The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Thursday on the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act led by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), a package of legislation designed to address supply chain issues for the American energy and agriculture sectors, combat rising fertilizer prices and increase the availability of higher ethanol blends and other biofuels. The legislation includes Spanberger’s …
Biofuel Groups React to Final RFS Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a package of actions Friday setting biofuel volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for years 2020, 2021, and 2022, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, the final regulatory actions taken by EPA “bring certainty back to the Renewable Fuel Standard and pave the …
Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: EPA Administrator Regan
The latest episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is out and the big news maker this week is EPA Administrator Michael Regan. The Biden administration is approaching a key deadline to publish annual volume targets for biofuel blending. There’s also the ongoing effort to redefine the definition of a Water of the U.S. and looming concerns about the loss of crop protection …
Rail Disruptions Impacting Ag and Biofuels
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) heard about how agricultural and biofuels producers are being impacted by rail service challenges during a two-day hearing last week. USDA Deputy Secretary Dr. Jewel Bronaugh told the board how rail disruptions are impacting farmers, ranchers and consumers. “Elevators are full and therefore cannot purchase more grain from farmers, and livestock operations are unable to …
DDGS Mistaken for Bird Poop on Biden’s Lapel
The ag story of this week may be what hit President Joe Biden on the lapel during his appearance at an Iowa ethanol plant Tuesday. Video of the moment went viral since it appeared to be bird droppings, but instead of being by-product of a bird, turns out it was a co-product of an ethanol plant, the high protein animal …
Gevo and Farmers Edge Partner for Carbon Program
Gevo and Farmers Edge have signed an agreement to work together on a new type of carbon inset management program. The potential combination of Farmers Edge highly precise and proprietary datasets with Gevo’s Verity Tracking platform and blockchain technology is expected to create value around agriculturally driven carbon impact. The companies plan to launch a program with US growers to …
White House Fuel Price Plan Overlooks Biofuels
Biofuel organizations are baffled by the White House “Plan to Respond to Putin’s Price Hike at the Pump” released last week that completely ignores increasing use of renewable fuels. “It is baffling to us that President Biden continues to overlook ethanol, which is the most readily available, lowest-cost, and lowest-carbon option for extending our nation’s fuel supply,” said Renewable Fuels …
Biofuels Advocates Respond to #SOTU With Energy Solution
Biofuels advocates offered a response to President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address this week – use more ethanol. Acknowledging that the situation in Ukraine was causing pain at the pump here at home, President Biden’s solution was more oil. “I can announce the United States has worked with 30 other countries to release 60 million barrels of …
RFA Honors Corn Growers With Industry Award
For the first time, the Renewable Fuels Association Industry Award was presented to an organization this year. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) was honored in recognition of the group’s dedicated and sustained efforts on behalf of the ethanol industry over the last 40 years. The award, RFA’s highest recognition, was presented this week at the 27th annual National Ethanol …
Ethanol Industry Zeroes in on New Opportunities
In his annual State of the Industry Address at the National Ethanol Conference Tuesday in New Orleans, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said the global quest to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 “may very well be the greatest opportunity for growth and value creation in the industry’s history.” “Just as the ethanol industry seized on opportunities …