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
VEETC
Back TO HOMEThere 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
The Real Fuel Issue
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Washington Post) I was surprised to see in Catherine Rampell’s July 26 op-ed, “The Grand Old Socialist Party,” a line about “big fat federal government subsidies for corn ethanol.” The last tax credit for ethanol, the
August 12, 2019 Read Full Article
A Summary of Federal Programs: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicle Technology Incentives
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A wide array of federal incentives supports the development and deployment of alternatives to conventional fuels and engines in transportation. These incentives include tax deductions and credits for vehicle purchases and the installation of refueling systems,
December 05, 2018 Read Full Article
EIA: Subsidies for Renewables Down as Tax Credits Diminish
(U.S. Energy Information Administration/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Federal subsidies for renewable energy—including biofuels for transportation use and renewable generation of electricity—dropped to $6.7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2016, a 56 percent decline from FY 2013. Renewable subsidies in FY 2010 and FY
May 01, 2018 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Good Policy
by Mike Chisam (The Hays Daily News) A recent article in the Hays Daily News, titled “Subsidized madness,” makes erroneous claims about the Renewable Fuel Standard and ethanol. The article attacks the RFS by using the tired, false arguments that are
August 15, 2016 Read Full Article
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
Ethanol Producers Share Strategies for Success in FEW Panel
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Four executives of ethanol plants gathered on stage during the general session June 5 at the International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW) to have a conversation about running successful companies. The executive of
June 11, 2012 Read Full Article
No Farm Bill, No Tier 3—Not until after the Election; Sundrop Fuels Presents an Alternative
By Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) At the March 21 Bioenergy Day on Capitol Hill, discussion focused on the need for a continued Renewable Fuels Standard, reviews of the history of biofuels, assessment of current questioning of biofuels as viable
March 23, 2012 Read Full Article
By the Numbers: Trends and Patterns in the Ethanol Industry
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...The arrival of the blend wall and expected increase in E85 prices due to the lapse of VEETC are two factors that have complicated the future outlook of ethanol use, (Bob) Wisner says. Analyzing
March 14, 2012 Read Full Article
Get Ready To Pay More For Gas
(TheIndyChannel.com) Analysts Predict Higher Prices Ahead ...AAA said Monday that both gasoline and crude oil prices are at historic highs for this time of year. The national average for regular gas climbed four cents a gallon last week to $3.39, an increase
January 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Tax and Tariff Changes Likely to Affect DDGS Value
by Steve Meyer (National Hog Farmer) ... In a recent newsletter, Rob Musser of NutriQuest, Mason City, IA, (www.nutriquest.biz) lays out the economic proposition for ethanol plants removing corn oil from DDGs. First, corn oil is worth about four times
January 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Oil Prices to Reach All-Time High
(Farm Futures) Even without VEETC ethanol is still making gasoline cheaper In its monthly short-term outlook, the Energy Department expects U.S. benchmark crude oil prices to average over $100 a barrel in 2012 and touch an all-time high amid rising demand
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Editorial: Uncle Sam and Ethanol -- Small Steps toward a Genuine Market
(Chicago Tribune) ...Congress and the federal agencies responsible for managing the biofuel industry need to stop trying to artificially create a market for a high-tech product that may never exist on a commercial scale. ...At current market prices, ethanol doesn't need
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol Remains a Bargain
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) ...In recent weeks, many headlines have trumpeted the argument that gas prices will be higher as a result of expiration of the VEETC. As is often the case, a quick review of the facts
January 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Biodiesel a Concern as Renewable Fuel Subsidies End
by Mark Steil (Minnesota Public Radio) A couple of key federal subsidies for the renewable fuel industry are about to end, cutting billions of dollars tax credits for the ethanol and biodiesel industries. Congress could renew the tax credits when it
January 09, 2012 Read Full Article
After Three Decades, Tax Credit for Ethanol Expires
by Robert Pear (New York Times) ...“We are in a fairly prosperous period for agriculture,” said Dean C. Taylor, a former president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. “Agriculture has not been as much of a touchstone for presidential candidates this
January 09, 2012 Read Full Article
Forging Ahead: Enterprising Retail Operators Install E85 Pumps Despite Pricing Uncertainties
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Retailers are concerned about increasing E85 prices as a result of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit’s expiration, says Todd Garner, CEO of Boca Raton, Fla.-based ethanol marketer and distributor Protec Fuel Management LLC.
