Ethanol Week - June 29, 2015

June 29, 2015

RFS supporters testify at EPA hearing, participate in rally On June 25, the U.S. EPA held a hearing to address its proposed rule for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 renewable fuels standard (RFS) in Kansas City, Kansas. More than 250 people were scheduled to testify at the event. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: U.S. ethanol production sets new weekly record U.S. ethanol production set a new record the week of June 19, when production averaged 994,000 barrels per day. The new record comes only two weeks after the previous weekly record of 992,000 barrels per day was tied. READ MORE SHARE
	Ethanol profits remain strong in 2015, after slow start Were the record profits in the ethanol industry during the past couple of years a temporary blip? Or are they reflecting a new normal, driven by a robust ethanol export market? “The answer appears to be some of both,” writes Scott Irwin. READ MORE SHARE
USDA publishes rule for revamped Biorefinery Assistance Program USDA’s Rural Business Cooperative Service and Rural Utilities Service has published an interim final rule for the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program. READ MORE SHARE
Bill aims to extend master limited partnerships to renewables U.S. Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Reps. Ted Poe, R-Texas, and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., have announced the reintroduction of the Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act, which aims to level the playing field for renewables. READ MORE SHARE
Novel distillation to be scaled, tested by modular system builder Distillation Technologies Inc. and Easy Energy Systems Inc. announced an agreement to build and test DTI’s technology at pilot scale. DTI's patented and trademarked Bubble Spray Distillation system reduces the energy needed for distillation. READ MORE SHARE
EPA: More than 9.5 million cellulosic RINs generated in May The U.S. EPA has released renewable identification number (RIN) generation data for May, reporting that nearly 1.5 billion RINs were generated during the month, including more than 9.51 million cellulosic RINs. READ MORE SHARE
AgEC: Ag appropriations bill aims to cut Energy Title funding On June 17, the House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2016 Agricultural Appropriations bill. The proposed legislation funds a variety of agricultural and food programs, including rural development and farm services programs. READ MORE SHARE
Brazil changes tax policy for imported ethanol UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane association, has announced the country has made changes to its tax policy on imported ethanol. A decree signed by Brazil's president June 22 creates tax parity between domestic and imported products, including ethanol. READ MORE SHARE
Call-in information released for EPA’s June 25 RFS hearing The U.S. EPA has posted a notice to its website providing call-in information for the June 25 hearing scheduled to address the agency's proposed rule for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 renewable fuel standard (RFS). READ MORE SHARE
DOE's ARPA-E funds 6 projects to improve sorghum development The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded $30 million to six projects under its Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture program, which aims to accelerate energy crop development for biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Ergon Biofuels: Vicksburg plant returns to full capacity Ergon BioFuels LLC has announced its ethanol plant in Vicksburg is back to full operation following a brief suspension in services to facilitate renovations and upgrades. The plant began operations in 2007 and was purchased by Ergon in late 2013. READ MORE SHARE
Microvi ethanol technology validated at LBNL Microvi Biotechnologies, working with the Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, has demonstrated breakthrough improvements to biological ethanol production. READ MORE SHARE
Spero Energy receives $1 million in funding from DOE Spero Energy Inc., a company that licenses Purdue intellectual property, has received federal funding to develop its one-step, patent-pending technology that could improve the efficiency of alternative fuel production. READ MORE SHARE
UAI: New data shows ethanol-free fuel blends increase engine wear A misconception following ethanol is that it causes compatibility issues in certain engines. But new data shows that the opposite is true, and ethanol-free gasoline blends actually increase much of the wear and tear on hoses, seals, and fuel tanks. READ MORE SHARE
EPA officials observe innovation, ingenuity at EKAE plant Renewable Fuels Association member company East Kansas Agri-Energy recently hosted key officials from the U.S. EPA at its facility in Garnett, Kansas, 70 miles southwest of Kansas City. READ MORE SHARE
Pacific Ethanol achieves 100% ownership of Pacific Ethanol plants Pacific Ethanol Inc. announced it acquired the final 4 percent ownership interest in PE Op Co., the sole owner of the Pacific Ethanol plants, bringing the company's total ownership interest in PE Op Co. to 100 percent. READ MORE SHARE
Researchers look at multiple traits to improve switchgrass Researchers use alternative breeding methods to produce switchgrass with a high amount of biomass per acre and low levels of lignin. Switchgrass with the improved traits is specifically designed to improve biofuel production. READ MORE SHARE