by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In New York state, Reuters reports that RIN prices skyrocketed a two-year high of 55 cents for D6 credits on the back of its exclusive story that President Trump told the EPA to deny all gap-year
White House
Back TO HOMEWithout a Grand Deal, Trump Tries to Dodge Ethanol Question
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) ... And with the election just two months away, all signs are Trump is trying to push back a decision on the how much ethanol to blend into the nation’s gasoline supply until after the
September 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Bloomberg Launches ESG Ratings
by Ally Selby (Financial Standard) Bloomberg has launched proprietary environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings, which it says will help to provide transparent, data driven insights into company performance. Initially, Bloomberg will offer environmental and social scores for 252 oil and gas
September 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Moves to Open up Drilling in National Forests
by James Osborne (Houston Chronicle) ... Under draft rules to be published Tuesday, the U.S. Forest Service would be limited in its ability to conduct environmental reviews of drilling projects while oil and gas companies would not be required to
September 01, 2020 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-Brazil Drops Zero-Tariff Ethanol Import Quota Enjoyed by U.S. Producers
by Rodrigo Viga Gaier (Reuters) Brazil allowed a non-tariff quota for ethanol imports to expire on Monday, which will result in U.S. producers having to pay a 20% tariff unless the Brazilian government takes new action. “The expiry date was today and
September 01, 2020 Read Full Article
The Case for Climate Action: Building a Clean Economy for the American People
(Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis) ... In the near term, we must continue to significantly grow solar and wind energy, energy storage, and electric vehicles while conducting more research into new technologies, advanced biofuels, and smaller and
August 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil Should Not Renew Ethanol Quota and Will Negotiate with US, Says Source
(BOL/Reuters (Google translation)) Brazil is unlikely to renew the tariff-free quota for ethanol imports that expires today, and as a result, purchases from outside Mercosur should start paying a 20% tax, a government source with knowledge of the matter told
August 31, 2020 Read Full Article
House Ag Chair Backs Biden on Killing Trump Tariffs
by Philip Brasher (Agri-Pulse) House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson supports Joe Biden’s plan to eliminate President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China but said he isn’t sure what the alternative is for countering Chinese trade practices. “First thing I want to see
August 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Can Iowa Farmers Survive without Ethanol? Can Trump Survive without Iowa Farmers?
by Donnelle Eller (Des Moines Register/Ames Tribune) ... "I've sat in front of the president, and he does look you in the eye, and he does listen to you," (Bill) Couser said, adding, "It just makes you wonder what happens after
August 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil Legislators Press President to Keep Ethanol Tariff
by Ricardo Della Coletta (Associated Press/U.S. News and World Report) A group of Brazilian lawmakers made a final push Thursday to try to convince President Jair Bolsonaro not to reduce tariffs on American ethanol, a major Trump administration request. --
August 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Joni Ernst Sells Out Iowa In RNC Speech
by Pat Rynard (Iowa Starting Line) Sen. Joni Ernst’s undying loyalty to Pres. Donald Trump was rewarded tonight with a high-profile speech at the Republican National Convention. She repaid Trump for the political boost to her reelection campaign by betraying the
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Rep. Marshall Works to Boost Ethanol Exports
by Sarah Motter (WIBW) Congressman Roger Marshall says Kansas is home to 10 biofuel facilities providing high-quality jobs for plant workers in rural communities throughout the state, along with thousands of bushels of soybeans and milo each year. He says overall,
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Urges Immediate EPA Action on ‘Litany’ of Outstanding RFS Issues
(Renewable Fuels Association) Citing the need for more certainty and stability in uncertain times, as well as the legal requirement to meet statutory deadlines, the Renewable Fuels Association today urged EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to immediately address a number of unresolved
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Makes Plea for Action -- Wheeler: EPA Still Working on RFS Issues Including 98 Pending Exemption Requests
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler gave no timeline for releasing 2021 renewable volume obligations in the Renewable Fuel Standard or for deciding on pending small-refinery exemptions, during a teleconference with reporters on Wednesday, as pressure mounts
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Biden Campaign: Statement on Commitment to Renewable Fuel Standard Amid Trump Administration’s Repeated Attacks on Farmers and Producers
(WisPolitics.com) Instead of standing with those who till our land and sow our fields, we have a president who has sold out our farmers by undercutting the Renewable Fuel Standard with the granting of waivers to Big Oil. Those waivers severely
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
NBB Launches Ad Campaign Urging President to Reject “Gap” SRE Petitions
(National Biodiesel Board) NBB encourages farmers, biodiesel producers to ask President Trump to keep his promise -- The National Biodiesel Board today launched a radio advertising campaign in six Midwestern states, urging President Donald Trump to keep his promise on the
August 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Blog: Members of Congress Press Lighthizer on Brazilian Ethanol Trade
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) A group of federal lawmakers is asking United States' lead trade representative to push Brazil to either eliminate its ethanol-import tariffs or face retaliation, in a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on
August 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Still Missing Mark on Biofuels
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) ... It was nearly a year ago when farmers' cries started getting louder demanding that President Donald Trump and his Administration stand up for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and defend the interests of biofuels over
August 21, 2020 Read Full Article
KEEPING IT 100: EPA's Online Dashboard Shows the Agency Has Now Received Nearly 100 Petitions for Small Refinery Exemptions
