Bob Dinneen, President and CEO
Blog Posts by Bob Dinneen, President and CEO
Ethanol Protects Against Repeat of Devastating Effects of 1973 Oil Embargo
October 15, 2013
October 16th marks the 40th anniversary of the 1973 oil embargo. Economic times are hard enough as is today; hopefully it won’t take another energy crisis to wake Congress up to the importance of a domestically-produced, renewable fuel alternative.
Posted in Gas Prices, OPEC, Oil, Renewable Fuels, Renewable Fuel Standard
Burning Down the Rumor Mill on 2014 RFS Requirements: RVOs must reflect statutory authority
October 10, 2013
EPA’s proposed rule establishing 2014 RVOs under the RFS is expected to be published soon. Many believe the 2014 RVO will, for the first time ever, require obligated parties to move beyond the status quo and blend volumes of renewable fuel above the so-called “E10 blend wall.”
Posted in Ethanol, EPA, Renewable Fuel Standard
Ethanol Debate About Fairness to Consumers, Not Subsidies
October 10, 2013
Apparently, the Wall Street Journal’s zealous defense of the oil industry knows no bounds. Bob Dinneen states why the paper has bet on the wrong horse in this letter to the editor.
Posted in Ethanol, Gas Prices, Oil
The Chicago Tribune’s About-Face is Giving Bob Dinneen a Sore Neck
October 10, 2013
With the Tribune's flip flop on its position over the RFS, RFA chief Bob Dinneen has taken the initiative to point out how the policy has been good for farmers and consumers.
Posted in Corn, Gas Prices, Renewable Fuel Standard
Dinneen: RFS an Economic Boon for America
October 04, 2013
The RFS saves consumers money, decreases foreign oil dependence, and creates jobs, states Bob Dinneen in a letter to the editor of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Posted in Gas Prices, Jobs, Renewable Fuel Standard
The RFS Gives Consumers What They Want: Choice
October 04, 2013
In a letter to the editor, Bob Dinneen states that the RFS gives consumers choice at the pump. It’s time, he says, for people to stop attacking the most effective energy policy our nation has ever seen.
Posted in E15, Gas Prices, Jobs, Renewable Fuel Standard
Bob Dinneen Fact-Checks the Fort Dodge Messenger
September 20, 2013
RFA head Bob Dinneen submitted the following letter to the editor of the Fort Dodge Messenger News.
Posted in E15, Renewable Identification Numbers, Renewable Fuel Standard
Look No Further Than the Numbers For Proof that the RFS Works
September 20, 2013
Need proof that the RFS is the single most effective energy policy this country has ever seen? Bob Dinneen submits the following reasons to the editor of the Marietta Daily Journal.
Posted in E15, Jobs, Renewable Identification Numbers, Renewable Fuel Standard
Bob Dinneen Defends the RFS in a Letter to the Editor
September 05, 2013
Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, responds to the Denver Post editorial “Ease off throttle on fuel mandate.”
Posted in Jobs, Renewable Fuel Standard
RFA’s Dinneen Writes a Letter in Response to Article by Sen. Inhofe
August 29, 2013
Bob Dinneen, RFA President and CEO, clears up the facts in response to an article written by Senator Inhofe.
Posted in DDGS, Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
Bob Dinneen Straightens Out the Facts in a Letter to the Editor of the WSJ
August 23, 2013
As in previous cases, the Wall Street Journal is long on opinion and short on fact in its most recent editorial. RFA chief Bob Dinneen looks at a few items that the Journal either ignores or denies.
Posted in Corn prices, Ethanol, Oil, Renewable Identification Numbers, Renewable Fuel Standard
Bob Dinneen to WSJ: Stop Spreading Big Oil’s Misinformation. RINs are Free!
July 24, 2013
RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen submitted the following letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal in response to a recent column that suggests RINs are behind spiking gas prices.
Posted in Ethanol, Gas Prices, Production, Renewable Fuel Standard
Letter to the Editor — Dinneen: E15 is Well-Tested
June 05, 2013
RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen submitted a letter to the editor of the Galesburg Register-Mail in response to a guest opinion piece that ran in the May 18 edition of the newspaper.
