Ethanol Week - October 10, 2017

EPA opens comment period on proposal to reduce 2018, 2019 RVOs On Oct. 4, the U.S EPA published a proposal that that could reduce 2018 and 2019 blending obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard in the Federal Register, officially opening a 15-day comment period. Comments are due Oct. 19. READ MORE SHARE
Badger State Ethanol partners with LE3 on successful expansion Badger State Ethanol LLC recently collaborated with Lucas E3 LLC to expand ethanol production to over 90 million gallons at its Monroe facility, more than doubling its original nameplate capacity of 40 million gallons. READ MORE SHARE
	Senators urge Pruitt to issue strong 2018 RFS RVOs A bipartisan group of 38 senators have sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, asking him to ensure the 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard blending requirements promote growth in the U.S. biofuels sector and the U.S. economy. READ MORE SHARE
Ethanol groups comment on CAFE-GHG standards The Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and American Coalition for Ethanol have all submitted public comments to U.S. EPA and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration stressing the benefits of high-octane ethanol fuels. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: Corn use for fuel ethanol up in August The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service recently released the October edition of its Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report, which shows corn use for fuel ethanol was up in July. READ MORE SHARE
Senators question Wehrum on his support for the RFS On Oct. 4, the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works held a hearing to consider President Trump’s nominations to fill several government posts, including those at the U.S. EPA. The RFS was among the topics discussed during the hearing. READ MORE SHARE
UNICA: Ethanol production up in early September UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, recently released data for first half of September, reporting that mills in the south-central region produced more ethanol than sugar for the second two-week period. READ MORE SHARE
USGC sets sights on Kenya for potential ethanol market The U.S. Grains Council is working to develop ethanol markets in east Africa, which are accessible through the Persian Gulf. Brian Healy, USGC’s vice president of ethanol market development, traveled to Kenya recently in support of that effort. READ MORE SHARE
Gevo collaborates with national labs on fuel, ETO projects On Oct. 9, Gevo Inc. announced two collaborations with the U.S. Department of Energy’s national labs. One collaboration aims develop missile fuel while the other aims to optimize Gevo's ethanol-to-olefins catalyst performance. READ MORE SHARE
RFA board elects officers for 2018 term The Renewable Fuels Association announced the election of officers for the 2018 board of directors at its annual meeting in Des Moines. The RFA re-elected Mick Henderson, general manager at Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC, as chairman. READ MORE SHARE
Grant to help beef up biofuels using evolutionary approaches Researchers at Michigan State University will use a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to fight disease in switchgrass by identifying regions of the genome that cause disease resistance. READ MORE SHARE
DOE awards Danforth Center $16 million to enhance sorghum The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center recently announced a 5-year $16 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The research aims to accelerate development of elite energy sorghum varieties for production under marginal environments. READ MORE SHARE
Growth Energy: More than 1,000 US fuel stations now offering E15 Growth Energy announced that more than 1,000 fuel stations around the country are offering E15—a fuel with 15 percent ethanol—more than doubling the number of stations from the same time last year. READ MORE SHARE
Ames Laboratory announces new science in converting biomass Scientists at Ames Laboratory are experimenting with chemical reactions that decompose lignin models at low temperatures and pressures. The team is combining the decomposition and stabilization processes into one multi-functional catalyst. READ MORE SHARE
ACE helps retailers ask EPA to level the playing field for FFVs The American Coalition for Ethanol is helping fuel marketers and retailers urge the U.S. EPA to use the midterm evaluation of the 2022-2025 model year vehicle emissions and efficiency standards to level the playing field for flex fuel vehicles. READ MORE SHARE
GRFA: IEA report highlights continued demand growth for biofuels The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance has reacted to the International Energy Agency’s latest medium-term outlook on renewable energy by noting that once again projections are anticipating continued increased growth in demand for conventional biofuels. READ MORE SHARE
Energy Conference focuses on profitable energy independence Competitive landscape, innovative technologies and emerging energy policy were hot topics as a diverse group of nearly 150 thought leaders, industry representatives, researchers and suppliers convened at the Energy Conference in Iowa Sept. 11-13. READ MORE SHARE