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) EPA's online dashboard shows the agency has now received nearly 100 petitions for small refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard mandates dating back to 2011, Pro's Eric Wolff reports. Since June, EPA has
August 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Democrats Turn to Rural Issues: Rural, Midwest Democrats Promote Infrastructure and Divergent Strategy From Trump Years
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) Democratic leaders put a heavy emphasis on rural broadband and health care while criticizing the Trump administration and President Trump directly on trade, biofuels, climate change and the pandemic response. A western Pennsylvania soybean and hay
August 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Parsing the Climate Message
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Night 3 of the Democratic National Convention featured a lengthy 11-minute take on Joe Biden's climate and clean energy strategy that hammered home some of his big themes rather than the wonky details (which you
August 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Biden Tries to Elbow Aside Trump with Rural Voters
by Liz Crampton (Politico) The campaign has vowed to pay attention to rural issues, but Biden could repeat the same mistakes as Democrats’ 2016 bid for the White House. -- ... No one expects former Vice President Joe Biden to
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
In Iowa, Trump Promises to Personally Get Involved in Corn Farmers' Dispute with EPA
by Abby Smith (Washington Examiner) Iowa corn farmers could get a boost in a long-running dispute with oil refiners as President Trump pledged to talk to Environmental Protection Agency officials overseeing biofuels requirements on their behalf. Trump said Tuesday during a visit
August 19, 2020 Read Full Article
California, Automakers Finalize Emissions Deal
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Ford, Honda, BMW, Volkswagen and Volvo have formally committed to reducing the average greenhouse gas emissions of their vehicles through 2026, despite the Trump administration rolling back federal standards, Pro's Debra Kahn reports. Under deals
August 18, 2020 Read Full Article
DFL Leader Responds to President Trump’s Mankato Visit
by CJ Baumgartner (FOX 21 Local News) ... One DFL senator has criticism on the president’s policies toward farmers. Assistant Minnesota Senate Minority Leader and District 19 Senator Nick Frentz says he’s glad to have any president come to the area
August 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Seen Putting Biofuels Decisions on Hold
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Trump administration is likely to wait until after Election Day to weigh in on tough ethanol decisions for fear of triggering backlash among farmers or the oil sector. -- ... WAKE ME UP WHEN
August 17, 2020 Read Full Article
VP Pence Speech to Farmers Falls Flat
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) Vice President Mike Pence visited Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday to re-launch the Trump campaign’s Farmers & Ranchers for Trump. However, to a room full of farmer supporters his message came off more as a campaign speech,
August 14, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA’s Wheeler Says He Has Questions about SRE Gap Waiver Applications
by Larry Lee (Brownfield Ag News) EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the gap SRE applications have been sent over from the Department of Energy. “They just started sending them to us the week before last, so our guys are just now
August 12, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA Supports White House Consideration of Reciprocal Tariffs on Imports of Brazilian Ethanol
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association today expressed its support for President Trump’s announcement Monday that his administration is considering reciprocal tariffs on fuel ethanol imports from Brazil. The country’s existing tariff rate quota (TRQ) is set to expire at
August 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Biden Finding Support in Rural America
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) Handling of trade and biofuels could be important issues in run for White House. ... Farmers have overwhelmingly supported President Donald Trump over the last four years, but it is voters in the Midwest swing states
August 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Cash-Short U.S. Biofuel Industry Cuts Lobbying even as Iowa Looms Large in Election
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) A top U.S. biofuel industry trade group said it has cut lobbying spending as the coronavirus pandemic has slammed members eager to press demands with President Donald Trump, who hopes to win the corn-producing state Iowa
August 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Leaders Urge Noem, Trump to Open Door to “E30 by 2030”
(South Dakota Farmers Union) Compliance with Existing Law Would Inject $8 Billion Per Year into South Dakota Economy -- In a Rapid City Journal ad, a Sioux Falls Argus Leader editorial, and a letter to Governor Kristi Noem, South Dakota ethanol leaders said that a
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Murkowski: Carbon Management Has Significant Promise
(U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources) U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today chaired a hearing focused on the development of carbon removal technologies in the United States. Murkowski also highlighted the introduction of the CREATE Act, a new bill she is cosponsoring to
August 05, 2020 Read Full Article
E.P.A. Inspector General to Investigate Trump’s Biggest Climate Rollback
by Coral Davenport and Lisa Friedman (New York Times) The Environmental Protection Agency’s internal watchdog said Monday it had opened an investigation into the agency’s weakening of Obama-era regulations that would have limited automobile emissions by significantly raising fuel economy standards. The inspector general
August 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Turbocharging South Dakota’s Economy while Making Americans Healthier
by Doug Sombke and Jim Seurer (South Dakota Farmers Union/Glacial Lakes Energy/Argus Leader) During President Trump’s Fourth of July visit to Mount Rushmore, our organizations sponsored an ad in the Rapid City Journal that urged the President to “tear down the wall”
August 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Ernst to EPA: Make E15 Available at Every Pump
by Micheal Clements (NAFB News Service/NewsDakota) Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to make E15 available at every U.S. gas pump. Specifically, Ernst calls on EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to certify biofuel infrastructure for
July 31, 2020 Read Full Article
Why Trump Is Quickly Losing Rural Support
by Patty Judge (The Gazette) Rural voters are growing tired of Donald Trump. Recently, the Iowa Poll put Vice President Biden one point ahead of President Trump and Iowa moved from “Likely Republican” to “Lean Republican” on the Cook Political Report.
