Cost advantage may be ethanol's real strong suit. We report this month that the implementation of E15, and the proliferation of E85 pumps and flex-fuel vehicles, hinges on ethanol's competitive price relative to gas.
The EPA's public comment period on its proposed 2014 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) ends tomorrow. It's not clear how long the EPA will take to digest industry feedback, nor is it clear what the agency will decide. Observers are optimistic.
Much of the consternation over corn ethanol, including the current debate on the renewable fuel standard, is rooted in America's ability to produce sufficient corn to meet the needs of food and fuel. This, of course, is dependent on weather.
ICM's Steve Vander Griend has immersed himself in understanding ethanol's performance, both as a fuel and in the tests used by regulatory agencies. As one of the biofuel's top technical agents, he's working hard to true up ethanol emissions testing.
The grains complex has been tiresome compared to the whirlwind proteins of late. A big carryout looms in corn, and demand from China has been in question.
Just as in the last 10 minutes of the U.S./Soviet 1980 Olympic hockey game where goalie Jim Craig blocked shot after shot, the ethanol industry will continue to deflect shots from Big Oil, Congress and the EPA in order to protect the RFS.
American Freedom Energy is the first retailer in Ohio to offer E15 to consumers for use in 2001 and newer vehicles. The expanded offering of E15 will create savings at the pump for consumers.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the petitions requesting a rehearing en banc regarding California's Low Carbon Fuels Standard. As such, a prior ruling that the LCFS does not violate interstate commerce laws stands.
A new study by Informa Economics shows the originally intended Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) 2014 blending requirements can be reached through expanded consumption of E85 and E15, as well as judicious use of carryover RIN credits.
U.S. station owners are starting to see the retail allure of gasoline containing a third more ethanol than today's standard blend. E15's early implementation has been steady yet challenging. Now, the pace of adoption appears to be quickening.
Although continued cold may lead to elevated demand levels, a key reason that prompt and long-term natural gas prices have not run higher is electricity generation. Gas demand for power generation could drop out of the market if prices get too high.
With the window for commenting on the EPA's proposed 2014 renewable volume obligations closing in just days, Big Oil is fighting hard against ethanol. We still face a tough fight with some regulators and Congress this year, but we will win.
A report issued by the European Commission's Agricultural and Rural Development department predicts that the medium-term outlook for arable crops in the European Union is relatively positive. The biofuels market is the most dynamic demand factor.
Propel Fuels and Protec Fuel share similar names and the goal of making America's highest ethanol blend pervasive in high-population, FFV-dense regions of the country. Will a curtailed RFS and flex-fuel vehicle uncertainty impede their progress?
Win or lose in the RFS discussion, ethanol leaders must put their best foot forward and get ahead of the curve. It's time for producers to up their market development games and make a collective industry push for higher-level blends.
Big Oil has done little to meet its increased biofuels obligations. Now, the EPA is proposing to reward their belligerence by curtailing the renewable fuels standard. It's like the IRS lowering someone's taxes because they refused to pay.
The U.S. EPA's proposed reductions to the 2014 renewable fuel standard (RFS) volume requirements will not only impact current biofuel producers, the move is also expected to chill investment in second generation cellulosic projects and technologies.
The European Commission has published a proposal calling for a greenhouse gas reduction of 40 percent below the 1990 level along with an EU-wide 27 percent binding target for renewable energy by 2030. The proposal doesn't address transport fuels.
By June, the European ethanol industry must find a way to convince the parliament, the European Commission, and other stakeholders that supporting first- and second-generation ethanol is a worthwhile investment. It will require a solid strategy.
Corn kernel fiber conversion technology holds great promise, but RIN integrity standards are paramount to the value and marketability of advanced ethanol derived from this exciting new pathway. Fortunately, quality assurance plan services are here.
Ethanol producers are enjoying generous margins in recent weeks, even as uncertainty over the fate of the renewable fuels standard (RFS) weighs upon the long-term outlook. Late November saw the best ethanol margins since the height of the 2006 boom.
The European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE) calls on the European Commission to elaborate upon the successes of the current policy by proposing new binding targets for greenhouse gas reductions and renewable energy use in transport by 2030.
The costs of fertilizer, land rents and seed, along with the associated expense of machinery depreciation, have spiked dramatically over the past several years. Has it reset the breakeven point for American corn farming?
In December, logistics were the primary market driver in the DDGS market. Whether in railcar turn times, empty container availability or even truck availability to move the product, transportation is affecting prices.
Ethanol prices saw a wild price shift in December leading to additional uncertainty through the ethanol and corn markets. Lack of active support in the corn market has kept corn prices hovering between $4.15 to $4.30 per bushel in the futures market.
Experts in the DDGS industry addressed current challenges and opportunities during a Jan. 16 webinar hosted by Ethanol Producer Magazine. The event was sponsored by the 2014 Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo.
Brentwood, Tenn.-based convenience store operator MAPCO Express Inc. has announced it will begin offering E15 to customers. According to the company, E15 will be included in new build and select mega store locations beginning in 2014.
Germany-based CropEnergies AG has released financial results for the first three quarters of its current fiscal year, reporting a 5 percent increase in the production of ethanol. Production for the nine-month period reached 626,000 cubic meters.
For all the media melodrama displayed at this time last year when the USDA released its tally on the drought-suppressed 2012 corn crop, there's been predictably little ado over last week's news that the 2013 crop is the largest on record.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the January issue of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, slightly increasing its forecast for 2014 ethanol production to an average of 913,000 barrels per day.
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