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Looking at Life Without an Ethanol Subsidy
(Farm Futures) Failure to renew the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit will create a new world for the industry. ...What many consumers don't realize is that the tax credit didn't go to ethanol plants, it went directly to oil companies as
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Expiring Ethanol Credit to Add to Gas Price Jump
(WRAL) Lack of action by state lawmakers and Congress is expected to raise gas prices in North Carolina by more than 8 cents a gallon, starting Sunday. Half of the increase comes from the state. North Carolina's gas tax is linked
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Ethanol Tax Break Ends, Brazil Sees an Opening
by Charles Abbott and Reese Ewing (Drovers Cattle Network) A U.S. ethanol tax credit costing roughly $6 billion a year will expire on Dec. 31, with the U.S. industry declaring itself ready to stand on its own and Brazil hoping for
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
The 10 Top Unanswered Biofuels Questions for 2011
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Your calls and emails are always the highlight of our days. Most questions can be answered johnny-on-the-spot. Some are still out there and well worth arguing over. Here are the Top 10 that are still
December 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Level the Playing Field for All Energy Sources
(25 x '25) Amid the political clamor surrounding congressional efforts to cut federal spending over the next decade and reduce the nation’s deficit, the ethanol industry has conceded that a seven-year subsidy benefiting the sector will end Dec. 31. ...Elsewhere, Congress
December 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Our View: On VEETC, We Won
by Garry Niemeyer (National Corn Growers Association) Back in August, the Green Scissors Project identified ways the federal government could shave $380 billion from the federal budget over five years. But their $380 billion in proposed cuts included a major
December 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Refiners Warn Marketers of Imminent End of Ethanol Tax Break
(NACS Online) Refiners are starting to warn marketers to prepare for the end of the 4.5 cts/gal ethanol tax credit, which is set to expire at month's end, absent last-minute action by Congress. Chevron notified its jobbers on Dec. 1 that
December 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Margins to Fall: Blender Credit Will Expire at Year's End
by Dan Piller (Des Moines Register) Ethanol producers will lose about 25 to 30 cents per gallon on operating profits when the tax credit for blenders goes away after Dec. 31. ...(Walt) Wendland, who also is president of the Iowa Renewable Fuels
November 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Outlook 2012: VEETC is Old News--Matt Horton, CEO, Propel Fuels
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) From the standpoint of Matt Horton, CEO of Propel Fuels, efforts in 2011 to extend the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit imperiled the future of the industry. “For so long, the industry has been
November 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Life After VEETC
by Ron V. Lamberty (American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...And, we need to make their customers comfortable buying new blends of fuel such as E15, E85 or other midlevel blends. A gasoline retailer recently told an ethanol plant board member
September 29, 2011 Read Full Article
The Subsidy Debate: Oil vs. Ethanol
by Kate Bechen and Porter J. Martin (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...But what often is missing in criticisms of ethanol is an acknowledgement that the oil industry significantly benefits from a variety of tax credits, incentives and other publicly-funded subsidies. Bloomberg
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
RFA Urges Super Committee to Look at Oil Subsidies
by Cindy Zimmerman (DomesticFuel.com) In a letter to the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the so-called “super committee” assigned to find ways to cut the deficit, the Renewable Fuels Association today urged them to “focus on comprehensive
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Brazil-US Ethanol Tariff Discussions Pick Up as Expiration Nears
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) As the U.S ethanol industry confronts the reality that the 45-cent-per-gallon Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit and 54-cent ethanol import tariff will end on Dec. 31, some industry representatives are ramping up efforts to
September 28, 2011 Read Full Article
The Future of Biorefining Policy
by Erin Voegele (Biorefining Magazine) ...While some in the industry doubt that a Congress so focused on debt reduction will extend VEETC and the biodiesel tax credit, Greg Jenner, a partner in Stoel Rives LLP’s tax practice, offers a unique
September 27, 2011 Read Full Article
Fast Food Chains Place Order for No New Ethanol Subsidies
