President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act into law on March 27. The bill is the third COVID-19 stimulus packaged signed into law. A fourth stimulus package is in the works that could provide more targeted relief for renewable fuel producers.
FROM THE APRIL ISSUE: Editor Lisa Gibson previews the magazine, including feature articles about bacteria research, cooling tower maintenance and cleaning, coverage of IRFA's January Renewable Fuels Summit, and more.
The U.S. EPA on March 26 announced g a temporary policy regarding EPA enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy applies to civil violoations duirng the outbreak.
The U.S. EPA on March 27 announced it intends to develop an “appropriate implementation and enforcement response� to the Tenth Circuit Court's SRE ruling “after appeals have been resolved and the court's mandate has been issued."
FROM THE APRIL ISSUE: Touting ethanol as a source of clean octane, it's ability to reduce carbon, and allowing consumer choice in the marketplace.
FROM THE APRIL ISSUE: Industry leaders at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in January looked back at 2019, offered predictions for 2020, and held hope for the ethanol industry's future.
FROM THE APRIL ISSUE: A case for moving beyond the RFS to a 95 RON minimum octane standard.
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 under the RFS.
A study released this week on employment in the U.S. energy sector shows that America's ethanol industry employs a significantly larger share of military veterans than any other segment of the energy industry.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills on March 18 signed a bill establishing a tax credit for renewable chemical production that provides an 8 cent per pound tax credit for eligible products beginning on Jan. 1, 2021.
The governments of the two largest ethanol producing countries, the U.S. and Brazil, have each classified ethanol plant employees as essential critical infrastructure workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The USDA and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on March 24 announced continued progress with the implementation of agriculture-related provisions of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement, including those related to DDGS.
Wynnewood Refining and HollyFrontier filed petitions with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals on March 24 requesting a rehearing en banc of the court's Jan. 24 ruling that struck down three SREs approved by the U.S. EPA.
USDA Rural Development on March 20 announced that it has implemented enterprise-wide remote operational status, effective immediately, to help protect the health of employees, customers and the greater community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A bipartisan group of 16 senators sent a letter to President Trump on March 19 urging him not to challenge a Jan. 24 ruling by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down three small refinery exemptions (SREs) approved by the U.S. EPA.
The U.S. government on March 18 relaxed regulations to allow producers of fuel ethanol and beverage alcohol to shift production to ethanol-based hand sanitizers. Days later, several ethanol plants are taking action to help combat COVID-19.
The bipartisan Biofuels Caucus sent a letter to President Trump on March 17 urging the administration to forgo an appeal of the Tenth Circuit Court's Jan. 24 ruling that struck down three small refinery exemptions (SREs) approved by the U.S. EPA.
Wynnewood and HollyFrontier filed a petition with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals on March 19 announcing they will seek a rehearing en banc of the court's Jan. 24 ruling that struck down three SREs approved by the U.S. EPA.
The U.S. EPA released updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data on March 19, reporting that two additional SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2019.
The ethanol industry is struggling with demand destruction resulting from COVID-19, an oil price war, ongoing trade disputes, and SREs. “Folks, this is not going to be good, and our biggest concern by far is our people," said Al-Corn CEO Randy Doyal.
As the COVID-19 spreads across the U.S., threatening American lives and adversely impacting the nation's economy, the transportation fuel sector will be especially hard hit. Declines in consumer gasoline use will shrink demand for corn ethanol.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, fielded questions on COVID-19 and the biofuels industry during a media call held March 16. In his comments, Grassley said the industry is “very nervous.� He also addressed the Tenth Circuit Court ruling on SREs.
The ethanol industry is being adversely affected not only by the economic constraints caused by the coronavirus, but also by the oil price war, ongoing trade disputes and EPA's small refinery waivers, according to the RFA.
In response to the developing situation with COVID-19, the USGC said it will postpone all international travel and carefully review all within country travel until the end of March. USGC's Washington, D.C., headquarters remains open.
A report from University of Illinois Extension shows weak demand for corn for ethanol use in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethanol production will fall dramatically, it predicts, with gasoline consumption expected to be down about 20 percent.
The Canadian Parliament approved the U.S-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement on March 13. The trade pact, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement, has now been ratified by all three countries.
The U.S. Department of Energy has scheduled an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development and Technical Advisory Committee for March 24-25. The meeting will be held in Arlington, Virginia.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., announced March 11 that Red Trail Energy will begin the drilling of a stratigraphic well, designed with the intent to be permitted as a Class VI injection well and used to sequester CO2 from the company's ethanol plant.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed an executive order on March 10 that sets a new goal for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and outlines several steps the state will take to combat climate change, including expanding Oregon's Clean Fuels Program.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on March 11 to consider the nomination of Douglas Benevento to serve as deputy administrator of the U.S. EPA. During the event, Benevento was on the EPA's SRE policy.
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