July 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Tailors Exaggerations and False Claims to Election Battlegrounds
by Linda Qiu (New York Times) ... Likewise, Mr. Trump has sought to curry favor with corn farmers in Iowa and the Midwest by claiming to have “kept our promise on ethanol” and falsely charging Democrats with wanting to “wipe out,
July 27, 2020 Read Full Article
The Corn And Energy Price Link Could Tighten As U.S. Election Looms
by Andy Hecht (Investing.com) ... The biofuel may see lots of volatility in the run-up to the 2020 US election -- The US election in early November will determine the path of energy policy in the world’s leading oil and gas
July 21, 2020 Read Full Article
COVID-19 Response and November Election: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to 2020 Biofuel Issues to Watch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Michael McAdams from Advanced Biofuels Association shared this short but illuminating slide guide at ABLC Digital last week to look at the big 2020 issues to watch affecting the biofuels industry. From tax credits, regulatory
July 17, 2020 Read Full Article
G20 Nations Put $150B into Fossil Fuels
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) G20 nations — which account for 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — have committed a total of at least $150 billion to support fossil fuels since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic,
July 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Administration Has Been Underestimating Costs of Carbon Pollution, Government Watchdog Finds
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) The Trump administration has been systematically underestimating the damage caused by carbon pollution, slashing figures used under the Obama administration to weigh the impacts of policy, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office
July 14, 2020 Read Full Article
The Bolsonaro-Trump Relationship: Costs for Brazilian Values and Interests
by Laís Forti Thomaz and Tullo Vigevani* (AULA Blog/National Institute of Science and Technology for Studies on the United States) New priorities in Brazil-U.S. bilateral relations since President Jair Bolsonaro took office in January 2019 have shifted the country away
July 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump's Biofuel, Trade Policies Are the Worst
by David Kruse (The CommStock Report/Spencer Daily Reporter) President Donald Trump has had the worst biofuel and trade policies that I have ever seen and came with the most farm subsidies ever because of it. When elected I thought "well
July 10, 2020 Read Full Article
DOJ Asks Court to Block Automakers from Suit
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) The Trump administration on Thursday asked a court to block Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW from becoming directly involved with litigation over the SAFE Vehicles rule (Reg. 2060-AU09). The automakers, which struck a voluntary
July 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Wall Street Giants Plan More Active Role in Climate Fight
by Amy Harder (Axios) Four of America’s biggest banks are backing a new nonprofit initiative to leverage the financial sector toward achieving climate-change goals. Driving the news: The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is launching a center focused on climate that will be supported
July 10, 2020 Read Full Article
Weighing in: A Bipartisan Group of Former EPA and Transportation Department Chiefs Filed a Friend-of-the-Court Brief
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A bipartisan group of former EPA and Transportation Department chiefs filed a friend-of-the-court brief this week criticizing the Trump administration's revocation of California's fuel economy waiver as having no "no valid legal, factual, or
July 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol’s Rough 2020 Ride: Trade Wars, COVID-19 and Waivers Alter Its Momentum
by Jennifer M. Latzke (High Plains Journal) ... And still, shortly after Trump’s visit, the EPA granted 31 small refinery waivers from the Renewable Fuels Standard in the fall that would have wiped out any traction that year-round E15 approval
July 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Ad Urges Visiting Trump to ‘Tear down That (Blend)’ Wall’
by Mikkel Pates (Ag Week) Ethanol proponents try to make some political hay with President Donald Trump when he visits Rapid City. They ask that he “tear down that wall” of 10% ethanol blends, and allow ethanol to climb to
July 03, 2020 Read Full Article
John J. Mooney: An Appreciation of Performance Directed Engineering Greatness
by Robert Kozak* (Atlantic Biomass/Advanced Biofuels USA) I was sad to see an obituary today for the great engineer John J. Mooney. Who was John J. Mooney you ask? He was the co-inventor of both the 2-way and the 3-way motor
July 01, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA to Propose Splitting 500-Million-Gal RFS Remand in 2021, 2022: Sources
by Jordan Godwin (OPIS/Governors Biofuels Coalition)EPA is expected to propose as early as next month a 250-million-gal increase in the 2021 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) and another 250-million-gal boost in the 2022 RVO to comply with a remand order the
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
CEO Reflects on Ethanol Industry Crises a Year after Trump Visit
by Glenn Minnis (The Center Square) ... The president was there to help industry executives celebrate his administration’s removal of a regulation that up until then prohibited companies from selling gasoline containing 15% ethanol year-round. “It was a terrific event for
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
China's Phase One Promises Could Be Kept With Ethanol
(RFD TV) As producers worry that China is not fulfilling its phase one promise to buy nearly $40 billion dollars in U.S. exports, ethanol groups say that the country could easily make those numbers if they bought more renewable fuels. China
June 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Wants China Ethanol Market Back
by Mark Dorenkamp (Brownfield Ag News) Biofuels groups are tired of ethanol being excluded from China’s phase one purchases.vGrowth Energy senior vice president of global markets Craig Willis says it’s been two years since the Chinese imported ethanol from the U.S. “It
June 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Slip-up Reveals Chevron Ties to Architect of Climate Attack
by Corbin Hiar (E&E News) It was an audacious messaging campaign: White environmentalists are hurting black communities by pushing radical climate policies that would strip them of fossil fuel jobs. The email to journalists, sent by a public affairs firm at the
June 19, 2020 Read Full Article
52 Petitions Filed by Refineries Seeking RFS Exemptions
(Renewable Fuels Association/National Biodiesel Board/Farm Progress) Renewable Fuels Association, National Biodiesel Board critical of these petitions, say refiners are trying to circumvent court ruling. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today disclosed that 52 new petitions have been received from small
June 19, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Urged to Ensure Implementation of China Trade Agreement
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Several biofuel producers and trade groups are among the nearly 200 organizations that sent a letter to President Trump on June 16 calling on him to ensure the continued implementation of the U.S.-China Phase One
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel and Oil Seek Federal Help to Deal with Sharp Decline In Production and Prices
