Despite a lack of federal grant programs and higher ethanol prices, ACE's Ron Lamberty says now is the perfect time to add E15. Adding the fuel blend, he says, can help retailers offer a higher octane fuel at a lower pump price than competitors.
Co-chairs of the House Biofuels Caucus on March 3 introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to expand access to higher biofuel blends and fully recognize the environmental benefits of renewable fuels.
Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Joe Manchin, D-W.V., on March 1 introduced the American Jobs in Energy Manufacturing Act of 2021, which aims to incentivize domestic manufacturing of advanced energy technologies.
House Committee on Energy and Commerce democrats on March 2 introduced the CELAN Future Act, which sets a goal to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. The bill includes provisions related to the RFS and bioenergy.
The USGC participated in the USDA's Agricultural Trade Mission to Ghana in October 2019, followed by a side trip to Nigeria to meet with participants from the Global Ethanol Summit. The events helped increase U.S. ethanol exports.
The Carbon Capture Coalition on Feb. 24 released a national policy blueprint that includes near-term recommendations the group says policymakers should adopt in order to accelerate the deployment and commercialization of carbon capture projects.
The U.S. Senate on Feb. 25 voted 64 to 35 to confirm Jennifer Granholm as secretary of energy. Granholm, a former two-term governor of Michigan, was sworn in later that day. She is the second woman to lead the DOE.
The U.K. Department for Transport on Feb. 25 announced that the country will adopt E10 as its standard gasoline blend by September. The move will allow idle ethanol production capacity in the U.K. to be brought back online.
Using ATP program funds, the U.S. Grains Council sponsored participation at the Global Ethanol Summit of ethanol buyers from nearly two dozen Middle Eastern, European and African countries, who subsequently purchased $245 million in U.S. ethanol.
Affiliates of HollyFrontier and Wynnewood Refining on Feb. 22 filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing their position against the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals' January 2020 ruling on small refinery exemptions (SREs).
Tom Vilsack is once again leading the USDA. The Senate on Feb. 23 voted 92 to seven to confirm him as secretary of agriculture. Vilsack, a former two-term governor of Iowa, served as ag secretary during all eight years of the Obama administration.
The USDA predicts that corn use for ethanol will remain relatively flat, increasing by 0.5 percent over the next decade, according to data released by the agency in February as part of its long-term agricultural projections through 2030.
The U.S. EPA on Feb. 22 announced it now supports the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeal's January 2020 ruling on small refinery exemptions (SREs). Representatives of the U.S. biofuels decision are applauding the agency's new position.
Representatives of the U.S. biofuels industry are urging the U.S. EPA to deny several petitions that have been filed with the agency seeking waivers of 2019 and 2020 RFS blending obligations, calling them unnecessary, illegal and unjustified.
Reps. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Angie Craig, D-Minn., on Feb. 19 reintroduced the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act, which aims to ensure transparency and predictability in the U.S. EPA's administration of the SRE process.
The RFA released its 2021 Ethanol Industry Outlook and Pocket Guide today during the 26th annual National Ethanol Conference. The annual publications and conference all share a common theme: Essential Energy.
The U.S. EPA released updated SRE data on Feb. 18, reporting that one new SRE petition has been filed for RFS compliance year 2020. A total of 66 SRE petitions are now pending, up from 65 that were pending as of Jan. 19.
Citing his decades of service to farmers and ethanol producers, the Renewable Fuels Association today honored former Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., longtime chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, with the RFA Industry Award.
Reps. David McKinley, R-W.V., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas, on Feb. 16 reintroduced the ACCESS 45Q Act. The bill extends the date for projects to begin construction to claim the 45Q tax credit by 10 years and provides a direct pay elective.
The Minnesota Senate's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy held a hearing on Feb. 17 to consider SF 944, a bill introduced on Feb. 11 that aims to boost the minimum biofuel content in gasoline to 15 percent.
Just as ethanol has played an essential role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the low-carbon fuel will also serve as essential energy for combatting climate change, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper said Feb. 16 at the 26th annual NEC.
Even after experiencing a drop in demand due to the COVID pandemic, the U.S. ethanol industry still had a significantly positive impact on the U.S. economy in 2020, according to the annual ethanol industry economic impact study released by RFA.
A bill recently introduced in the Minnesota legislature aims to provide gasoline dealers with a refundable 5 cent per gallon tax credit for sales of gasoline blended with between 15 percent and 85 percent ethanol.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter to White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy on Feb. 16 inviting her to visit Iowa and learn about the state's leadership in renewable fuel production and sustainable energy.
USDA Rural Development has announced it is now accepting applications for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements through the Rural Energy for America Program. Applications must be submitted by March 31.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its Annual Energy Outlook 2021 (AEO2021) on Feb. 3, predicting that the consumption of biofuels as a share of the domestic fuel mix will gradually increase through 2050.
Legislation recently introduced in Iowa that aims to establish a state biofuels standard would create more than 3,500 new jobs and generate nearly $550 million in household income by 2026, according to a study released by the IRFA on Feb. 15.
A new analysis from a renowned carbon accounting firm finds that the greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved under the Renewable Fuel Standard far exceed the reductions originally projected by U.S. EPA.
Canada's Clean Fuels Standard, along with its net-zero emissions goal, remind us that the most effective climate policies are, at their core, investment policies. To succeed, they must support the essential role of biofuels in emissions reduction.
Gov. Tim Walz, chair of the Governors' Biofuel Coalition, on Feb. 10 sent a letter to President Biden urging him to issue executive orders banning the use of aromatics in gasoline and adopting new Renewable Fuel Standard regulations.
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