John Stossel’s a Coward But Why Is the Mainstream Media Afraid of the Facts?
May 29, 2013
Bob Dinneen recently appeared on John Stossel's program convinced that he would be able to get his points out without editorial bias. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Most of the mainstream media, he says, genuinely don’t understand ethanol. Until that changes, the challenge of breaking through the bias will remain.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Food, Media
Letter to the Editor - Dinneen to Big Oil: Focus on the Facts
May 23, 2013
RFA’s President and CEO Bob Dinneen submitted the following letter to the Orlando Sentinel in response to their recent article featuring Charles Drevna, President of the American Fuels & Petrochemical Manufacturers.
Posted in Environment, Gas Prices, Jobs, Oil, Renewable Fuel Standard
Phillips 66 May Find the Renewable Fuel Standard Unstoppable Despite Herculean Effort to Stop It
May 09, 2013
Phillips 66 CEO Greg Garland said the RFS was “unworkable”. Bob Dinneen says that’s just silly talk. The RFS is a proven success having stimulated investment, created jobs, and significantly lowered our dependence on foreign oil.
Posted in E15, Ethanol, Oil, Renewable Fuel Standard
IER’s Response to Politico Op-Ed Smells Like a Skunk
April 23, 2013
In a new post on the Institute for Energy Research blog, Robert Murphy suggests that I mislead Politico readers in a recent op-ed about the RFS, RIN credits, and gas prices. IER claiming that I misrepresented the facts on the RFS is a bit like a skunk saying a rose smells bad.
Posted in Ethanol, Environment, Gas Prices, Renewable Fuel Standard
Bob Dinneen Gives the WSJ a Failing Grade
April 19, 2013
Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, responds to a recent Wall Street Journal editorial.
Posted in Ethanol, Gas Prices, Renewable Fuel Standard
Dinneen to Forbes: Forbes Should Be Advocating For, Not Arguing Against, Increased Competition
April 18, 2013
Bob Dinneen, RFA President and CEO, responds to a Forbes editorial attacking the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Posted in E15, Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
Letter to the Editor — Response to Palm Beach Post Ethanol Editorial
April 16, 2013
Bob Dinneen, RFA President and CEO, responds to a recent Palm Beach Post ethanol editorial.
Response to FT: E10 Blend Wall is Fiction
March 21, 2013
Bob Dinneen, RFA President and CEO, responds to a recent Financial Times editorial regarding the RFS.
Posted in E15, Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
Washington Times Defends Irresponsible Big Oil Scare Tactic
March 18, 2013
Conservatives believe in competition, but the Washington Times sides with a would-be monopoly — Big Oil.
Posted in Ethanol, Oil, Renewable Fuels
Since When Does the Wall Street Journal Cheer Monopolies?
March 12, 2013
Once again, despite the facts, the Wall Street Journal, sides with Big Oil and its monopoly against ethanol, Big Oil’s direct competitor. This time the issue is about the purchase of special credits called RIN’s and Big Oil’s latest scapegoat for higher gasoline prices.
Big Oil’s Self-Inflicted Blend Wall and its Impact on RIN Pricing
March 07, 2013
Oil companies have suggested the recent increase in RIN prices is due to the arrival of the E10 “Blend Wall” and the supposed inability of obligated parties to meet RFS obligations. The truth is, the E10 “Blend Wall” was erected by the oil companies themselves. Here are the facts.
Posted in E15, Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
As Prices at the Pump Go Up, Up, Up American Ethanol is the Motorist’s Friend
February 21, 2013
If you've been paying more at the pump for gasoline, you aren't alone. And, if it weren't for U.S. ethanol, you'd be paying even more.
Posted in Gas Prices
Bob Dinneen Responds to WSJ Factually Tortured Ethanol Editorial
January 29, 2013
Bob Dinneen responds to the latest episode of the Journal’s reign of terror about ethanol. The editorial distorts the D.C. Circuit Court’s decision, the progress and potential for cellulosic ethanol, the federal incentives for advanced biofuels, and the past century of subsidies for Big Oil.