(RFD TV) ... Both the oil and ethanol sectors are asking the federal government to step in as each one sees a sharp decline in prices and production. Oil groups say that the pandemic pushed the industry over the edge,
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels Caucus Town Hall Talks Ethanol Issues
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) Members of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus held a virtual town hall Wednesday to discuss the challenges currently facing the ethanol industry and what can be done to help. Participating in the meeting were caucus members including Reps. Collin Peterson (D-MN),
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Small Refiners Have Petitioned EPA to Grant Them Economic Hardship Status Dating Back to 2013
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) REFINERS LATEST ETHANOL BLENDING BID: Small oil refiners — still reeling from the pandemic-driven collapse in fuel demand — have petitioned EPA to grant them economic hardship status dating back to 2013 in an apparent
June 15, 2020 Read Full Article
U.S. Biofuel Group in Talks with Biden, Trump Campaigns to Boost Industry
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) A leading U.S. biofuel trade group said on Thursday it had started conversations with the campaigns of both Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and incumbent Donald Trump to discuss potential policy fixes for the ailing industry. The discussions
June 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Advisers Foresee Big Energy Moves in Second Term
by Scott Waldman (E&E News) A second term for President Trump would mean a more aggressive dismantling of environmental policy and an expansion of the fossil fuel industry, according to energy advisers who work closely with the White House. READ
June 09, 2020 Read Full Article
44 Members of Congress Urge Trump to Deny RFS Waiver Requests
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) A group of 44 members of Congress sent a letter to President Trump on June 8 urging him to deny requests filed with the U.S. EPA by several governors seeking a waiver of 2020 Renewable
June 09, 2020 Read Full Article
States, Greens Sue over Car Rule
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) California and 22 other states sued the Trump administration over its rollback of auto emissions standards and fuel economy rules, Pro's Alex Guillén reports. The Trump administration's final Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles rule requires
May 28, 2020 Read Full Article
One Year Later, E15 Adoption Grows Modestly at Retail Locations
(Agri-Pulse) E15, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, saw modest growth over the last year as President Donald Trump's order to lift the ban on year-round sales approaches its one-year anniversary at the end of this week. READ MORE
May 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Exec: It Would Be a Mistake for the US Government to Bail Us out
by Dan K. Eberhart (CNN Business Perspectives) ... President Trump indicated that some sort of financial bailout for the US oil industry -- and the millions of jobs it supports -- could be in the works. ... "We will never let the
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Senate Committee Passes Gardner Bills to Strengthen Cybersecurity and Bioeconomy
(Office of Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO)) Today (May 20, 2020) the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed S. 3712 and S. 3734, two bipartisan bills cosponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and designed to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity
May 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuel Quotas to Get Small Lift Under Draft of EPA Plan
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) The Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a plan to slightly lift biofuel-blending targets next year, while so far skirting potentially controversial decisions about exempting refineries from U.S. mandates to use plant-based fuels, according to three
May 20, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Delivers Proposed Rule to Set 2021 RFS RVOs to OMB
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA has delivered its proposed rule to set 2021 renewable volume requirements (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard and the 2022 RVO for biomass-based diesel to the White House Office of Management and
May 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Joni of Ernst Leads the Defense of the RFS
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Leading the defenses is Joan of Ernst, er, Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa along with Tina Smith of Minnesota, Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Two Republicans, two Democrats, now urging
May 15, 2020 Read Full Article
Update from Dave on COVID-19, Air Pollution and Ethanol
(Urban Air Initiative) The last few months have been tough, the sudden distress caused by COVID-19 has caused so much harm and heartache for all of us. But if there is something positive coming from this pandemic, it is the world's attention
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
This Is Not the Green Stimulus You're Looking for
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) House Democrats unveiled a $3 trillion package on Tuesday to respond to the coronavirus crisis that they're planning to vote on at the end of the week. The 1,815-page measure is largely a messaging bill with
May 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Midwesterners Were Already Doubting Trump. Covid Could Seal His Political Fate
by Art Cullen (The Guardian/Storm Lake Times) ... “A lot of voters wanted to believe Trump – that out there in Washington it’s all BS, and that a savvy businessman could straighten it out,” (Drake) Custer said. It’s hard for many
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Ernst, Grassley, Bipartisan Senators Reject Legality of Waiving the RFS, Call on Administration to Protect Biofuels
(Office of Senator Joni Ernst) Ernst and her colleagues write, “We urge you to direct the EPA to reject all calls to waive the RFS. The RFS is more important now than ever as farmers, the biofuel sector, and rural
May 12, 2020 Read Full Article
USTR Report Discusses Barriers to US Exports of Ethanol, DDGS
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently issued its 2020 National Trade Estimate, an annual report detailing foreign trade barriers faced by U.S. exporters of goods and services and USTR’s efforts to reduce those
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel Industry Groups Commend 24 Senators’ RFS Letter to President
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, D.C., two biofuels groups, Iowa Biodiesel Board and Renewable Fuels Assocation, both released notes of thanks to 24 Senators that signed the bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him to uphold the
May 11, 2020 Read Full Article
Big Oil Overreaches on COVID-19 Bailout
by Jim Talent (The Gazette) ... Oil companies have requested special access to a $600 billion lending facility at the Federal Reserve, and the administration seems keen to deliver. The president just announced that the Secretary of Energy and Secretary
May 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Midwest Lawmakers: Biofuel Producers Need Relief Aid
(Nexstar Media Wire/Fox40) Midwest lawmakers say biofuel producers should be getting the same support and protection as oil companies. Coronavirus shutdowns have slashed the demand for gasoline, and while the White House is pledging to buy 75 million barrels of oil, ethanol
May 05, 2020 Read Full Article
