Senate Ethanol Debate: Peeling Away the Onion
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
Ethanol Export Boom Continues; USDA Trims Corn Acre Estimate
Today was a busy day for ethanol and grain market data junkies. First, USDA released its June supply-demand estimates, which showed a downward revision to 2011 planted and harvested corn acres. Second, government data on April exports of ethanol and distillers grains was released, showing another record month of ethanol exports and huge shipments to Brazil.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Exports, Land Use, Production, USDA
When Engineering Fails…Blame Ethanol?
The fine folks at STIHL Incorporated have recently recalled 2.3 million gasoline-powered yard tools like edgers and trimmers. The reason? Ethanol, says STIHL. But an examination of the facts, and STIHL own warranties approving the use of 10% ethanol blends, demonstrates that the issue not with the fuel, but with the engineering of the equipment itself.
Ethanol and the Politics of OPEC
As if more evidence was needed that America must end its coerced affair with OPEC, Javier Blas at the Financial Times reports that $100+ oil is likely the new norm. Why? Because OPEC members like Venezuela and Iran need to balance their books after years of “rampant military spending.”
A Fresh Look at Ethanol’s Impact on Oil Markets: Weakening WTI, Waning Imports, and WikiLeaks
Whether it’s the surprising price spread between WTI and Brent crude prices, declining oil imports, lower gasoline prices at the pump, or the frayed nerves of a Saudi oil minister, U.S. ethanol is clearly having a meaningful impact on U.S. and global oil supplies, demand, and prices.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Exports, Oil, Production
Ethanol To Save Memorial Day Travelers $440 Million on Gasoline Purchases
For millions of Americans, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer. Despite gas prices that are nearly 40% higher than a year ago, families across the nation will celebrate the upcoming holiday weekend by taking a road trip. As families hit the road this weekend, the increasing availability of ethanol will ensure they spend considerably less on gasoline than would otherwise be the case.
FAO and GBEP: Biofuels an Opportunity - Not a Threat - for Developing Nations
Since its very inception, the global biofuels industry has unfairly been portrayed by some ardent detractors as a sector that creates an unavoidable “food vs. fuel” choice. Luddites and Malthusians have suggested that crop-based biofuels simply can’t provide significant volumes of energy for transportation without starving the world’s poor. Unfortunately, these extreme views of biofuels have sometimes been fortified by alarmist rhetoric and doomsday sound bites from leaders of major international organizations, quasi-governmental groups, and NGOs. Against this backdrop, it was quite refreshing to see two reports in the last week that highlight the extraordinary potential of biofuels to serve as agents of rural development and enhancers of food security in developing nations.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Energy, Food, Fuel, Land Use, Research
U.S. Biofuels Industry Leaders Urge Congress to Reject Repeal of RFS
In a letter sent to Congress yesterday, leading advocates of the U.S. biofuels industry urged the members to reject attempts to reduce, waive or eliminate the requirements of the RFS. This policy is essential to securing the capital investments needed to bring new biofuels technologies to commercialization.
Posted in Congress, Ethanol, Production, Renewable Fuel Standard
Talking Turkey on Ethanol, Distillers Grains
Distillers grains have become an important component of the livestock feed market. Still, some in the poultry industry would rather malign this nutrient-rich feed product in the hopes of returning to a day when they could buy corn from farmers below the cost of production. As the RFA pointed out, distillers grains are not going anywhere and their benefit in the livestock feed market cannot be dismissed.
Posted in Agriculture, Corn prices, Ethanol, Food, USDA
Food for Thought on a Friday
All Americans know it - the price of everything is up today. Many Americans recognize that the price of oil and the price of gasoline dictate the price of everything we buy. But some are seeking to mislead Americans by blaming domestic ethanol production.
Posted in Agriculture, Corn prices, Ethanol, Food, Speculators, USDA
March Ethanol Exports Set Another Record; USDA Predicts Record Corn Crop
Yesterday, USDA’s first estimate of 2011 corn supply and demand; and March ethanol export data was released. The USDA released it's first estimate of the 2011 corn crop, as well as 2011/12 demand. USDA is predicting 92.2 million acres of corn to be planted, 85.1 million harvested acres, and an average yield of 158.7 bushels per acre. This would produce a total crop of 13.5 billion bushels, an all-time record.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, USDA
Transforming Ethanol Tax Policy: Domestic Energy Promotion Act basics
Senator Grassley and a group of 7 bipartisan cosponsors introduced the Domestic Energy Security Act of 2011. For all provisions, this bill would extend them through 2016 – in essence this is a 5 year bill. The following is a humble attempt to walk through them quickly.
Ethanol is helping form the backbone of a new rural economy
America's commitment to ethanol and renewable fuels has been a unparalleled success for rural America. It has created jobs, spurred economic activity, and even given some rural residents a reason and the opportunity to move back home. Yet, critics of ethanol would lead you to believe that ethanol is the scourage of rural America. A new paper from an anti-ethanol group, Food and Water Watch, goes so far as to compare domestic ethanol production to the illegal methamphetamine plague impacting rural areas. Like much of the rhetoric from those opposing ethanol, this paper is not based on the facts and takes poetic license to irresponsible levels.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Environment, Food, Fuel, Jobs, Oil, Production, Renewable Fuels
Can I use ethanol-blended fuel in my weed-whacker and lawnmower?
Today, nearly all of our nation’s gasoline supply contains up to 10% ethanol. With this, questions often arise about whether or not the ethanol-blended fuel is okay to use in engines like lawnmowers, weed-whackers, snowmobiles and marine equipment. To avoid confusion, the RFA has put together The Use of Ethanol-Blended Fuels in Non-Road Engines, which thoroughly goes though important issues surrounding ethanol blended fuels and non-road engines.
Thoughts on New CARD Analysis of Ethanol’s Impact on Corn Prices
The spin machines at the public relations firms employed by the nation's factory farms, junk food processors, and animal slaughter facilities are in full tilt. Predictably as the corn price rises as it did a few summers ago, these groups are feverishly trying to pin higher price on U.S. ethanol producers. A new anlysis concludes that such efforts are not supported by the facts.
Posted in Corn prices, Ethanol, VEETC
February 2011 Ethanol and DDGS Exports
U.S. ethanol exports have increased 4% since January, according to government data that was released today. Distillers grains exports were down 13% compared to January, but slightly above February 2010 totals.
RFA Analysis of USDA WASDE Report
This morning, the USDA release their April WASDE report, which will likely ease some of the tension in the world corn market, as the report showed that the corn supply and carry-out are generally expected to be larger than most market participants were expecting. The following is the RFA's analysis of the report.
Posted in Agriculture, Corn prices, Ethanol, Production, USDA
Wall Street Journal, Senator Tom Coburn Expose Blind Spot in Anti-Ethanol Arguments
When it comes to criticizing “wasteful” tax policy, neither Senator Tom Coburn nor the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal have much credibility. While focusing with near myopic precision on American farmers and ethanol producers, both Sen. Coburn and the Journal are exposing their enormous blind spots when it comes to oil subsidies and corporate tax policy that allows the world’s largest companies to pay no taxes at all.
Understanding the 2011 Planting Outlook, Ethanol and Food Pricing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its annual Prospective Plantings report this morning, showing U.S. farmers intend to plant 92.2 million acres of corn, 76.6 million acres of soybeans and 58 million acres of wheat this year. The following is an analysis of the USDA Prospective Plantings report from Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Research and Analysis Geoff Cooper.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Land Use, Production
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