In the News
Apr 5, 2023
Biofuel and farm leaders today called on President Biden to get ahead of rising fuel costs by authorizing sales of E15 this summer. In a letter to the White House, six stakeholder groups noted that current conditions are analogous to those in place last summer, when President Biden waived outdated Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) restrictions on E15. The move saved drivers up to nearly a dollar per gallon at the pump in some areas, and an average of 23 cents per gallon according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, now extending into its second year, continues to reverberate across global energy markets,” said the letter, whose signatories include the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, National Corn Growers Association, National Sorghum Producers, American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union. “At home, this conflict continues to cause fuel supply disruptions, high gasoline prices, and ongoing uncertainty for millions of Americans. To help remedy these disruptions, provide stability for American families, and support domestic energy and economic security, we urge the administration to authorize the summer sale of gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15).”
Advocates also outlined a range of “extreme and unusual” factors impacting the stability of U.S. fuel markets, including historically low domestic fuel inventories, record exports of U.S. fuel to allies overseas, and continued inflationary pressures on fuel consumers. Protecting summer access to E15 would help relieve pressure on U.S. fuel supplies, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering evaporative emissions, and supporting America’s farmers and rural economies, they argued.
“While a permanent solution that would allow E15 sales year-round remains an important necessity, we urge you to take action on a temporary, emergency RVP waiver as soon as possible to remedy current and expected supply challenges resulting from ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” concluded the letter.
Read the original story here.
Mar 29, 2023
U.S. fuel ethanol production expanded by nearly 1 percent the week ending March 24, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on March 29. Weekly ending stocks of fuel ethanol were down nearly 3 percent.
Fuel ethanol production averaged 1.003 million barrels per day the week ending March 24, up 6,000 barrels per day when compared to the 997,000 barrels per day of production reported for the previous week. When compared to the same week of last year, production for the week ending March 24 was down 33,000 barrels per day.
Weekly ending stocks of fuel ethanol fell to 25.527 million barrels the week ending March 24, down 661,000 barrels when compared to the 26.188 million barrels of stocks reported for the previous week. When compared to the same week of last year, stocks for the week ending March 24 were down 1.002 million barrels.
Read the original story here.
Mar 28, 2023
As the Biden administration and Congress consider taking action to allow continued sales of lower-cost E15 this summer, a new poll shows overwhelming support among voters for ensuring the popular fuel blend remains available year-round and nationwide.
With retail gas prices remaining elevated, 70 percent of poll respondents support increasing the availability of E15 to help lower fuel prices and support energy independence. Just 13 percent of those surveyed did not support expanded availability of E15. Meanwhile, 62 percent support recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow the lower-carbon E15 blend to be sold year-round nationwide. Only 15 percent of respondents do not support the legislation, while 23 percent had no opinion. Morning Consult polled 1,978 registered voters March 20-23, across all demographics, for the Renewable Fuels Association. Click here for the topline data.
“We are pleased to see these new poll results, but not surprised,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “They match what we observe every day; drivers continue to embrace an American-made fuel that is more affordable and lower in carbon emissions. Simply put, consumers want greater access to E15. Last summer, E15 sold for 20 to 30 cents per gallon less than regular gasoline, on average, saving American families three to five dollars every time they filled up. Those savings will disappear on June 1 unless our leaders in Washington take action. They need to act quickly to ensure that lower-cost E15 is available at the pump throughout the summer driving season.”
Additional results:
- Ethanol favorability and support for the Renewable Fuel Standard have reached record highs; 69 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of ethanol, while 66 percent support the RFS. These are the highest numbers since RFA kicked off baseline polling in June 2016.
- The Next Generation Fuels Act, which would establish a high-octane, low-carbon fuel standard, is supported by 64 percent of respondents, an increase of four percentage points from December.
- 69 percent of respondents believe it is important for the U.S. government to promote the production and sale of flex-fuel vehicles in the United States.
- Voters strongly oppose government mandates related to their vehicle purchase options. Banning the sale of new liquid-fueled vehicles with internal combustion engines is opposed by 61 percent of respondents, while mandating that buyers purchase electric vehicles is opposed by 63 percent.
