The 2012 Crystal Ball
A new year ushers in a new era for ethanol in the U.S. New markets domestically and internationally are opening up just as new technologies for ethanol production begin commercial construction at new biorefineries around the country. What 2012 will ultimately hold for American ethanol production remains to be seen, but that shouldn’t stop us from positing some guesses.
Posted in E15, Engines, Ethanol, Exports, Land Use, Production
Top 5 Ethanol Stories for 2011
2011 was a momentous year for America’s ethanol industry both domestically and internationally. From new markets to new technologies to a new policy framework, the events of 2011 will shape the future of America’s renewable fuel industry.
The Ethanol Shuffle
There’s a hot new craze called the “Ethanol Shuffle” that’s sweeping seaports from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles and Houston to Maceio. It’s not a new dance for longshoremen and ship captains; no, this is a shuffle of an entirely different sort. This shuffle is all about the confounded realignment of the global ethanol trade.
October Ethanol Exports Just Short of Monthly Record
U.S. exports of denatured and undenatured (non-beverage) ethanol totaled 121.4 million gallons (mg) in October, just shy of the record of 127.4 mg established in June, according to government data released this morning.
Posted in Ethanol
Ethanol Exports Surge in September, While Distillers Grains Exports Slide
Ethanol exports rebounded sharply in September, as shipments to Brazil hit their highest level since April. According to U.S. government data released today, a total of 105.8 million gallons (mg) of denatured and undenatured (non-beverage) ethanol were exported in September. Year-to-date exports stood at 746.5 mg at the end of September, almost double the amount exported in the entire 2010 calendar year.
Ethanol and water, hold the ice
Recent claims from some marine engine manufacturers that E15 ethanol blends will ruin marine engines are meant solely to incite fear and not meaningful discussion. A meaningful discussion would note that E15 is illegal for use in marine engines, that the testing being cited is not comprehensive, and that the ethanol industry has repeatedly extended olive branches to work on the concerns boaters and others have raised.
America Needs More “Fiascos” Like Ethanol
In a recent opinion piece, commodity broker Dave Juday attempts to argue that America’s push to use renewable fuels to weaken our dependence on foreign oil is a “fiasco.” As is often the case with the opinions of anti-ethanol critics, the argument lacks context and a complete recital of the facts. If 400,000 jobs and 445 million fewer barrels of imported oil each year are a fiasco, then America could use a few more just like it.
August Ethanol Exports Dip; DDGS Exports Surge
According to government data released today, U.S. ethanol exports went down sharply in the month of August. Exports of denatured and undenatured (non-beverage) ethanol totaled 52.1 million gallons (mg). Meanwhile, distillers grains (DDGS) exports hit their highest level of the year. DDGS exports for the month totaled 829,489 metric tons (mt).
A Fresh Look at Corn Stocks, Co-products, and Ethanol Production
According to the USDA quarterly grain stocks report released this morning, end stocks of corn for the 2010/2011 marketing year stand at 1.13 billion bushels. That is nearly 200 million bushels higher than many experts were predicting and an indication that the market is working to ensure sufficient supplies of corn remain available for all uses.
Posted in Agriculture, DDGS, Ethanol, Food, Production
Another record month for U.S. ethanol exports
U.S. ethanol exports in July set a new monthly record, according to government data released today. Exports of denatured and undenatured (non-beverage) ethanol totaled 127.4 million gallons in July, edging out the April total of 120.1 million gallons to set a new record. July exports were nearly double the amount exported in June.
Improvements in Ethanol Process Result in Lower GHG Emissions
America is home to the most innovative, productive and efficient ethanol and grain producers in the world. This increasing productivity and efficiency contributes directly to ethanol’s ability to lower greenhouse gas emissions from gasoline on a lifecycle basis. American farmers and ethanol producers are consciously investing in technology that dramatically lowers their carbon footprint while producing more fuel, feed, and food than ever before.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Environment
From farm to biorefinery: Ethanol production efficiency improves
In the second part of RFA’s series on the improving efficiencies of corn ethanol production, the focus will be specifically on input use—both on the farm and at the biorefinery.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Environment, Production, Water
Dear President Obama
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.
More Ethanol, Fewer Inputs, Increasing Benefits: More corn on fewer acres, less water
Over the past 30 years, and in particular in the past decade, ethanol production has quietly become increasingly efficient. From improvements in corn production to greater efficiencies at ethanol biorefineries, America’s leading renewable fuel is providing more with less.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Food, Land Use, Production, Water
Ethanol Limbo in Congress Continues
As the nation teeters on the brink of default, lawmakers from both parties continue to squabble while others seek to further erode the progress America has made in reducing our reliance on imported oil.
Posted in Congress, E15, Ethanol, Energy, EPA, Fuel, Jobs, Oil, Renewable Fuel Standard
RFA to President Obama: Take pride in U.S. ethanol industry
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
Ethanol tax compromise: What is it? Where’s it going?
Earlier this week, Senators Thune, Klobuchar and Feinstein reached a compromise on ethanol tax legislation to end VEETC and use the funds for debt reduction, infrastructure investment, and cellulosic ethanol investment. In this blog post, the RFA explains exactly what this new legislation will consist of and where the ethanol industry will go from here. While this is not the perfect compromise, this bipartisan effort to find common ground is the kind of sensible policy making American voters desperately want from their elected leaders. We greatly appreciate the leadership of Senators Klobuchar and Thune in doggedly pursuing a solution to this impasse.
E15: Moving Forward
With EPA’s final label for E15 ethanol blends now in the books, the real work must begin. Educating retailers about the safe and legal sale of the E15 blends, expanding ethanol fueling infrastructure, and putting the concerns of consumers to rest about the use of E15 in their approved vehicles must be and will be at the heart of what the ethanol industry and the RFA do in the coming months and years.
Ethanol Policy and Meat Prices: Unspinning the Truth
Despite several anti-biofuels groups trying to spin results, a new study released by the Geneva-based International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) strongly supports the argument that biofuels policy has had almost nothing to do with food price increases in recent years. The study found that “…US ethanol subsidies during this period (2005-2009) had little impact on consumer prices and quite modest impacts on crop prices.”
Posted in Agriculture, Corn prices, Ethanol, Food, Research
Blaming biofuels won’t feed the hungry
It is en vogue for many international non-governmental organizations to blame biofuels for food insecurity and price volatility, as though such issues didn’t exist before the advent of biofuel production. Erroneously, many argue that simply stopping biofuel production will halt hunger as we know it. Unfortunately, these groups often contradict themselves and nearly universally fail to address the chief driver of food price increases: the soaring price of oil.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Food
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