RFA: Study reveals wide-ranging economic impact of ethanol
By Renewable Fuels Association
February 19, 2015
At this year's National Ethanol Conference, the Renewable Fuels Association released a new ABF Economics study titled "Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States in 2014."
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has released its 2013 Renewable Energy Data Book, which features statistics on U.S. and global renewable energy generation, renewable energy development, clean energy investments, and technology-specific data.
In 2014, the U.S. ethanol industry had its most profitable year in history, Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said Feb. 19. "Critics may be legion but we will prevail," he said. "We are here to stay."
Growth Energy has filed comments with the California Air Resources Board outlining its opposition to CARB's proposed amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and a proposed regulation on the commercialization of alternative diesel fuels.
UAI, EFC urge recognition of ethanol as a way to reduce carbon
By The Energy Future Coalition, Urban Air Initiative
February 18, 2015
The California Air Resources Board was urged to enhance its efforts to require low carbon fuels by supporting the increased use of clean burning ethanol as a means of displacing aromatics in gasoline to reduce carbon and protect public health.
Proving greenhouse gas reduction to the U.S. EPA now boils down to four numbers.
Only a handful of ethanol plants were approved under the original petition process used by EPA to determined if those grandfathered plants were achieving GHG reductions better than 20 percent compared to baseline gasoline.
The recent fall in oil prices makes an even stronger case for all forms of domestic energy, both renewable and nonrenewable, writes Mike Bryan. In fact, the current situation makes a strong case for greater energy independence in general.
The Renewable Fuels Association submitted comments to the California Air Resources Board asking for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard re-adoption proposal to reflect recent scientific advances and new empirical data regarding indirect land use change.
The Washington Department of Ecology recently published a discussion document to jumpstart dialogue on a potential rulemaking for a state clean fuel standard. The program would be similar to the California and Oregon low carbon fuel standards.
One of the primary ways ACE has highlighted the benefits of the RFS is through our annual Biofuels Beltway March fly-in to Washington, D.C. The goal, writes Brian Jennings, is to demonstrate the breadth and depth of grassroots support for biofuels.
The International Renewable Energy Agency has published a report that highlights the realistic potential for higher renewable uptake in all sectors of the U.S. energy system, including power, industry, building and the transportation sector.
The Canadian industry has innovative producers pursuing the opportunities in the broader bioeconomy, writes Andrea Kent of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. Canada is well positioned to become a leader in advanced biofuels and bioproducts.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has published the February issue of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, reporting ethanol production is expected to average 938,000 barrels per day this year, increasing to 936,000 barrels per day next year.
Ten more corn ethanol plants were approved through the U.S. EPA's efficient producer petition process (EP3) at the end of January, bringing the total to 19. The first round of nine approvals were announced in December.
USDA put a number to a projected increase in ethanol use in its Feb. 10, supply/demand report. Based on the higher forecasts for 2015 gasoline consumption, the USDA raised expected corn use for ethanol production by 75 million bushels.
On Feb. 10, the USDA hosted a media call announcing more than $280 million is being made available to eligible applicants through the Rural Energy for America Program. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted recent improvements made to REAP.
There are winners and losers in a U.S. Supreme Court decision made last summer, writes James Pray of BrownWinick Law Firm. There are U.S. ethanol producers that are in each of those categories.
Ethanol can be part of a winning strategy to improve air quality in the Omaha area, says the Nebraska Ethanol Board. The association recently started a conversation about ways to lower the levels of toxic compounds mixed in gas.
U.S. ethanol exports hit 836 million gallons in 2014, 6 percent of the total 14.3 billion gallons produced nationwide. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the 2014 export volume is second only to the 1.19 billion gallons exported in 2011.
On Feb. 4, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., announced the introduction of two bills that aim to alter the renewable fuel standard (RFS), including the RFS Elimination Act, H.R. 703, and the RFS Reform Act, H.R. 704.
Efforts are underway in Oregon to repeal the Dec. 31 sunset date under the state's Clean Fuels Program. Several bills pending in the Oregon legislature aim to remove the sunset date, allowing the program to be implemented past the end of this year.
Representatives of the ethanol industry have spoken out to criticize a World Resources Institute paper written by Tim Searchinger and Ralph Heimlich that rehashes previously debunked theories related to food versus fuel and indirect land use change.
A group of federal agencies are developing an interactive app that will serve as a mobile business directory for U.S. clean energy exports. U.S.-based suppliers of certain energy solutions are invited to apply to participate in the pilot phase.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy is accepting public comments on an environmental impact statement related to proposed confined field trials of engineered high-energy crops for use in bioenergy applications.
On Jan. 29, Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, testified before the U.S. EPA at a Washington, D.C.-based hearing focused on a proposal to lower the National Ambient Air Quality Standard ozone levels.
In late 2014, the U.S. EPA invited the public to nominate scientific experts to be considered for appointment to its Science Advisory Board's Agricultural Science Committee. The deadline for submitting those nominations has been extended to March 30.
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said that Iowa's renewable fuels industry is "ready to roll" in 2015 at the 9th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. The IRFA also released an economic study during the event.
Since launching the renewable fuels report in the Agriculture Marketing Resource Center in 2008, retired Iowa State University ag economist Don Hofstrand has followed the swings in ethanol profitability through a model Iowa-based ethanol plant.
A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's Global Information Network estimates China's fuel ethanol production reached 2.8 billion liters (739.68 million gallons) last year, up 6 percent from 2013.
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