An October 2022 analysis found that allowing E15 sales in the summer of 2022 saved American drivers nearly $60 million. For more information on E15, check out RFA’s updated fact sheet.
Read the original story here.
Mar 21, 2023
The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked a bipartisan group of governors who called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take swift action to ensure consumers in their states will have uninterrupted access to lower-cost E15 throughout the summer 2023 driving season. Signing onto today’s effort are Govs. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), Jim Pillen (R-NE), Tim Walz (D-MN) and Kristi Noem (R-SD).
“We applaud the efforts of these governors to secure year-round access to E15 for consumers in their states,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “We agree with the governors that EPA still has time to implement their petition in time for this summer. But if EPA fails to do that, the governors have made a strong case that EPA could and should use its authority to issue emergency waivers, just as it did last year. The governors’ letter underscores the point that year-round access to E15 saved consumers more than 20 cents per gallon last summer, or about $3 to $5 per fill-up. Those savings are in jeopardy this summer unless EPA acts quickly.”
The governors’ letter notes that if EPA fails to implement their petition before this summer, emergency waivers are justified by current conditions. “The market conditions that justified emergency action last summer still exist today; indeed, fuel supplies are even tighter than they were a year ago and there is greater risk of disruption heading into summer,” the governors wrote. “U.S. inventories of crude oil and petroleum products recently hit a 19-year low, and nationwide gasoline stocks are 3 percent lower than a year ago. Gasoline futures prices are up roughly 15 percent in just the last two weeks; and with a larger-than-usual amount of refining capacity offline for maintenance, supplies and prices could experience greater pressure as summer approaches. These are the same sort of circumstances that led EPA to issue emergency waivers last year.”
Earlier today at an EPA virtual hearing on the governors’ proposal, Cooper stressed that action needs to take place as soon as possible to ensure drivers can take advantage of E15 savings this summer. Even though EPA’s proposal is more than seven months late, there remains no economic, environmental, or legal justification for the agency to delay implementation by another year, Cooper said.
Read the original press release here.
Mar 14, 2023
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), both members of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to make E15 available year-round. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2023 would enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers.
“I have long pushed to make E15 available year-round because investing in affordable, readily-available biofuels produced in the U.S. is good for drivers and farmers alike,”said Klobuchar.“By ensuring consumers can access E15 gasoline throughout the year, our bipartisan legislation will benefit our economy, decrease prices at the pump, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It’s critical that we diversify our fuel supply and invest in affordable energy solutions. I look forward to working with Senator Fischer to pass this bipartisan bill.”
“Our bipartisan legislation is the only permanent, nationwide solution to unleashing the power of year-round E15. It’s why we’ve been able to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders from the oil/gas, biofuel, ag, and transportation sectors to support our legislation. Negating the need for a patchwork of regulations will ensure all Americans can enjoy lower costs at the pump. With this unique coalition of support, I’m more optimistic than ever that we can make year-round E15 a reality,”said Fischer.
The Consumer and Retailer Choice Act of 2023 would allow for the year-round, nationwide sale of E15 by permanently extending Reid vapor pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent. The bill would also prohibit the removal of the 1-psi waiver for E10 ethanol, ensuring uniformity across fuel markets and preventing a patchwork of regulations from disrupting the national fuel supply chain.
In addition to Klobuchar and Fischer, the legislation is sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and John Hoeven (R-ND).
Companion legislation in the House of Representatives is led by Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Adrian Smith (R-NE).
The Consumer and Retailer Choice Act of 2023 has been endorsed by the American Petroleum Institute, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol, SIGMA, National Association of Truck Stop Operators, National Association of Convenience Stores.
In a letter to Congressional leadership, the coalition of agricultural, energy and transportation organizations urged the bill’s swift passage:“We urge Congress to act quickly to adopt legislation that will bring certainty and consistency to the fuel market, while also finally resolving long-standing differences among many stakeholders about fuel volatility regulations.”
Klobuchar has long been a strong advocate for investing in renewable fuel infrastructure, increasing American biofuel production, and upholding the Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Last July, she introduced bipartisan legislation to lower fuel prices and improve vehicle efficiency. TheNext Generation Fuels Actwould allow the sale of fuels with higher-octane levels and greater amounts of ethanol.
