Ethanol Week - April 14, 2020

EPA releases proposal to streamline existing fuels regulations The U.S. EPA released a proposed rule on April 13 that aims to streamline and modernize the agency’s existing fuels regulations. The proposed rule makes some slight modifications to the RFS, but idoes not make substantive changes to the program. READ MORE SHARE
Valero idles 8 ethanol plants, reduces production at 6 facilities Valero announced on April 13 it has temporarily idled eight of its ethanol plants and is reducing production at its remaining six ethanol plants due to COVID-19. Valero's renewable diesel operations have been less impacted by the pandemic. READ MORE SHARE
	Court rejects challenge to SRE ruling The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals on April 7 rejected two petitions filed by Wynnewood Refining and HollyFrontier on March 24 requesting a rehearing en banc of the court’s Jan. 24 ruling that struck down three SREs approved by the U.S. EPA. READ MORE SHARE
Weekly ethanol production falls by 20%, stocks set another record U.S. fuel ethanol production fell 20 percent the week ending April 3 to an average of 672,000 barrels per day, the lowest level since the U.S. Energy Information Administration began reporting weekly ethanol production data in mid-2010. READ MORE SHARE
Poet idles 3 plants, delays startup of Shelbyville facility Poet announced April 7 it will idle production at its bioprocessing facilities in Chancellor, South Dakota; Ashton, Iowa; and Coon Rapids, Iowa, and delay the start-up of its new plant in Shelbyville, Indiana, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. READ MORE SHARE
USDA WASDE lowers production for corn use in ethanol The USDA lowered its 2019-’20 forecast for corn use in ethanol by 375 million bushels to 5.05 billion bushels in its latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, released on April 9. READ MORE SHARE
USGC solicits applications for Ethanol A-Team The U.S. Grains Council is soliciting applications for seven advisory teams (A-Teams), including the Ethanol A-Team. The application period is open through April 30. A-Team appointments for 2020-2022 will be announced in July. READ MORE SHARE
House Biofuels Caucus urges Perdue to help biofuel producers The House Biofuels Caucus sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on April 10 urging him to use funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide direct relief to the biofuels industry. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: US ethanol production will fall sharply in Q2, Q3 The EIA on April 7 drastically lowered its outlook for 2020 ethanol production, predicting production will fall to 630,000 gallons per day during the second quarter and average 820,000 gallons per day for the full year. READ MORE SHARE
Ethanol plants continue to help produce hand sanitizer More ethanol plants, including Big River Resoruces, Valero, Green Plains and KAPPA Ethanol, are helping combat the COVID-19 pandemic by aiding in the production of hand sanitizer and other disinfecting products. READ MORE SHARE