Fossil Fuel Firms Linked to Trump Get Millions in Coronavirus Small Business Aid
by Emily Holden (The Guardian) Revealed: Oil and mining firms – some with ties to Trump officials – taking advantage of funding, review shows -- US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they probably won’t have
May 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Poised to Offer Bridge Loans to Ailing Oil Companies
by Saleha Mohsin, Ari Natter and Jennifer A. Dlouhy (Bloomberg/RigZone) The Trump administration may announce as soon as Thursday a plan to offer loans to the ailing oil industry possibly in exchange for a financial stake, according to two people familiar
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Vilsack Warns Administration Continues to Ignore Biofuels
by Jacqui Fatka (Feedstuffs) ... (Former Agriculture Secretary Tom) Vilsack said the biofuel industry hasn’t been invited to the White House like the airline or oil industries have to discuss ways to help cover their losses. A number of conservative
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Tax Groups, Think Tanks Want RFS Waiver: Letter Cites Diversion of Hand Sanitizer Production as Reason for Request
by Todd Neeley (DTN Progressive Farmer) Pressure is mounting on President Donald Trump to change the Renewable Fuel Standard in light of the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19. A number of tax, environmental and political think tanks sent a letter
April 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Prices Have Fallen below $0 a Barrel. What Does It Mean for the Climate? This Could Be an Opportunity to Reshape Our Energy System. But It Could Also Simply Lead to a Bailout of Oil Companies.
by Adele Peters (Fast Company) ... Fracking companies have lost billions over the past decade. Some investors may be even more reluctant to invest in the sector now. “I think on the financial side, I would think twice as a
April 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Coronavirus Stimulus Money Will Be Wasted on Fossil Fuels
by David Roberts (Vox) Oil and gas companies were already facing structural problems before Covid-19 and are in long-term decline. -- ... I wrote about how shortsighted it is for Republicans (enabled by learned Democratic passivity) to reject aid for the
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
States Ask EPA for Nationwide Biofuel Waiver to Help Oil Refiners Weather Coronavirus
by Laura Sanicola (Reuters) The governors of five U.S. states have asked the Trump administration for a nationwide waiver exempting the oil-refining industry from the nation’s biofuel laws to help it survive a demand meltdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak, according
April 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Biofuels Industry Needs CCC Assistance
by P. Scott Schearer (Natinal Hog Farmer/Informa Business Media ) Legislative Watch: Biofuels feeling COVID-19 impact; CO2 shortage hits food industry; more loan flexibility needed; expanding beef pricing inquiry; USMCA moving forward. -- ... A bipartisan group of Senators is
April 13, 2020 Read Full Article
The Coronavirus Clean Energy Crisis
by Matt Carr (New Energy America/The Hill) The novel coronavirus pandemic could not have come at a worse time for America’s clean energy industry. After overcoming years of attacks by the Trump administration, the resultant loss of demand is threatening to decimate
April 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Ahead of Stimulus Talks, Voters Back Relief for Renewables More Than for Oil and Gas
by Lisa Martine Jenkins (Morning Consult) -- 38% of voters support a bailout for the oil and gas industry, compared to 54% backing for a renewables industry bailout. -- Republicans are nearly as supportive of a renewables bailout (49%) as
April 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Finalize Weaker Mileage Standards, Dealing a Blow to Obama-Era Climate Policy
by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) The new rule will improve the U.S. car and light truck fleet’s efficiency by 1.5 percent a year, versus nearly 5 percent under current law. The new rule will improve the U.S. car
March 31, 2020 Read Full Article
UPDATE 1-U.S. Ethanol Plants Cutting Output Due to Crashing Demand -Trade Group
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) U.S. ethanol producers are on track to shut about 2 billion gallons of annualized output by the end of this week because of a slump in demand for fuel, the head of the Renewable Fuels Association trade
March 26, 2020 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Coalition Welcomes Administration’s Decision Not to Seek Re-Hearing of Tenth Circuit SRE Ruling
(Renewable Fuels Association) Ethanol and farm groups today welcomed the Trump administration’s decision not to seek a re-hearing of a recent ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit that struck down certain small refinery exemptions (SREs) under
March 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Fewer Refineries Able to Get Biofuel Waivers Under Trump Plan
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Administration will not appeal court ruling curbing exemptions; Officials directed to look for other ways to help oil refiners -- The Trump administration doesn’t plan to challenge a federal court ruling that dramatically curbs its ability
March 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Grassley Asks White House for Biofuel Support as SPR Fill Helps Oil Industry
by Meghan Gordon (S&P Global) US Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican-Iowa, urged the Trump administration Thursday to help the US biofuel industry weather plunging fuel prices and demand, just as the White House was seen as supporting domestic oil producers by
March 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Renewable Fuels Coalition Launches Campaign Calling for EPA Not to Appeal 10th Circuit Decision
(Renewable Fuels Association) With the need for a decision only days away, the coalition that successfully won a unanimous court decision against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued its call for the agency to not appeal the decision by launching a
March 19, 2020 Read Full Article
House Democrats Warn against Oil Industry Bailout
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) A growing number of Democrats are voicing concern that the White House may pursue broad relief for the oil and gas industry amid sinking prices and the coronavirus pandemic. Twenty House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump on
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Ethanol Prices Hit All-Time Low, Unconfirmed Reports of Plant Shutdowns
by Jerry Perkins (Successful Farming) ... The downturn in demand for ethanol, which is blended at a 10% rate in almost every gallon of gasoline consumed in the U.S., is coming at a time when ethanol plants were already economically
March 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Pulled Back into Oil-Ethanol Fight
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Poltico's Morning Energy) JUST WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS OUT:The president is once again caught in the middle of a spat between oil refiners and ethanol producers centered around small refinery exemptions under the RFS, Pro's Eric
March 16, 2020 Read Full Article
California Wins First Round of Cap-and-Trade Fight
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) A federal judge ruled against the Justice Department on Thursday in the first round of a lawsuit between the Trump administration and California over the state's cap-and-trade program with Quebec, Pro's Debra Kahn reports.