Last April, Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of colleagues in pushing the Biden administration to expand American biofuel availability.
In March 2022, she and Ernst introduced theHome Front Energy Independence Act, bipartisan legislation to expand the availability and production of American biofuel, following President Biden’s ban on importing Russian oil.
In February 2022, she and Grassley led a bipartisan letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prioritize the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by maintaining the blending requirements for 2022; denying all pending Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs); eliminating proposed retroactive cuts to the renewable volume obligations (RVOs); and setting 2021 RFS volumes at the statutory levels.
Klobuchar and Grassley also introduced bipartisan legislation in December 2021 to provide certainty to biofuel producers by preventing the EPA from retroactively reducing RVO levels once finalized.
Additionally, in July 2021, Klobuchar and Fischer introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation, cosponsored by Smith, to permit the year-round sale of E15.
In June 2021, Klobuchar introduced a package of bipartisan bills to expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels, incentivize the use of higher blends of biofuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Co-led by Ernst, the Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Actwould expand the availability of low-carbon renewable fuels in the marketplace, resulting in cleaner air, lower fuel process, and rural economic vitality.
Read the original press release here.
Ethanol Producer Magazine
By Geoff Cooper
Mar 10, 2023
For more than a decade, the Renewable Fuels Association has worked with national polling groups to regularly survey American voters about their attitudes toward ethanol, the Renewable Fuel Standard, and other marketplace and policy issues important to our industry. Our most recent round of polling, in which Morning Consult surveyed 1,999 registered voters, showed that support for low-cost, low-carbon renewable fuels like ethanol continues to grow.
According to the survey, nearly 65 percent of the voters support the Renewable Fuel Standard, while only 15 percent expressed some level of opposition to the program. Meanwhile, 64 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion of ethanol, compared to just 18 percent unfavorable. When it comes to higher blends of ethanol, 68 percent support increasing the availability of E15 to help lower fuel prices and bolster energy independence, and 66 percent said it is important for the federal government to promote the production and sale of flex-fuel vehicles in the United States.
This round of polling also looked at some of the current policy debates and questions facing the industry, and the results are not surprising. The survey showed 60 percent of respondents support the Next Generation Fuels Act, which would drive the use of more efficient, lower-carbon liquid fuels like E25 or E30, compared to just 18 percent who oppose such legislation. And when it comes to electric vehicles, 77 percent of voters say it is important for automakers to disclose (to potential buyers) the emissions impacts of the electricity used to power electric vehicles, and 66 percent oppose policies that would ban the sale of new cars with traditional liquid-fueled engines.
RFA also conducted a round of focus groups in late January, held virtually with consumers in Ohio, Florida and California. These sessions provided a more qualitative assessment and a deeper look into how some people view these matters. While there was some ambivalence or misunderstanding about ethanol at first, a short discussion of ethanol’s benefits quickly led to more support; and we learned, again, that consumers are on our side. Over and over in both the Morning Consult polling and our focus groups, consumers say they want fuel options that are lower in cost, American-made, and better for air quality and carbon emissions. And there is still a lot of concern—even among voters in California—about moving too rapidly toward an all-EV future.
When you’re in the trenches fighting for ethanol every day, it’s easy to get distracted by the negative attacks and myths that continue to be hurled at our industry. But the conclusions we can draw from this public opinion work are clear. Americans strongly support expanded use of lower-cost, lower-carbon renewable fuels like ethanol, want greater access to higher ethanol blends, and strongly oppose policies that remove options at the gas pump or the auto dealership. It’s evident that voters understand and support the environmental advantages, energy security benefits, and affordability that renewable fuels like ethanol offer.
Read the original story here.