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Anti-ethanol interests have launched their latest campaign focused on ensuring the demise of ethanol subsidies with a letter sent Sept. 15 to all members of Congress urging them not to pass any last-minute extensions
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Fixing A Broken Biofuel Incentive Program
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ...My Plan: Award Direct Per Gallon Subsidies for Oil Displacement Instead of offering grants and loan guarantees for cellulosic ethanol producers — and forcing blenders to pay when they can’t purchase product — simply change the system
September 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Tax Credits to Expire
by Sarah Gustin (KXMB TV Bismark) ...(Jeff Zueger / Blue Flint Ethanol) "We really need blender pump infastructure, we need flex fuel vehicle infastructure, so we can get to those higher level blends so consumers can choose if they want
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Future Ethanol Policy Changes
by Kent Theisse (Corn and Soybean Digest Blogs and Opinions) ... Many people are very excited about producing ethanol from woodchips, switchgrass, algae and other substances; however, most of this type of ethanol production is still in the early research and
September 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Seeking the Blending Sweet Spot
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) For years, in coffee shops and grain elevators across the upper Midwest, independent thinkers have voiced their opinions on the benefits of midlevel ethanol blends. Tales of fueling the old Buick, or otherwise unapproved
August 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Franken Visits Farmfest
by Janet Kubat Willette (AgriNews.com) Expect direct payments to take a hit in the next farm bill, Sen. Al Franken told a Farmfest audience Aug. 3. The Minnesota Democrat said the super committee of 12 Congresspeople could shape the new farm bill
August 11, 2011 Read Full Article
US Debt Deal: Biofuels Industry Reaction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol “ACE and our members are disappointed that the ethanol compromise was not included in the final debt limit deal just because some in Congress
August 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Energy Programs Prepare for Debt Deal Pain
by Darren Goode & Darren Samuelsohn (Politico) Popular energy and environmental programs should prepare for a decade of spending cuts under the debt deal reached late Sunday between the White House and congressional leaders. Less clear, however, is the effect that
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Still Time to Get Biofuels Support Right
by Brent Erickson (Biofuels Digest) Reports of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit’s (VEETC) early demise have been a bit overblown. Though several groups and reporters believed the die was cast and the potential revenue savings would be redirected to
August 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Woodside Says Ethanol Industry Willing to Give Back Tax Break for Debt Reduction
by Lori Potter (Kearney Hub) The ethanol industry is willing to immediately give up $1.3 billion in tax breaks for federal debt reduction. However, that probably can’t happen unless authorizing legislation is attached to a successful debt ceiling-budget reduction bill, said
July 25, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Makers Losing $6 Billion Tax Break Keep $6.9 Billion
(San Francisco Chronicle/Bloomberg) Ethanol manufacturers are set to thrive even if they have to give up $6 billion a year in U.S. tax subsidies because a government mandate for increased use of the fuel may add $6.9 billion a year
July 20, 2011 Read Full Article
Klobuchar, Thune Announce Bipartisan Compromise on Renewable Energy
(Office of Senator Amy Klobuchar) Agreement would put savings toward deficit reduction, infrastructure U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today announced that a bipartisan agreement has been reached that allows for a transition to a
July 08, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Ethanol Subsidies Boost Output, Corn Cost
by Jacob Barker (The Columbia Daily Tribune) Policies fueled the boom in industry. Federal subsidies for ethanol push up ethanol production and the price of corn, according to a report released today (June 27, 2011) from the University of Missouri’s Food
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Reforming Ethanol in a Responsible Way
by Senator Mike Johanns (York News-Times) ...Ethanol helped keep $34 billion of our money at home last year instead of going to other countries for foreign oil. ...Though these benefits are significant, today's fiscal realities require us to rethink our approach
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Santorum Tells Iowa Farmers He Would End Ethanol Subsidies
by William Petroski (Des Moines Register) ...Santorum, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, said he advocates phasing-out the existing tax incentive for ethanol production, commonly known as the blenders’ credit, by reducing the credit 9 cents annually over each