Posted in EPA, Renewable Fuel Standard
“Tar and Feathers” Coalition Fumbles Again with Super Bowl Shenanigans
January 25, 2013
Anxious that Americans won’t eat as many chicken wings at Super Bowl parties next weekend as they chowed down on last year, the National Chicken Council is serving up a heaping helping of half truths about the supposed impact of U.S. ethanol on poultry prices and supplies.
Posted in Corn prices, Food, Renewable Fuel Standard
Professor Flunks Ethanol 101
January 18, 2013
In an op-ed in The Flint Journal on January 16, Mark J. Perry, an economics professor at University of Michigan-Flint, earned a failing grade in Ethanol 101.
Letter to the Editor — RFA Responds to “Ethanol Scam Driving Up Food Prices”
January 14, 2013
Bob Dinneen, RFA President and CEO, responds to the Tulsa World column "Ethanol Scam Driving Up Food Prices" in a letter to the editor.
Response to National Council of Chain Restaurants RFS Guest Editorial
November 28, 2012
Rob Green, Executive Director of the National Council of Chain Restaurants, writes that following the enactment of the RFS the “cost of food commodities immediately began to rise.” If there were any truth to the claim, it would be mostly because of surging energy prices.
Posted in Renewable Fuel Standard
Letter to the Editors - Response to the Wall Street Journal
November 02, 2012
The editorial "The Ethanol Election Delay" singles out the Obama administration and the EPA for not rushing to judgment on suspending the RFS, despite the fact that both the President and Governor Romney have pledged their support to renewable fuels.
Posted in Renewable Fuel Standard
Three Statewide Reports Prove: Ethanol’s an Economic Powerhouse
October 19, 2012
At a time when the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is under attack, researchers in three states have weighed in with new reports that knock the starch out of ethanol’s critics.
Posted in Renewable Fuel Standard
Beyond the Biofuel-bashing Editorials: Ethanol Really Reduces Prices at the Pump
August 28, 2012
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published Letter to the Editor of mine, which was in response to "Ethanol vs the World." On the same day, the Journal published yet another sarcastic screed, “How Ethanol Causes Joblessness” that ridiculed what it claims was the methodology behind a study by academic economists that showed the increased use of domestic ethanol fuel lowered gas prices by a national average of $1.09 in 2011. Responding to this attack, I submitted another editorial, which was rejected by the Editorial Features Staff. Please read said editorial in this post.
Posted in Ethanol, Gas Prices, Fuel, Oil, Renewable Fuels, Renewable Fuel Standard, Research
Letter to the Editor - Response to New York Times
August 01, 2012
A July 30th op-ed, "Corn for Food, Not Fuel" in the New York Times deserves an Olympic gold medal for misinformation claiming ethanol is more expensive than gasoline and that waiving the RFS will significantly lower corn prices. Ethanol is continuing to help consumers and the pump.
Posted in Corn prices, Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
Letter to the Editor - Response to Chicago Tribune Editorial
July 31, 2012
In a Letter to the Editor of the Chicago Tribune in response to "Food and the Drought", I point out that yes, this years drought is undoubtedly painful, but we will not know the impact on corn supply until harvest. In the meantime, we must avoid speculation and allow the marketplace work.
Posted in Corn prices, Ethanol, Environment
Response to Sensenbrenner “Ethanol Leaves Consumers Stranded” Op-ed
May 25, 2012
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner’s recent editorial, “Ethanol Leaves Consumers Stranded” exposes itself for what it is…political petroleum pandering. Contrary to Rep. Sensenbrenner's attacks on E15, the E15 testing done by the DOE is the most extensive fuel testing done to date on ethanol blends.
Missing the Larger Point…Response to US Inches Toward Goal of Energy Independence
March 29, 2012
In a recent Letter to the Editor of the New York Times, I highlight the benefits the use of ethanol fuel and how increased use and production has dramatically reduced our foreign oil imports and dependence.