March 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Grassley Doubts Administration Will Appeal 10th Circuit Ruling on SRES
by Ken Anderson (Brownfield Ag News) Earlier this week the Trump Administration was granted a two-week delay in deciding whether to appeal a court ruling on small refinery exemptions. Does that mean an appeal is likely? Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley doesn’t think
March 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump, EPA to Appeal Ethanol Blending Decision
(Kallanish Energy) President Donald Trump and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have agreed to appeal a federal appeals court decision on ethanol blending, Kallanish Energy reports. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had invalidated three small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel
March 11, 2020 Read Full Article
White House Likely to Pursue Federal Aid for Shale Companies Hit by Oil Shock, Coronavirus Downturn
by Jeff Stein, Will Englund, Steven Mufson and Robert Costa (Washington Post) ... The White House is strongly considering pushing federal assistance for oil and natural gas producers hit by plummeting oil prices amid the coronavirus outbreak, as industry officials close
March 10, 2020 Read Full Article
QUOTE OF THE WEEK -- Joni Ernst
"So, the President, his point to me was, Joni, it’s not going to be overturned. It’s not going to be overturned. And this way, let Ted Cruz and the oil buddies feel good about what they are doing, but he
March 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump’s Biofuel Plan Triggers Fallout in U.S. Farm Country
by Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Appeal would be ‘a stunning betrayal’ of farmers, groups warn; Move allows EPA to keep waiving refineries from biofuel quotas -- President Donald Trump’s decision to defend the U.S. government’s power to broadly exempt oil refineries
March 09, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Plans to Appeal Ruling that Imperils Refinery Biofuel Waivers
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Mario Parker (Bloomberg News/The Eagle) President Donald Trump has decided to appeal a federal court ruling that jeopardized the U.S. government’s ability to widely exempt refineries from requirements to use renewable fuels. The decision follows an intense
March 06, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Consulting White House over Biofuel Waiver Program: Source
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking White House guidance on the future of its controversial biofuel waiver program after a court ruling cast doubt over its legitimacy, and aims to announce a decision by early next
February 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Heartland Banks Have a New Worry in Turbulent Ethanol Business
(American Banker) Banks in corn country are worried the once booming ethanol business has reached its peak as profits have been pinched by low prices, bad weather and the Trump administration’s moves to curb ethanol use. The price of a gallon of
February 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Budget Slashes Environmental, Clean Energy Funding
(Our Daily Planet) Yesterday, President Trump released his FY2021 budget, and the proposed cuts to federal agencies and research programs were severe.As Science Mag summarized, Trump’s budget proposes the following cuts: National Institutes of Health: a cut of 7%, or $2.942 billion,
February 11, 2020 Read Full Article
The U.S. Is Not Energy Independent
by Amy Harder (Axios Generate) A short new Energy Information Administration report provides a breakdown that's useful in light of all the discussion these days about the U.S. energy posture. Driving the news: The report shows that while late last year the U.S. became a consistent
February 07, 2020 Read Full Article
Trump Withholding $823 Million for Clean Energy, Democrats Say
by Ari Natter (Bloomberg) Unspent funds earmarked for electric cars, energy efficiency; Energy Department vows to spend funding at House hearing -- The Trump administration is withholding nearly a billion dollars for a clean energy program it has unsuccessfully tried to
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
NRDC: DOE Is Flouting the Will of Congress by Delaying Clean Energy R&D
(Natural Resources Defense Council) The Department of Energy is flouting the will of Congress by delaying clean energy R&D and Congress should act quickly to prevent such ideologically driven efforts that thwart action to combat climate change, a Natural Resources Defense
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Biomass Leaders Provide State of the Industry at Int’l Event
by Ron Kotrba (Biomass Magazine) The 13th Annual International Biomass Conference & Expo drew nearly 900 industry stakeholders to Nashville, Tennessee, where, following an awards ceremony, a roundtable discussion with biomass association leaders covered topics including the state of the industry, tax
February 06, 2020 Read Full Article
OPINION: Don't Count out Ethanol This Election Season
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Des Moines Register) When Ted Cruz, a strong opponent of the Renewable Fuel Standard, won the Iowa caucuses four years ago, political pundits said it was the “beginning of the end” for national biofuels policy. After all,
February 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Investors Go after Trump Rollbacks
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) Investors representing almost $113 billion in assets under management warned oil, gas, mining and timber companies not to take advantage of Trump administration environmental rollbacks, arguing they should consider the financial risk. Trump rollbacks
January 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Iowans Push 2020 Candidates to Focus on Climate Change
by Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) ... While climate change has been given short shrift on the debate stages, it’s been widely discussed as the state races toward its first-in-the-nation caucuses on Monday. Record-setting flooding devastated nearly every corner of the state
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA Delivers Proposed Rule to Streamline Fuel Regulations to OMB
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA on Jan. 27 submitted a proposed rule to streamline fuels regulations to the White House Office of Management and Budget. OMB review marks a final step before a proposed rule is released