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Makers, Farmers Push for Modest Support if Subsidy Dies; Economists Say They’ll Be OK
(AP/Bloomberg/The Washington Post) If a $5 billion-a-year federal subsidy that helped build the ethanol industry comes to an end, it will likely mean two things, experts who have followed its development say. First, it doesn’t guarantee an end to the high
June 29, 2011 Read Full Article
US Senate Defeats Coburn Amendment: Industry Reaction
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, on a cloture vote in the Senate to proceed to an amendment that would end the current ethanol tax incentive immediately, Senator Coburn’s amendment lost 40-59, falling 20 votes short of the sixty votes needed to
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Senate Vote to Repeal Ethanol Tax Credit Fails, But Some in GOP Break Ranks
by Lori Montgomery (The Washington Post) A majority of Senate Republicans appeared to break Tuesday with two decades of GOP orthodoxy against higher taxes, voting to advance a plan to abruptly cancel billions of dollars in annual tax credits for
June 15, 2011 Read Full Article
Fuel Retailer Opposes Thune/Klobuchar Bill
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Earlier today, Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) created waves when they announced their new biofuels bill the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act. This act is designed to address federal budget issues while phasing
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Thune/Klobuchar Bill Endorsed by Ethanol Industry
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) along with a bipartisan group of nine other Senate colleagues have introduced the Ethanol Reform and Deficit Reduction Act. The bill is designed to modify the current Volumetric
June 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Tom Coburn Forces Tuesday Ethanol Vote
by Darren Goode (Politico) Sen. Tom Coburn has pulled the trigger and is forcing a long-sought vote on an amendment repealing billions in annual tax incentives for ethanol. The Senate will vote Tuesday afternoon on Coburn’s motion limiting debate on his amendment
June 10, 2011 Read Full Article
The Politics of Tax-and-Blend
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Instead of simply not collecting a portion of the fuel tax, the consumer is charged the whole amount, which is collected by the gas station and paid to the government. The government analyzes all this.
June 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Should Government Keep Financially Supporting Ethanol? (The Debate 5/23-5/27)
(Minnesota Public Radio News) The Assertion: The state and federal government should continue subsidizing ethanol Ethanol's promise as America's path to energy self-sufficiency once seemed strong. But in recent years, that attraction has been tempered. Even supporters of ethanol, such as
May 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Harkin Frustrated by Ethanol Infighting
by Daniel Looker (Agriculture.com) ...But when Senator Tom Harkin was asked about his sense of support for the Grassley-Conrad Bill on Thursday, he said that it has some risks. Harkin supports Grassley’s bill, and is one of the original co-sponsors. But
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Five Big Problems with Big Oil’s New Analysis of RFS Implementation Issues
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) The Energy Policy Research Foundation (EPRINC) recently released a white paper inexplicably suggesting that the cost of the Federal ethanol program exceeds its benefits by a factor of 3 to 1. Among other debatable claims,
May 06, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Groups Welcome Bill Transforming Current Ethanol Tax Policy
(Renewable Fuel Association) The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Growth Energy, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today praised the legislation offered by a bipartisan group of senators, led by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley,
May 05, 2011 Read Full Article
Grassley-Conrad Bill Boosts Domestic Energy Production
(Senator Chuck Grassley) Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Kent Conrad of North Dakota today introduced bipartisan legislation to update ethanol tax policies in an effort to boost domestic energy production and increase America’s energy independence and security. The bill also has
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Senators Introduce Bill to End Ethanol Subsidies, Import Tariff
by Jim Snyder (Bloomberg) ...Senators Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, and Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, said the 45-cent credit, which is given to oil refiners for each gallon of ethanol they blend with gasoline, was unjustified given the U.S. deficit. The break
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Next-Generation Biofuels Panel Discussion
(Milken Institute Global Conference) With oil prices spiking and concern over climate change growing, biofuels hold tremendous appeal. But they must overcome considerable hurdles. Further process and technology refinements are needed to ensure that biofuels make a significant dent in
