In Washington, mayors from across the U.S. farm belt condemned oil industry efforts to seize markets from farmers and biofuel producers under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, 70 mayors called on the agency to “reject unjustifiable RFS waiver requests and protect rural communities.” “Some of us […]
In Washington, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a relentless advocate for Iowa’s biofuels community, is leading a bipartisan effort with Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in urging the Trump Administration to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and reject requests for the RFS to be waived. In a bipartisan […]
In Washington, D.C., two biofuels groups, Iowa Biodiesel Board and Renewable Fuels Assocation, both released notes of thanks to 24 Senators that signed the bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard and reject the requests for a waiver from five oil state governors. Grant Kimberley, executive director of the […]
In Belgium, Reuters reports that the European ethanol industry is concerned about a sudden bout of cheap imports from the US and Brazil. The two countries have been hit hard by low oil prices and falling demand due to the global pandemic so are scrambling to find export markets for their surplus supplies. Europe’s ethanol […]
In India, the Hindu Businessline newspaper reports oil marketing companies are awaiting guidelines from the government about how to go about introducing ethanol produced from surplus grains. The national biofuels policy foresaw the use of surplus grains as feedstock to help reduce its reliance on sugarcane but the decision to implement that part of the […]
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture intends to make available up to $100 million in competitive grants for activities designed to expand the availability and sale of renewable fuels. The Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) consists of up to $100 million in funding for competitive grants […]
In Brazil, Reuters reports that the country’s agriculture minister is “frustrated” with the slow pace of supports for the sugar and ethanol industry suffering from COVID-19. A range of support measures were meant to be published last week but they were stuck within the economy ministry and further delayed by the May 1 holiday. The […]
In North Dakota, Grand Forks Herald reports that the North Dakota Industrial Commission approved the Ethanol Recovery Program, a loan guarantee and interest buydown program for the state’s ethanol industry. “Under terms of the program, the commission said the state’s ethanol producers may access up to $15 million or 50 cents per bushel of corn […]
In Texas, ICIS reports that Valero supports the request by four Republican and one Democratic governor from Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming for the Environmental Protection Agency to issue blending waivers. The EPA has the power to issue waivers in emergencies, which the states believe the COVID-19 pandemic counts as one, but farm states […]
In Washington, Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01) announced the introduction of the Clean Fuels Deployment Act of 2020. The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Roger Marshall (R-KS), would provide funding for installing and converting fuel pump infrastructure to deliver higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel. The bill authorizes $500 million […]
