A group of six leaders from farm and commodity organizations, including American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, signed a letter to President Donald Trump regarding their support for the Renewable Fuels Standard. The letter is below for your reading. February 26, 2018 The President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: While millions of …
Trump to Meet with Cabinet, Senators of Biofuels
President Trump has scheduled a meeting with Cabinet officials and key Senators to talk over potential changes to the nation’s biofuels policy. The Renewable Fuels Standard is coming under increasing attack after a bankrupt Pennsylvania refinery blamed its troubles on the regulation. The meeting comes as two of the more powerful lobbying groups, the oil and corn/ethanol industries, continue to …
NCGA Responds to Cruz Speech on RFS
The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), in response to Senator Cruz’s remarks during the Philadelphia refinery (PES) town hall. “While most refiners are reporting double digit profit increases, Philadelphia Energy Solutions has filed for bankruptcy protection because its investors put their interests ahead of their workers’ interests. …
Growth Energy: More Biofuels Vital to Improving U.S. Energy Outlook
Federal forecasts in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) newly released Annual Energy Outlook 2018 (AEO2018) demonstrate a clear and growing need for U.S. biofuels says Chris Bliley, vice president of regulatory affairs at Growth Energy. The EIA “reference” case, which contains projections through 2050 based on current trends and regulations, predicts an 18 percent increase in miles traveled by …
Program Helps Create Distributed Wind Projects
The Department of Agriculture’s renewable energy development assistance program helps bring wind energy to the farm. The program seeks to increase energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy, such as distributed wind, while decreasing the demand for energy through efficiency. Over time, these investments can also help lower energy costs for small businesses and agricultural producers. …
NBB Celebrates 25 years of Biodiesel
Biodiesel supporters kicked off a yearlong celebration this week at the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, celebrating the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) 25th anniversary. A NBB representative told attendees during the event, after noting that the U.S. went from zero to three billion gallons of biodiesel production in 25 years, that “we are at the tipping …
RFA Develops ‘Ethanol in the Classroom’ Program for Students
Consumers are never too young to learn about the benefits of ethanol. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has developed an “Ethanol in the Classroom” course, providing a fun and interactive way for students to learn about the renewable fuel. The e-Learning program is broken down into three levels: Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. After selecting the appropriate level, …
Cornyn Drawing Up RFS Overhaul Legislation
Texas Republican John Cornyn is drawing up legislation to overhaul the Renewable Fuels Standard. It’s his attempt to end the disagreement between corn-state lawmakers and oil-patch legislators. Cornyn’s office has been hosting talks for several months on altering the nation’s biofuels program and come up with a variety of policy ideas, although they haven’t narrowed down any of the choices …
USDA/NIFA Announces Support for Biomass Genomics Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research, announce joint support for research in plant feedstock genomics for bioenergy. NIFA’s support is funded through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), which aims to address challenges in food and agricultural …
EU Moves to Ban Palm Oil from Biofuels
The European Union (EU) gave approval to a climate plan that includes banning palm oil from use in fuels, angering palm oil producers. Indonesia and Malaysia, the two largest palm oil producing nations in the world, call the move a protectionist trade barrier. The ban is part of a power market overhaul aimed at reducing energy consumption to meet climate …