Ethanol Week - July 24, 2018

Representatives of the biofuel industry testify at RFS hearing Members of the biofuels industry testified at a July 18 hearing held by the EPA on its 2019 RFS proposal. Many discussed the misuse of waivers and expressed hope that the EPA’s new leadership will hold up the administration’s commitment to the RFS. READ MORE SHARE
RFA announces leadership succession plan The Renewable Fuels Association has announced Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper will become president and CEO in October 2018, while current president and CEO Bob Dinneen will transition into the role of RFA’s senior strategic advisor. READ MORE SHARE
	Grassley, Iowa delegation ask Wheeler to meet with Iowans on RFS Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and the entire Iowa Congressional delegation have invited U.S. EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to Iowa to meet with those who are counting on the agency to uphold President Trump’s commitment to the RFS. READ MORE SHARE
Heitkamp urges Wheeler to protect the RFS, allow year-round E15 On July 12, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., urged Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard and live up to the administration’s commitment to a strong RFS and the year-round sale of E15. READ MORE SHARE
Ernst questions CEQ nominee on RFS, year-round E15 sales Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, questioned Council on Environmental Quality nominee Bridget Neumayr on her support for the Renewable Fuel Standard and E15 during a U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing July 19. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: Corn use for fuel ethanol production up in May The USDA has released its Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report for July, announcing corn use for fuel alcohol reached 470 million bushels in May, up 6 percent from April and up 4 percent when compared to May 2017. READ MORE SHARE
Annual Canadian biofuels report highlights provincial data Advanced Biofuels Canada announced the release of the Biofuels in Canada 2018 report, which updates and expands upon the last annual report by Navius Research released in 2017 and in 2016 in partnership with Clean Energy Canada. READ MORE SHARE
ABFA asks congress to halt RFS small refinery exemptions On July 17, Michael McAdams, president of the Advanced Biofuels Association, sent a letter to several congressional leaders regarding small refinery exemptions recently granted under the Renewable Fuel Standard. READ MORE SHARE
Attis announces site for biorefinery, selects feedstock provider In mid-July Attis Industries announced plans to purchase a site in Georgia to locate its first commercial-scale biorefinery and said it has executed a letter of intent with a timber company to provide feedstock for the proposed facility. READ MORE SHARE
UNICA: Production, sales of hydrous ethanol up in late June UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, reported production units in the country’s south-central region produced 2.35 billion liters of ethanol during the second half of June, up 30.44 percent when compared to the same period of 2017. READ MORE SHARE
EPA posts call-in number for July 18 hearing on RFS proposal The U.S. EPA has released call-in information for the July 18 hearing on its proposed rule to set 2019 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard, along with the 2020 RVO for biomass-based diesel. READ MORE SHARE
NREL: New finding will help convert lignin to useful products An research team, including scientists from NREL, has discovered and characterized a new family of cytochrome P450 enzymes that is critical to improving the conversion of lignin into valuable products such as nylon, plastics, and chemicals. READ MORE SHARE
USGC: Trade agreement access sparks record exports to Columbia U.S. corn exports to Colombia have set a new record every year since the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) entered into force into 2012, showing the effectiveness of strong trade policy and subsequent market development work. READ MORE SHARE
Farmers press Trump administration on biofuels in new ad A new television ad launched today by Growth Energy, the nation’s top ethanol advocate, casts a spotlight on the repeated calls from rural America for pro-biofuel policies from President Trump and the U.S. EPA. READ MORE SHARE
DOE launches new lab partnering service The U.S. Department of Energy has officially launched the Lab Partnering Service, an online, single access point platform for investors, innovators, and institutions to identify, locate, and obtain information from DOE’s 17 national laboratories. READ MORE SHARE