$100 Oil and Congress Asks for Seconds
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
More than 70,000 are employed directly by the ethanol industry
According to an economic analysis from Cardno ENTRIX economist John Urbanchuk, 70,600 Americans are employed directly in the production of ethanol and in industries providing goods and services to ethanol producers. As a result of the economic activity generated by ethanol production, more than 400,000 Americans have been able to keep their jobs or find new ones.
Posted in Ethanol, Jobs, Production
2011 State of the Industry Address
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
Ethanol Fact Vacuum
Frequently discredited ethanol antagonist Tim Searchinger found a sympathetic ear at the Washington Post which published yet another diatribe against biofuels that is largely devoid of relevant facts. That isn’t surprising given that Mr. Searchinger’s theory of international land use change and the penalty he sought to impose on biofuels has been regularly revised and proven false. His most current attack is simply more of the same, even if somewhat toned down.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Exports, Production
RFA President Addresses Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen today is addressing the gathering of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association in Des Moines, Iowa. Dinneen is joining Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Senator Rick Santorum, and others to speak on importance of ethanol and biofuels to state and the nation.
Posted in Ethanol, EPA, Production, Tariff , VEETC
Senators McCain and Barrasso Just Don’t Get Ethanol Trade Policy
According to reports, during a meeting with officials in Brazil, former presidential candidate, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and his colleague Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)made bold claims about the legality of U.S. ethanol policy under World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations. Such claims are simply unjustified.
Posted in Brazil, Ethanol, Production, VEETC
Congress gave biofuels breathing room for constructive debate on future policies
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?
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
If a Tree Doesn’t Fall in the Forest, Will ENGOs and Regulators Notice?
Environmental lawyer Timothy Searchinger’s ILUC hypothesis, already reeling, took another crippling blow today when Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest rate since the government began collecting data in 1988. Data from the Brazilian government clearly show that Amazon deforestation rates in Brazil have been plunging for the last seven years, and the 2010 rate is less than one-quarter of the rate experienced in 2004 when deforestation reached more than 10,700 square miles. All of this has occurred while U.S. biofuels production has increased dramatically (nearly 300% since 2004), proving once again that there is no correlation between U.S. ethanol output and deforestation. Will the ENGOs and regulators notice?
Posted in Brazil, Ethanol, Environment, Land Use, Production
Al Gore’s Flip-flop on Ethanol, He Had it Right the First Time
Speaking at a green energy business conference in Athens, former vice president Al Gore declared “it is not good policy to have subsidies for (U.S.) first-generation ethanol.” Explaining his earlier support for grain ethanol, Gore said he had “paid particular attention to the farmers in my home state of Tennessee, and I had a particular fondness for farmers in the state of Iowa because I was about to run for President.”
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Production
RFA President Speaks at Cellulosic Biofuels Summit
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
Veteran’s Day - Honoring Those Who Have Served
Today is a day for the country to reflect on the past, the present and the future. A day when we show our support for those men and women who have defended our country and our way of life, along with those that still do today. Freedom is not easy, nor will it ever be, but there are simple choices that we, as a nation, can make to eliminate some of these fights. Choices to use more domestic products and in particular, domestic fuels.
Posted in Ethanol, Fuel, Jobs, Production
You can have your opinion, but not your own facts
Lots of editorial boards have come out in support of and against ethanol. They are welcome to their opinions. What they are not welcome to is their own facts. In attacking ethanol as the Houston Chronicle did in its editorial “Food versus fuel: Rising grain costs show folly of continuing federal ethanol subsidies,” the editorial board propagated misinformation and, at some points, simply made up facts to support their predetermined opinion.
Posted in Ethanol, Environment, Exports, Fuel, Production, Research
September Ethanol Exports Shoot Past August
U.S. ethanol producers exported 38.8 million gallons of ethanol (denatured and undenatured, non-beverage) in September, up 31% from August, according to government data released today. This is the third highest monthly export total of the year, trailing only March and April. Year-to-date ethanol exports now stand at 251.1 million gallons, meaning the industry is on pace to export some 330 million gallons in 2010.
Posted in Ethanol, Exports, Production
Member Highlight: Secretary Vilsack Visits RFA Member First United Ethanol, LLC
Following Secretary Vilsack’s speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on October 21, he took a road trip down to the Southeastern region of the country to visit and tour RFA Member First United Ethanol, LLC or FUEL, located in Mitchell County, Georgia. On his October 25th meeting, Vilsack alongside U.S. Representative Sanford Bishop met with FUEL’s Board of Directors and employees to emphasize the need to stop our dependence on foreign oil.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Exports, Production, USDA
Member Highlight: Abengoa Bioenergy, Two New Production Facilities Open for Business
America’s ethanol industry continues to grow as evidenced by two new ethanol facilities officially opening for business this week. RFA Producer Member Abengoa Bioenergy, a global leader in ethanol production, opened new facilities in in Madison, Illinois and Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Each of these plants will contribute 90 million gallons of ethanol to the marketplace annually.
Posted in Ethanol, Exports, Production
Letter to the Editor: Wall Street Journal
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
As Before, “Food vs Fuel” Arguments Strike Out
Last Friday’s USDA Crop Production and WASDE reports, which slashed estimates for the 2010 corn crop and average yield, sent the anti-biofuels crowd scurrying to find their trusty “Food vs. Fuel” playbooks. The alarmist rhetoric over the past several days seems virtually cut and pasted from the raft of doomsday press releases and manufactured “studies” that cluttered the media channels in 2008 when record oil prices and rampant speculation pushed grain prices to unprecedented levels and food prices to the highest levels in recent memory. For opponents of ethanol and beneficiaries of cheap corn, pointing the finger at biofuels has become the reflexive knee-jerk response any time grain prices start to rise.
Posted in Agriculture, Ethanol, Production, USDA
Membership Spotlight: East Kansas Agri-Energy Turns Five!!
This October, RFA Member East Kansas Agri-Energy, LLC (EKAE) will be celebrating their 5th year anniversary of ethanol production and helping fuel America. A short five years ago, EKAE accepted their first load of corn, produced and shipped their first gallon of ethanol and delivered their first shipment of distillers grains. Throughout these past five years, EKAE has exceeded expectations, now producing ethanol past nameplate capacity and receiving numerous safety awards and energy efficiency recognition.
Posted in Ethanol, Energy, Environment, Exports, Fuel, Production, Water
Weekly Ethanol Report Ending 7/9/10
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) put out their weekly ethanol production statistics, this week showing that there was a drop in ethanol production. According to EIA data, ethanol production for the week ending 7/9/2010 was 821,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 34.5 million gallons daily. That is down 4% from 855,000 b/d from the previous week.
Posted in Ethanol, Production
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