May 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Franken Tours Poet Ethanol Plant
(AlbertLeaTribune.com) Get ethanol at the pumps. That’s what the farmer owners of the Poet Glenville ethanol plant told Sen. Al Franken they would like to see. The comments came during a meeting Wednesday at the plant. “We want consumers to have a
April 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol: Pros, Cons Fuel Debate over Its Worth
by Tyler Ellyson (Columbus Telegram) Robeson, general manager of Frontier Co-op in Brainard, considers the corn-based fuel to be the crutch that the Midwest and Nebraska economies leaned on during the recent recession — keeping our heads above water while
April 04, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Hoping for Surge
by Kate Galbraith (New York Times) Cellulosic ethanol could be poised for a surge — finally. Around the country and especially in the Midwest, a number of proposed plants that would turn corn cobs, wheat straw and other plant-based feedstocks
March 31, 2011 Read Full Article
Taking the American Biofuel Industry to the Next Level; From Talk to Action
(Novozymes) The United States has a lot riding on the success of its biofuel industry – energy independence, job creation, and environmental stewardship. But really, how far is the country in achieving its goals? There is no definitive answer to
March 24, 2011 Read Full Article
Proposal: VEETC Phased Out, Replaced with Variable Tax Credit
(OPIS) ...According to sources familiar with the proposal, the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the American Coalition for Ethanol and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) have agreed to phase down the current 45 cts/gal ethanol tax credit over three
March 22, 2011 Read Full Article
EU Bioethanol Group Weighs U.S. Subsidy Lawsuit
By Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck (Reuters/Forexyard) European bioethanol producers will decide by the end of March whether to file a legal complaint with the European Commission over U.S. subsidies, the EU's main bioethanol lobby said. Producers such as Germany's CropEnergies and Spain's
March 17, 2011 Read Full Article
U.S. Sen. Grassley: Ethanol and Energy
(IowaPolitics.com) Floor Speech of Sen. Chuck Grassley Ethanol and Energy Independence Delivered Monday, March 07, 2011 ...We must look to alternative and renewable resources so we can improve our energy and national security. This includes supporting energy from wind, biomass, hydroelectric, solar,
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Letter to Editor: Ethanol Helps Stabilize Energy Prices
by Matt Hartwig (Renewable Fuels Association/Baltimore Sun) The Sun may have cut back its foreign bureaus, but your editorial writers ("End subsidies for corn-based ethanol," March 14) must still be aware of the turmoil in North Africa and the Middle
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
Corn Growers To Explore Payment Shift
(Wallaces Farmer) ...NCGA (National Corn Growers Association) delegates attending the meeting in Tampa, Fla., adopted ethanol policy that states "NCGA supports reforming existing ethanol tax policy. Ideas to replace existing tax law, in the following priority order, should be a variable
March 16, 2011 Read Full Article
National Security Interests Require Tax Incentives for Biofuels and Advanced Biofuels
by Robert E. Kozak (Advanced Biofuels USA) With the oil industry, a 150-year old mature enterprise, still receiving at least 2.5 times the subsidies of the renewable fuel industry ($72 billion 2002-2008, Environmental Law Institute 2009 study), it is disingenuous
March 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Growth Energy, Pacific Ethanol Speak Out on Ethanol Tax Credit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy: “Anyone who blames ethanol for pain at the pump simply hasn’t looked at the market, where ethanol is historically cheaper than gasoline. In fact, ethanol is the cheapest motor fuel
March 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Grassley Says Corn-Based Fuel Part of Overall Energy Picture
by Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa) At a political event in central Iowa last night, former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer promised to end ethanol subsidies if he’s elected president. Roemer’s comment didn’t wow the crowd in the heart of the nation’s
March 09, 2011 Read Full Article
Coalition of 90 Groups Blast Ethanol Tax Credits
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, a coalition of 90 organizations urged Congress to let the refundable Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) expire and to resist calls for spending on infrastructure for conventional biofuels. The coalition says: “Congress has
March 02, 2011 Read Full Article
Ethanol Industry Faces High Corn Prices
by Todd Neeley (The Progressive Farmer) ...(P)ressure from rising corn prices at the start of 2011 is expected to test ethanol producers' ability to manage risk. ...Rabobank said ethanol would remain profitable with corn prices above $7 a bushel.