Posted in Ethanol, Renewable Fuel Standard
Dear President Obama
August 15, 2011
Your scheduled tour of rural communities through the Upper Midwest this week will no doubt provide you with firsthand knowledge of the challenges and opportunities present in rural communities all across the nation. Your scheduled travel will also bring you in close proximity to many of the most successful drivers of economic opportunity today: ethanol biorefineries.
RFA to President Obama: Take pride in U.S. ethanol industry
July 08, 2011
In a letter sent to President Obama today, the Renewable Fuels Association urged the President to take pride in the U.S. ethanol industry, as they detailed the dynamic state of the industry. The letter was prompted by remarks the President made during his Twitter town hall event earlier this week, in which the President seemed to question the commitment of ethanol producers and advocates to innovation.
Posted in Ethanol, Food, Jobs, Production, USDA
Senate Ethanol Debate: Peeling Away the Onion
June 17, 2011
For ethanol interests, the United States Senate was a cauldron of confusion this week. As is often the case in Washington, things are not as they appear. This week's ethanol debate had little to do with ethanol and even less to do with true energy policy. It was old fashioned political theater.
Posted in Agriculture, E15, Ethanol, Energy, Jobs, OPEC, Oil, Tariff , USDA, VEETC
EPA Details Legal Avenues for E15 Sales Today
March 29, 2011
In a letter to industry stakeholders, EPA has reconfirmed it is illegal to sell E15 to gasoline-only vehicles and engines until all regulatory issues have been resolved. However, EPA also reaffirmed the legality of offering properly labeled E15 and any other ethanol blend from E11 to E85 for use Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).
Charges and Changing - Helping Feed and Fuel the World
March 25, 2011
This week, the chairman of Nestlé, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, attacked ethanol as an “immoral” policy. It is a charge backed by lots of emotion, but very little fact. Here I present the facts about ethanol, without emotion or misplaced sanctimony.
Posted in Ethanol, Food, Production
A Flock of Speculation: How paper bushels, not ethanol, are driving corn prices
March 16, 2011
Research into the commodity price spikes in 2008 have all shown that speculation was a major driver in the creation of that bubble and in its popping. Now, not three years later, are we seeing history repeat itself? Recent behavior in the corn market says yes.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Research
$100 Oil and Congress Asks for Seconds
February 24, 2011
As turmoil and violence rattle the Middle East and Northern Africa, the fragile American and worldwide economic recovery is being put into jeopardy as oil prices continue their climb over $100. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is voting on provisions that would limit use of the only widely available alternative to imported oil…Ethanol.
Posted in Congress, E15, Ethanol, Energy, Fuel, Oil, Production, Renewable Fuel Standard, USDA, VEETC
2011 State of the Industry Address
February 21, 2011
This morning at the 16th Annunal National Ethanol Conference, I will be giving the State of the Industry Address, dicussing the successes the ethanol industry has had and challenges that are in front of us.
Posted in Congress, E15, Ethanol, Energy, Environment, Exports, Fuel, Land Use, National Ethanol Conference, Production
Egypt, Ethanol and Armchair Punditry Part II- From the Suez to the Strait of Hormuz
February 09, 2011
While some of the most violent clashes in Egypt have calmed, the situation remains very volatile. A peaceful resolution and the institution of a truly democratic government are everyone’s hopes for the people of Egypt. But the unrest and the possibility that it could spread to other countries in the Middle East underscores the need for America to get serious about a domestic energy policy.
Egypt, Ethanol and Armchair Punditry – Part 1
February 03, 2011
As millions of Egyptians engage in a life and death struggle for the future of their country, pundits in the Western media are taking the opportunity to blame all of their favorite scapegoats for the insecurity. American ethanol production is not escaping their wrath. As has always been the case, the “facts” used by these pundits just don’t match the world reality.