Mar 8, 2023
January U.S. ethanol exports jumped 59% to an 8-month high of 117.8 million gallons (mg). Canada was our largest importer for the 22nd consecutive month with 47.5 mg of U.S. ethanol crossing the border (primarily denatured), representing 40% of total U.S. exports despite a 3% decline from December volumes. Shipments increased across the bulk of remaining markets, including the United Kingdom (17.9 mg, up from minimal volumes to the largest exports in over a decade), South Korea (14.5 mg, +271% to an 8-month high), European Union (11.7 mg, up from minimal volumes), India (8.5 mg, up from zero to an 8-month high), Colombia (5.0 mg, +398% to a 15-month high), and Mexico (4.8 mg, +20%).
January was the first time in four months that the U.S. did not log foreign ethanol imports.
U.S. exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS), the animal feed co-product generated by dry-mill ethanol plants, scaled back 13% to 770,344 metric tons (mt). Mexico remained our top customer for the 7th consecutive month despite dipping 9% to a 9-month low of 153,659 mt (equivalent to 20% of January exports). Shipments to South Korea declined 10% to 111,609 mt while the European Union boosted imports by 74% to a 4-month high of 70,774 mt (with the majority bound for Ireland). Other larger markets included Indonesia (53,591 mt, -5%), Vietnam (51,475 mt, -17% to the lowest volume since Sept. 2017), Canada (51,221 mt, -11% to a 20-month low), Japan (39,227 mt, -16%), and Colombia (36,841 mt, -43%). Notably, imports to China hit a 12-month high (32,550 mt, +16%).
In February, RFA released annual analyses of U.S. ethanol and co-products exports in 2022. Find these trade summaries and other RFA publications here.
Read the original story here.
Mar 2, 2023
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed E15 rule.
“Giving certain states, including Minnesota, the flexibility to use E15 in the summer starting in 2024 is a good first step, but we need action now. In order to boost our economy and decrease prices at the pump, we should be giving consumers access to E15 nationwide this summer to prevent a disruption in sales. This is why I joined Senators from both sides of the aisle to call on the Administration to remove barriers to E15 starting in summer 2023, and I’ll keep pushing to pass bipartisan legislation that I introduced to make E15 available year-round for all Americans.”
Klobuchar has long been a strong advocate for investing in renewable fuel infrastructure, increasing American biodiesel production, and upholding the Clean Air Act’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
She leads bipartisan legislation with Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) to make E15 available year-round. TheConsumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Actwould enable the year-round, nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent, helping to lower fuel prices and provide certainty in fuel markets for farmers and consumers.
Read the original press release here.
More...
Feb 27, 2023
Adding low-cost ethanol to the nation’s gasoline supply improves energy security and saves the average American household more than $750 per year, according to a new study conducted by energy economists from the University of California-Berkeley and leading universities in Brazil and the Czech Republic.
The analysis concluded that “adding ethanol to gasoline decreases the price paid by U.S. drivers at the pump. We estimate the average discount per gallon to be $0.77 between 2019 to 2022 and averaged across our models. …this would add up to total savings of $95.1 billion per year for U.S. consumers.”
Spread across 124 million U.S. households, this equates to an average annual savings of $767 per household. Adding ethanol to gasoline reduces demand for petroleum, which in turn puts downward pressure on prices for crude oil and refined products. In addition, ethanol is typically priced below other octane boosters and gasoline blendstocks at wholesale terminals where fuels are blended. The combination of ethanol’s lower cost and its ability to pressure oil prices by extending fuel supplies results in large savings for consumers. The authors of the new study attribute much of this benefit to the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“The accessibility of renewable fuels limits the bargaining power of the largest oil producers and brings about a higher degree of fuel security to the U.S.,” the study’s authors concluded. “We estimate that blending roughly 330 million barrels of ethanol into U.S. gasoline lowers global crude oil prices as well as retail gasoline prices. The main conclusion is that the RFS program has lowered the prices of gasoline at the pump at a statistically significant level.”
Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper said the study’s results come at a critical time for U.S. policymakers. “American consumers would be paying much higher prices at the pump if not for the inclusion of more than 14 billion gallons of low-cost, low-carbon ethanol in our nation’s gasoline supply each year,” Cooper said. “This new study confirms that adding ethanol to gasoline is a proven solution for significantly reducing gas prices and providing economic relief to American families. As war in Eastern Europe continues to wreak havoc on global energy markets, and as abnormally high inflation rates continue to bedevil the U.S. economy, the Biden administration and Congress should take note of this study’s findings. And they should act immediately to allow increased use of higher ethanol blends, like E15 and E85, year-round and nationwide.”