January 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Grassley Speaks Out on Renewable Fuels Tax
(Farm Futures) Iowa Senator says what's fair for oil should be fair for ethanol. ...During a speech on the Senate floor, Grassley said, "I'd like to remind my colleagues of a debate that we had earlier this year on an amendment
December 03, 2010 Read Full Article
Five Reasons the Tea Party Is Not Lobbying for End of Ethanol Subsidies
(Newsweek) Republican Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma were Tea Partiers before the term existed. ...Now they've found a new, eminently worthy target: The 7 billion taxpayer dollars that annually go to subsidize the production of corn-based
December 03, 2010 Read Full Article
Energy Bills May Wait as US Congress Focuses on Taxes for Rest of 2010
by Brian Hansen (Platts) Republican leaders in the US Congress said Tuesday after a private meeting with President Barack Obama that they plan to focus on tax issues before legislators adjourn for the year, but did not mention plans for
December 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Getting the Facts Straight on Ethanol, Letters to the Editor
by Bob Dinneen (Renewable Fuels Association) Letter to the Editor, Chicago Tribune, Re: Dennis Byrne’s column “Time to stand up to ethanol interests.” ...First, Byrne’s facts and figures are accurate for the tax credits for domestic ethanol and the renewable fuels standards
December 01, 2010 Read Full Article
Washington Could Determine Ethanol's Indiana Future
(Chicago Tribune/AP) A decision by Congress on whether to extend or gradually phase out a tax credit to oil companies and refiners to blend ethanol with gasoline could make or break some of Indiana's 12 ethanol plants. A study by a
November 29, 2010 Read Full Article
The Thin Line Between Academics and Advocacy
by Matt Hartwig (Renewable Fuels Association) Earlier this week, Iowa State University Professor Bruce Babcock released a policy brief entitled “Impact of Ethanol, Corn, and Livestock from Imminent U.S. Policy Decisions.” Much of this analysis is predicated on anticipated fears
November 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Gasoline Prices
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association) Ethanol prices have strengthened over the past several months in response to higher corn prices and growing ethanol demand. Some have attempted to single out the escalation in ethanol prices as a primary driver of
October 27, 2010 Read Full Article
Oil Receives More Taxpayer Dollars: DTN Finds Oil Industry Subsidized Much Higher Than Ethanol
by Todd Neeley (Progressive Farmer) In the eternal mudslinging between supporters and opponents of biofuels, "subsidies" are one of the opponents' biggest and most painful mud balls. "If ethanol is such a good idea, why does it need government help?" the
October 13, 2010 Read Full Article
Report from Cato Institute Briefing: Rethinking Biofuel Policy
By Cindy O’Connor (Advanced Biofuels USA)The Washington DC, September 30 briefing topic was why the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) should not be renewed. The first speaker, Dr. Harry de Goerter, Cato Fellow and Professor, Applied Economics and Management, Cornell
October 08, 2010 Read Full Article
New NRDC Fact Sheet Shows How Moving beyond Corn Ethanol Means More Investment and More Jobs in More States
by Sasha Lyutse (Natural Resources Defense Council) ... As a result, the VEETC has not only concentrated the ethanol industry in just a handful of states, but siphoned scarce resources away from more competitive biofuel technologies that create far less pollution
August 26, 2010 Read Full Article
A Better Ethanol Policy
by Robert Rapier (Consumer Energy Report/R Squared Energy Blog) ...Reader Paul Nash came up with a specific plan... Specific Recommendations Scrap the VEETC (since there is a mandate already and it expires at the end of 2010). Maintain a producer’s credit for cellulosic
August 17, 2010 Read Full Article
New York Times Misses the Mark on America’s Fuel