Congress gave biofuels breathing room for constructive debate on future policies
January 05, 2011
In a recent post on The Hill's Congress Blog, I talk about the one year extension of the incentives for producing and using ethanol. With this extension, we need not worry about our short-term survival, and the American biofuels industry can take the long view and craft a comprehensive proposal that reflects fiscal realities as well as our nation’s energy needs. We hope our critics will respond in a similar spirit.
Posted in Congress, Ethanol, Production
NPR: Lop-sided and Outdated. Where’s Big Oil?
December 22, 2010
As NPR is still reeling from the November congressional and public outcry to bar local public radio stations from using taxpayer dollars to purchase NPR programing as a result of perceived bias in “reporting”, it is very surprising that NPR would then turn around and run a lop-sided and at times miserably outdated series on ethanol as produced by Harvest Public Media. After listening and reading the past two days’ “reports”, a number of items need to be addressed.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Environment, Jobs, Oil, Production
Answering Ethanol Attacks That ‘Just Ain’t So’
December 09, 2010
Predictably, as the debate over extending ethanol's tax credit comes to a head, opponents of America's ethanol industry are tripping over themselves to make wild claims and accusations about ethanol. Some even challenge the very character of the RFA and its staff. But as Will Rogers might say, it "just ain't so!"
Posted in
Response to the New York Times
December 09, 2010
When it comes to the future of renewable energy in the United States, The New York Times editorializes (12/9/10 Good Energy Subsidies, and Bad) that it wants to do what “makes sense for the environment, the economy, and for American taxpayers.” It also notes “the nation desperately needs new investment in clean energy and the jobs that go with it.” The New York Times then turns its back on those very goals by attacking ethanol.
Posted in Ethanol
No Examples in Washington Post Criticism
December 09, 2010
While criticizing ethanol, the Post states that there are better alternatives to reduce oil use yet offer no examples. Nor does the Post deem it necessary to highlight the estimated $100-$200 taxpayers fork over to the oil industry each year, and that is before any consideration of military expenditures is included.
Posted in Ethanol
Getting the Facts Straight on Ethanol, Letters to the Editor
November 30, 2010
The following letters are to the Editors of two publications which have published editorials, denouncing the ethanol industry, skipping over important details and facts.
Posted in
RFA President Speaks at Cellulosic Biofuels Summit
November 16, 2010
Today I will be speaking at the Cellulosic Biofuels & Biorefineries Summit this morning in Washington, DC. I plan to talk about key issues within the cellulosic community including the U.S.Department of Agriculture's Loan Guarantee program, investment into cellulosic ethanol and indirect land use and carbon accounting. Read my full remarks by clicking the link above.
Posted in Ethanol, Environment, Fuel, Land Use, Production, Renewable Fuel Standard, USDA
Republicans take back the House….what does it mean for the U.S. Ethanol Industry?
November 03, 2010
As the Republicans made tremendous gains last night, it is anticipated that this town will become more Republican in January. However, with this change, there will be no meaningful impact on the U.S. ethanol industry. Ethanol is not now, nor has it ever been a partisan issue. As the Republicans made tremendous gains last night, it is anticipated that this town will become more Republican in January. However, with this change, there will be no meaningful impact on the U.S. ethanol industry. Ethanol is not now, nor has it ever been a partisan issue.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Jobs, Renewable Fuel Standard, VEETC
Letter to the Editor: Wall Street Journal
October 20, 2010
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal posted “The Ethanol Bailout”, in response to the U.S. EPA grant of the E15 waiver for MY2007 and newer cars and light trucks, claiming ethanol is highly corrosive and will damage to engines and exhaust systems. Yet, test after test has shown that ethanol blends up to E15 are safe and effective for all vehicles. The following is my Letter to the Editor: “Given the nature of the your editorial "The Ethanol Bailout" (Oct. 18), it may come a surprise that I agree with the Journal that the EPA's decision to allow more ethanol use in gasoline is not based on all the science. If it were, the EPA would have allowed the use of up to 15% ethanol in a gallon of gasoline for every vehicle on the road".......
