Registration Open for Export Exchange 2018

Cindy Zimmerman

Registration is now open for Export Exchange 2018, Oct. 22-24 in Minneapolis. The U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy are encouraging U.S. suppliers of coarse grains and co-products, industry representatives and members of the grain trade to plan on attending this biennial event which connects them with international grain buyers. The Exhange is expected …

Ag Groups, Ethanol, Exports, RFA, USGC

EPA Releases 2019 Biofuel Proposal

Cindy Zimmerman

The Environmental Protection Agency released its proposal for 2019 biofuel obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Tuesday, maintaining the statutory level for corn ethanol while increasing advanced biofuels, but failing to address the small refinery exemptions that have decimated demand and effectively lowered the required amount of biofuels to be blended. Under the proposed rule, conventional renewable fuel volumes …

Audio, EPA, Ethanol, RFA

American Chopper Unveils Ethanol Bike

Cindy Zimmerman

The highly anticipated debut of the custom Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) ethanol motorcycle created by Paul Jr. Designs on Discovery Channel’s American Chopper revealed a masterpiece with a patriotic theme that runs on E85. “The bike encapsulated everything we were hoping to get,” said RFA Vice President of Industry Relations Robert White. “Patriotic theme, running on 85 percent ethanol, E85 …

Ethanol, RFA

Ethanol Coalition Suing EPA Over Refinery Waivers

Cindy Zimmerman

A coalition of farm and ethanol organizations has filed a lawsuit over the Environmental Protection Agency’s “secretive small refinery exemptions.” The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and National Farmers Union (NFU), with support of Farmers Union Enterprises, filed the suit late Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th …

ACE, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA

White House RFS Meeting Yields Good and Bad News

Cindy Zimmerman

News that the Tuesday meeting at the White House resulted in a commitment to allow year-round sales of 15% ethanol blends was tempered by a reported plan to reallocate Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) from exempted renewable fuel volumes using exported ethanol gallons. As Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley tweeted after the meeting, the devil will be in the details of the …

Audio, Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, Exports, NCGA, RFA

Japan to Allow Use of U.S. Ethanol for Oxygenate

Cindy Zimmerman

Ethanol market development organizations cheered the news out of Japan today that the government’s new biofuel policy will allow imports of the oxygenate ETBE made from U.S. corn-based ethanol. A release from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), and Growth Energy says Japan will now allow U.S. ethanol to meet up to 44 percent of a …

Biofuels, Corn, Ethanol, International, RFA, USGC

Outrage Grows Over EPA RFS Waivers

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm and biofuels groups are saying “enough is enough” as outrage grows over the Environmental Protection Agency granting numerous small refinery hardship waivers, combined with the approval of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions bankruptcy agreement absolving the oil refiner of the majority of its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and state corn growers sent a …

Audio, Corn, EPA, Ethanol, RFA

Farm and Ethanol Groups Slam RFS Waiver for Big Refiner

Cindy Zimmerman

A Reuters report about EPA exempting one of the country’s largest oil refiners from complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) touched off a backlash from farm groups and ethanol organizations Tuesday. The National Farmers Union (NFU) was first to respond to the report that Texas-based Andeavor received small refiner economic hardship waivers for three of its 10 refineries that …

ACE, Corn, Ethanol, NCGA, RFA

China Strikes Back

Cindy Zimmerman

From almonds to frozen edible swine offal, the majority of the 128 products on which China imposed retaliatory tariffs Monday are agricultural, making farmers bear the brunt of the reaction to U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs. “This is a tax on American farmers, brought about by protectionist trade policies,” said Farmers for Free Trade (FFT) Co-Chair Max Baucus. “American farmers …

AgWired Animal, Ethanol, Exports, International, NPPC, Pork, RFA, Soybean, Trade