 2015, reducing America’s carbon emissions by at least 18.2 million metric tons, according to new EPA data released as the industry recently kicked
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Fortune Smiles on Industry, Better Late Than Never
by Michael McAdams (Advanced Biofuels Association/Biomass Magazine) ... Second, we have both retroactive and forward-facing tax credits. For the first time in years, Congress injected some certainty into the market by extending expired tax provision for 2015 and 2016. The Advanced
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Betting on Biogas Growth in 2016
by Amanda Bilek (Biomass Magazine/Great Plains Institute) ... In the summer of 2014, the USDA released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap. The release of this roadmap marked the first time that federal agencies made a public commitment to coordinate biogas activities and
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Trestle Energy Wins Approval for Innovative, Low Carbon Biofuel Pathway from California Air Resources Board
(Trestle Energy/PR Newswire) Trestle Energy LLC – a California company working with ethanol and power producers across the Midwest – announced that California's Air Resources Board officially approved its groundbreaking ethanol production process under the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
January 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Octane’s Liquid Diamonds: The Secret Value of Ethanol
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Is ethanol really worth $3.81 for the octane but costs only $1.39 on the market? How could that be? Math majors around the country are frequently perplexed by this one. If you start with 84-octane RBOB