Posted in E15, Ethanol, EPA, Fuel, Production
Making a Silk Purse
October 18, 2010
Based upon Clean Air Act requirements, EPA is to consider all scientific evidence when evaluating new fuels. In the case of the E15 waiver, however, EPA completely ignored credible data submitted by RFA that demonstrated the efficacy of E15 in older vehicles. Ricardo, Inc., an internationally recognized automotive engineering firm used EPA’s own methodology to evaluate the likely effects of using E15 in vehicles model year (MY) 2000 and older. It is previously unheard of for EPA to deny a waiver request for vehicles that are beyond their EPA-determined useful life, as all MY2000 and older vehicles will be on January 1, 2011. Alas, c’est la vie. It is now up to the industry to make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear. We have introduced new fuels in this country before and the pathway to doing so is clear. It is a complicated process and one that will not happen overnight. Fortunately, the RFA has already begun this process.
Posted in E15, Ethanol, EPA, Fuel, Renewable Fuels, Research
EPA is “Missing an Opportunity” with E15 Market Bifurcation
October 13, 2010
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency granted the E15 waiver for model year (MY) 2007 and new vehicles. By doing this, the EPA is missing an opportunity to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and create new economic opportunity. This scientifically unjustified bifurcation of the U.S. car market will do little to move the needle and expand ethanol use today. Limiting E15 use to MY2007 and newer vehicles only creates confusion for retailers and consumers alike. America’s ethanol producers are hitting an artificial blend wall today. The goals of Congress to reduce our addiction to oil captured in the Renewable Fuels Standard cannot be met with this decision.
Posted in E15, Ethanol, EPA, Fuel, Renewable Fuels, U.S Dept. of Energy
3 Questions DOE and Congress Must Answer About the Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee Program
September 21, 2010
Since its creation, the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee Program (as established by the 2005 energy bill) has been defined by inaction and obstruction and is largely seen as a complete failure to date in terms of bringing next generation biofuel technologies to the marketplace. Additionally, the loan guarantee program has been raided time and again to pay for other federal programs with little if anything to do with renewable energy. Despite repeated promises to restore funding, money stolen from the program is still MIA. At the Senate hearing this Thursday, DOE officials and members of Congress have some explaining to do.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Environment, Fuel, Renewable Fuels, U.S Dept. of Energy
New Study Concludes No Need for EPA’s Proposed Bifurcation of E15
September 16, 2010
It’s a mystery. For what reason does the EPA suggest it needs to bifurcate the introduction of E15 for cars 2001 and newer? Since an answer hasn’t been provided to date despite a significant amount of testing having already occurred to assess the safety higher level ethanol blends, RFA and Ricardo, Inc. decided to prove once and for all that E15 is safe for use in older cars.
Posted in
DDGs Feed Livestock and Our Economy- Export Exchange 2010
August 20, 2010
The United States is producing more dried distillers grains than ever. The ethanol co-product, commonly used in livestock feed for its high levels of protein and fiber is unfortunately hitting a domestic “feed wall” here in the U.S. and exports are becoming more important. Along with the U.S. Grains Council, the RFA will be co-sponsoring the Export Exchange 2010 to focus on educating and connecting international buyers of DDGs and coarse grains. Now it is more vital than ever to keep these relationships strong so we do not hit an international “feed wall” as well.
Letter to the Editor: Wall Street Journal
July 26, 2010
Seeking even-handedness from the editors of The Wall Street Journal is like expecting a mama grizzly to forsake her cubs.
Posted in Ethanol
Response to San Francisco Chronicle article “Dead Zone in Gulf Linked to Ethanol Production”
July 07, 2010
On July 6, 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle printed an article, “Dead Zone in Gulf Linked to Ethanol Production” attempting to portray a fictitious notion that ethanol is to blame for Gulf hypoxia. This article seems to be a dead zone of its own where facts die and science is buried. While quoting sources to support the theme of this article, the Chronicle failed to share valuable information from the ethanol industry on this issue.

















