Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said on July 28 that he would like to see $3 billion for ethanol included in a phase four COVID-19 relief package. Legislation released by the U.S. Senate in late July, however, provides no dedicated relief for ethanol.
The DOE on July 28 announced $68 million in funding over five years for basic research aimed at making bioenergy feedstock crops more productive and resilient. Feedstocks addressed by the research include sorghum, poplar and pennycress.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on July 28 urging him to initiate a rulemaking to certify biofuel infrastructure for E15 and remove unnecessary labeling requirements for the fuel blend.
The Biogenic CO2 Coalition has released new video and digital ad campaign asking why the U.S. EPA is the only environmental agency in the world to treat carbon emissions from common agricultural crops the exact same as those from fossil fuels.
The National Corn Growers Association remains hard at work to help improve the economic situation for corn growers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization hosted a virtual fly-in to Capitol Hill July 22-23.
On July 24, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor submitted comments to the USDA in response to a request for input on the agency's Agriculture Innovation Agenda, a new initiative to promote conservation and boost productivity in American agriculture.
Biofuels Vision 2020 is launching a new ad campaign raising the alarm over a major regulatory threat to the economic recovery in Iowa. The group is calling on Iowa voters to share their concerns about the the Trump administration's record on biofuel.
The Senate released a COVID-19 relief package on July 27 that could provide relief to biofuel producers. It would also reduce and extend supplemental UI payments, provide a second stimulus payment and allow some companies to access a second PPP loan.
Pennsylvania-based United Refining Co. is suing the U.S. EPA over the agency's failure to act on a small refinery exemption (SRE) petition the company filed for compliance year 2019 in December 2019.
The Renewable Fuels Association's summer board of directors meeting concluded Wednesday with more than a dozen virtual Capitol Hill visits. Board members had the chance to hear from senators, House members and administration officials.
On July 22,ACE CEO Brian Jennings penned a letter to Senate leadership praising bipartisan legislation introduced by by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in May that would provide COVID-19 relief for ethanol producers.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration is seeking nominations for members of its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee. Nominations are due July 31.
Members of Congress in key Midwestern states have received over 10,000 individual letters from constituents urging them to press the EPA to address a regulatory barrier preventing growth in the bioeconomy, according to the Biogenic CO2 Coalition.
Renewable Fuels Association General Counsel Ed Hubbard has been appointed to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds.
The U.S. EPA has released updated renewable identification number (RIN) data showing that more than 1.51 billion RINs were generated under the Renewable Fuel Standard in June, bringing total RIN generation for the first half of 2020 to 8.52 billion.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, confirmed during a press call on July 17 that he and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, will advocate for the inclusion of dedicated relief for ethanol producers the fourth COVID-19 stimulus bill.
The COVID-19 crisis has already led to more than $3.4 billion in lost revenues for the U.S. ethanol industry, according to an economic analysis released by the RFA. Pandemic-related damages in 2020 and 2021 could reach nearly $9 billion.
The U.S. EPA has approved an efficient producer pathway under the Renewable Fuel Standard for Poet Biorefining – Shelbyville, an 80 MMgy corn ethanol plant under construction in Shelbyville, Indiana.
The U.S. EPA on July 16 released updated SRE data showing that small refiners have filed six more “gap year� SRE petitions for compliance years 2011 through 2016. There are now 86 SRE petitions pending, including 58 gap year SRE petitions.
BBI International has announced that the 2020 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, the ethanol industry's largest conference, has been moved and will be virtual, due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The event will now take place Sept. 15-17.
A five-acre parcel of underutilized farmland across the highway from Trenton Agri Products will soon become a model pollinator habitat in Nebraska. The project is a result of an idea planted with Renewable Fuels Association board members last year.
Joe Biden on July 14 released a proposal for rebuilding the economy that focuses on establishing American leadership in the clean energy industry. Biofuel groups are stressing that biobased fuels can help meet the plan's emission reduction goals.
As the ethanol industry seeks normalcy after the shock wave of COVID-19, new notions about capital investment and risk are surfacing. Experts say what was historically a mediocre margin may be considered a good margin moving forward.
Even though the pandemic delivered an unprecedented shock, the prospect of a green recovery will ultimately be decided by the strength of our climate policies and the content of our gas tanks. Ethanol-blended gasoline remains a top solution.
The Renewable Fuels Association is hosting a free webinar for all interested parties on July 16 to provide details of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program.
A flex fuel retailer panel will be part of the general session lineup again this year at the American Coalition for Ethanol 33rd annual conference on the afternoon of Aug. 25 in Omaha, Nebraska, co-located with the Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo.
With the USDA's HBIIP deadline just one month away, the RFA reminds retailers and other interested parties that any further delays may threaten their ability to complete the registration and application process by the deadline.
News from the July issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine, including DuPont's new enzyme blend, the deferment of the 2020 Export Exchange, sequestration funding, monarch habitat, and Aemetis' and Pacific Ethanol's high-grade alcohol strategies.
With many ethanol plants slowed or shut down this spring, the American Coalition for Ethanol's senior vice president watched on, while recovering at home, as our industry pitched in to help the nation stay healthy. Deeds, not words, set us apart.
Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley on July 13 offered testimony during a virtual public hearing on the U.S. EPA's test protocols for U.S. fuels. A public comment period is open through Aug. 11.
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