January 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Europe’s Plans for a Carbon Tax Could Derail Trade Deal with the US
by Silvia Amaro (CNBC) -The European Union is assessing whether to implement a carbon border tax, which would hit importers from countries that do not respect climate goals. -U.S. officials have already raised concerns about such plans, arguing they could
January 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Klobuchar Pledges to Roll Back Refinery Exemptions if Elected
by John Herath (Farm Journal Ag Web) If elected president, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) plans to immediately roll back all of the small refinery exemptions made to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Klobuchar made the pledge on the AgriTalk Radio
January 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Grassley: New WOTUS Coming This Week, Trump Got No Applause on Ethanol
(Hagstrom Report/Fence Post) ... In a call to rural reporters, Grassley (Senator Charles Grassley R-IA) noted that he continues to warn the Trump administration that farmers are watching the management of the Renewable Fuel Standard and that he had heard
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Are Presidential Candidates Listening to the Biofuels Industry?
by Ben Nuelle (AgriPulse) Biofuel industry advocates say they’re pleased with how the Democratic presidential candidates are talking about ethanol and biodiesel in Iowa, although most of the campaigns haven't provided specifics about how they would increase demand. READ MORE Trump
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
Plan to Gut Obama’s Auto Mileage Rules Is Getting Dialed Back
by Ryan Beene and Jennifer A Dlouhy (Bloomberg) Revised proposal will require modest annual efficiency gains; Draft rule is under review by White House budget office -- ... A draft of the final rule, now undergoing a final White House
January 22, 2020 Read Full Article
EPA: 21 SRE Petitions Now Pending for Compliance Year 2019
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on Jan. 16, reporting that five new SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2019, up from 16 petitions
January 17, 2020 Read Full Article
RFA CEO Offers Outlook for Ethanol’s Future at Iowa Summit
by Cindy Zimmerman (Energy.AgWired.com) As the keynote speaker at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Thursday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said “2019 sucked” but the industry is focusing forward now into the “Roaring ’20s.” Cooper offered four predictions for the new
January 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Aemetis Acquires Partially Complete Ethanol Plant in Kansas
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. has purchased a partially complete ethanol plant in Kansas. While the company previously said it would convert the facility to cellulosic production, Aemetis Chairman and CEO Eric McAfee said there are currently
January 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazil Sees U.S. Ban on Beef Imports as Ethanol Payback
by Simone Preissler Iglesias Samy Adghirni (Bloomberg Quint) Washington will likely take time to lift a ban on Brazilian fresh-beef imports amid frustration at the South American country’s decision to keep quotas on tariff-free imports of U.S. ethanol, according to people
January 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Crude Oil: Has the United States Really Achieved Independence?
by Scott Richman (Renewable Fuels Association) The recent conflict with Iran and its proxies in Iraq has served as a reminder of the enduring potential for geopolitical risk to unsettle petroleum markets – not just globally but also in the U.S.
January 13, 2020 Read Full Article
China Announced Ethanol Mandate Rollback
(Hoosier Ag Today/NAFB News Service) China this week announced a suspension of its ethanol mandate, signaling a further reduction of imports from the United States. The E10 target was suspended because China says, “any promotion of ethanol-gasoline must be based on
January 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Congressional Watchdog to Review Trump Admin's Use of Biofuel Waivers
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Financial Post) The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) will review the Trump administration’s use of waivers exempting oil refineries from the nation’s biofuel blending requirements, according to a letter dated Friday, after lawmakers called for an investigation. The so-called
January 11, 2020 Read Full Article
As Iran Crisis Drives Oil Prices Higher, Ethanol Delivers Relief at the Pump
(Renewable Fuels Association) Tensions in the Middle East have inflamed global oil markets, sending Brent crude oil futures over $70 per barrel and pushing U.S. gasoline futures to a nine-month high. Analysts expect these gas price increases to reach the pump
January 08, 2020 Read Full Article
What's Looming in 2020?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... Another looming fight: EPA's proposals to weaken rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Trump administration has revoked California's waiver authority, but its sweeping rollback of federal emissions standards has stalled ahead
January 06, 2020 Read Full Article
The RFA 2020 Out-In List
(Renewable Fuels Association) RFAEditor’s Note: In keeping with a long-standing RFA holiday tradition, our very own Senior Strategic Advisor offers his views on what is on the way “out” as we turn our calendars to 2020 and what will be
January 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Washington, DC, Is No Longer an Option
by Dave VanderGriend (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Urban Air Initiative/ICM) Mid-level blends are the future of the ethanol industry, and the U.S. government can't be trusted to promote their use. ... An overlooked provision in the recent rule allowing year-round sales
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
An Opportunity to Focus Forward
by Geoff Cooper (Renewable Fuels Association/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... I do remain bullish, because I believe in ethanol. It’s the right fuel at the right time—and for the time to come. It’s the low-carbon, low-cost fuel America and the world
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Who Is Driving Our Ethanol Policy? And Why Does It Matter?