(Growth Energy) The New York Times’ July 29th Editorial “Energy Subsidies – Good and Bad,” mischaracterizes Growth Energy’s proposal to open the American transportation fuels market and fails to acknowledge the technological advancements that have made ethanol production cleaner and more
July 30, 2010 Read Full Article
It's a Critical Time for Ethanol
by Joe Ruff (Omaha World Herald) It's time for the federal government to move beyond offering tax credits to companies that combine ethanol with gasoline, said the CEO of the fourth-largest ethanol producer in the country. Instead, he said, government incentives are
July 30, 2010 Read Full Article
The Economics of U.S. Ethanol Policy: A Rebuttal
by John M. Urbanchuk (ENTRIX/The Hill) In his July 27 blog posting “The economics of U.S. ethanol policy” Professor Bruce Babcock of Iowa State University reports the results of new research suggesting that allowing the current 45-cent-per-gallon ethanol blender’s tax credit
July 28, 2010 Read Full Article
Letter to the Editor: Washington Post
(Renewable Fuels Association) In its editorial ("It's time to end the excessive subsidies for corn ethanol," 7/24/2010), the Post failed to provide its readers any context, misled them about the nature of U.S. ethanol production, and offered no alternative to
July 27, 2010 Read Full Article
Reducing Ethanol Protections Won't Hurt Industry, Report Finds
by Jay Heflin (The Hill) A new study by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development shows a reduction in the ethanol tax credit proposed by the House Ways and Means Committee and removing tariffs on the fuel will have a
July 24, 2010 Read Full Article
2010 Green Scissors Campaign Seeks to Cut Federal Budget for Biofuels, Agriculture, and Other Areas
(Grainnet) The Green Scissors campaign, a diverse coalition of taxpayer, environmental and consumer groups, released July 22 Green Scissors 2010, a report highlighting government programs and subsidies that are wasteful to taxpayers, harmful to the environment and bad for consumers. Green Scissors
July 23, 2010 Read Full Article
The Ethanol Mud-Rasslers Reach for the Manure
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Two new data points have been introduced. A Congressional Budget Office report on the ethanol tax credit, and a report from Bruce Babcock et al at Iowa State, funded by UNICA, suggesting that elimination of
July 21, 2010 Read Full Article
Costs and Benefits to Taxpayers, Consumers, and Producers from U.S. Ethanol Policies
by Bruce A. Babcock, Kanlaya J. Barr, Miguel Carriquiry (Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Iowa State University) The U.S. ethanol industry is lobbying hard for an extension of existing ethanol import tariffs and blenders tax credits before they expire
July 21, 2010 Read Full Article
The Mad Scramble over the Ethanol Tax Credit
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuels Association, the Environmental Working Group, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Meat Institute, and several members of congress are among the main players in a
July 20, 2010 Read Full Article
Fueling Freedom Plan Will Redirect Government Support to Create Open Fuels Market
(Growth Energy) Growth Energy, a coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters, today called for the redirection and eventual phasing out of government support for ethanol in return for a level playing field – infrastructure investments that will create competition in the fuels
July 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Implications Of The U.S. Ethanol Tariff
by Robert Rapier (Forbes) ...In order to better understand the intricacies of the issues involved, I have been engaged in dialogue with a number of industry groups and economists. Here I will try to shed some light on the tariff
April 19, 2010 Read Full Article
Government Earns 400% ROI on Ethanol Blender’s Credit
by Mark (Corn Commentary) ...The next issue can already be seen on the horizon and it can be seen clearly because it is not a “new” criticism. It is called the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC). This is the