by Jeffrey T. Manuel and Thomas D. Rogers (The Hill/Changing America) To prepare America for a green future, you have to understand the power politics of the present. -- ... But the real drivers of biofuel policy in both
December 28, 2019 Read Full Article
Advanced Biofuels – Where Are the Gallons?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From what is an advanced biofuel to why, we take a look at the gallons, the ethanol blend wall, the residue capacity, and over 30 advanced biofuels projects from around the world to watch. In today’s Digest,
December 27, 2019 Read Full Article
Economics, Expectations and Exports
by Lisa Gibson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol Producer Magazine talked to three experts about the past year, and what they see moving into 2020. -- 2019 brought a Reid vapor pressure waiver for E15, but it also brought excessive small
December 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Yay or Nay for EPA? RFS Volumes out for 2020, Biodiesel for 2021 – What’s the Reaction from Industry?
by Helena Tavares Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) ... Should Santa bring coal for EPA’s stocking this year? Do the biofuels and agriculture industries think the EPA just put coal in their stocking? Is it thumbs up or thumbs down from biofuel
December 23, 2019 Read Full Article
House Passes Reworked North American Trade Deal in Victory for Trump, Democrats
by Erica Werner (Washington Post) The bill passed by a vote of 385 to 41 and is expected to pass the Senate early next year. -- The House of Representatives voted Thursday in favor of a new trade deal for
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
Ethanol Report on 2019: RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper Bids Farewell to a Bad Year
(AgNewsWire) To say 2019 has been a rough year for the ethanol industry would be an understatement. Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper says it was one of the worst years - if not the worst - the industry
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
The Bioeconomy Christmas: Uncle Sam puts $12B+ for Biomass-Based Diesel, Action on Biointermediates, Cellulosics, and Small Refinery Waivers into the Stocking This Year
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) This week, Congressional leaders announced a five-year extension of the biomass-based diesel tax credit as part of a year-end tax extenders package. As Christmas gifts go, the importance and value of this to the biomass-based diesel
December 20, 2019 Read Full Article
EPA Fulfills Another Trump Administration Promise: Finalizes RFS Volumes for 2020 and Biomass Based Diesel Volumes for 2021
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that establishes the required renewable volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2020, and the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021. Through this action, the Trump Administration has fulfilled
December 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Is Big Oil Feeling the Heat?
by Matt Carr (New Energy American/The Hill) ... In 2016 Big Oil received the gift of the century in a Donald Trump presidency. Despite promises in Iowa to grow the renewable fuels industry and to promote clean air, he immediately set out to do exactly
December 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Administration to Stick with 2020 Biofuel Plan over Farmer Objections: Sources
by Stephanie Kelly (Reuters/Investing.com) The White House will stick with its current proposal on 2020 biofuel blending requirements, despite anger in Farm Country that the plan does too little for corn growers, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The issue
December 18, 2019 Read Full Article
Govs. Walz and Noem for Support of E30
(Grand Rapids Herald Review) Recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the chair of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, along with South Dakota Gov. and coalition vice chair Kristi Noem, sent a letter to President Trump urging the administration to consider 30 percent ethanol
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
How Ethanol Plant Shutdowns Deepen Pain for U.S. Corn Farmers
by Mark Weinraub and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) ... (Indiana farmer Paul) Hodgen’s troubles reflect the increasing difficulties faced by America’s corn farmers as a meltdown in the ethanol industry hits the corn market – adding strains to farmers already facing poor
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
America’s Bioeconomy Plays Critical Role in Feeding, Fueling, and Healing the World
(Biotechnology Innovation Organization) The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) has submitted comments to the Office of Science Technology and Policy (OSTP) on the bioeconomy, explaining the critical role America’s biotechnology industry plays in feeding, fueling, and healing the world. The comments were recently highlighted
December 13, 2019 Read Full Article
EU Weighs Tariffs to Enforce Climate Rules
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) European countries are threatening to impose tariffs on goods from countries like the United States that have failed to match their climate change policies. ... A PAGE OUT OF THE TRUMP PROTECTIONIST PLAYBOOK:
December 12, 2019 Read Full Article
For Trump Loyalist Rep. Jim Hagedorn, Ethanol Rules Pose a Challenge
by Gabe Schneider (MinnPost) In August, Corn Plus, one of the oldest biofuel plants in the state of Minnesota, closed. Forty employees lost their jobs. The reasons for a slump in the biofuels industry are many, but one stands out: a
December 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Growth Energy Hails Announcement of USMCA Deal
(Growth Energy) Today, Growth Energy, the nation’s largest ethanol association, hailed the announcement of a long-awaited deal on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade. The USMCA modernizes the previous trade pact, strengthens the trade relationship between these North American nations, and
December 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Trump Says U.S. Will Finalize New Fuel Efficiency Rules Next Year
by David Shepardson (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that his administration will finalize its rollback of Obama-era vehicle emissions standards next year and expected it would provoke a new legal challenge by California. ... Trump said on Friday that
December 10, 2019 Read Full Article
Japan Trade Agreement Expands Market Access For U.S. Coarse Grains, Co-Products
(U.S. Grains Council) As the ink dries on the final signatures needed for the new U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) is celebrating improved access to the Japanese market and more than 50 years of partnership with one of