The new study, which was commissioned by the Renewable Fuels Association, is available here.
Read the original story here.
Mar 2, 2023
A new analysis from a renowned carbon accounting firm finds that the greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved under the Renewable Fuel Standard far exceed the GHG savings originally projected by EPA. In the 15 years since the RFS was expanded, the use of biofuels under the program has resulted in cumulative savings of more than 1.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent GHG emissions, with corn ethanol providing the largest share of GHG reductions.
“The RFS2 has resulted in significant GHG reductions, with cumulative CO2 savings of 1,212 million metric tonnes over the period of implementation to date,” according to the study, which was conducted by Life Cycle Associates. “The GHG reductions are due to the greater than expected savings from ethanol and other biofuels, including continuous technology investments reducing the carbon intensity (CI) for corn ethanol.”
In more recent years, increased use of renewable natural gas and renewable diesel has also led to significant GHG reductions. Notably, the study found, “these emissions savings occur even though cellulosic biofuels have not met the RFS2 production targets.”
“This report demonstrates that the RFS has been remarkably successful in driving down carbon emissions from the transportation sector,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “In fact, the RFS is the only federal program on the books today that requires the use of lower-carbon fuels in our vehicles. And we’re just getting started. Our producer members have unanimously committed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner, and this report shows we are well on our way toward that goal thanks to new technology and efficiency improvements both on the farm and at the biorefinery.”
The new report is an update to previously published studies in 2021 and 2019. It was conducted for the Renewable Fuels Association by Stefan Unnasch, Debasish Parida and Brian Healy of Life Cycle Associates.
Read more here
Feb 28, 2023
The ethanol industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy increased in 2022 as production volumes continued to recover from COVID pandemic levels and producers received higher prices for ethanol and co-products like distiller grains and corn oil, according to an analysis conducted for the Renewable Fuels Association by ABF Economics.
In 2022, more than 78,800 U.S. jobs were directly associated with the ethanol industry, with an additional 342,800 indirect and induced jobs supported across all sectors of the economy. The industry created $34.8 billion in household income and contributed just over $57 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product—the second-highest GDP contribution ever. The jobs, GDP, and household income values exhibited significant increases from 2021 levels.
“The U.S. ethanol industry continues to make a vital contribution to the nation’s economic well-being,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Last year, as our country battled historic inflation and economic uncertainty, the industry supported more than 400,000 good-paying jobs and spurred reinvestment in rural communities across the country. And as gas prices hit record highs in 2022, ethanol producers increased their output of lower-cost, lower-carbon renewable fuel to help deliver economic relief to consumers around the world.”
The 2022 report also shows that the industry spent nearly $47 billion on raw materials, other inputs, and goods and services to produce ethanol last year, with corn purchases alone accounting for more than $38 billion. The report also provides a breakdown of economic impacts and jobs supported by the ethanol industry in major ethanol-producing states in 2022.
“The ethanol industry continued to make a significant contribution to the economy in terms of GDP, job creation, generation of tax revenue, and displacement of crude oil and petroleum products in 2022,” the report concluded. “The importance of the ethanol industry to agriculture and rural economies is particularly notable. Growth and expansion of the ethanol industry as it applies new technologies and addresses new markets will enhance the industry’s position as the original creator of green jobs and will enable America to make further strides toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and positively dealing with climate change.”
Read the full report here.
Feb 23, 2023
U.S. fuel ethanol production was up nearly 2 percent the week ending Feb. 17, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Feb. 23. Weekly ending stocks of fuel ethanol expanded by 1 percent.
Fuel ethanol production averaged 1.029 million barrels per day the week ending Feb. 17, up 15,000 barrels per day when compared to the 1.014 million barrels per day of production reported for the previous week. When compared to the same week of last year, production for the week ending Feb. 17 was up 5,000 barrels per day.
Weekly ending stock of fuel ethanol reached 25.588 million barrels the week ending Feb. 17, up 249,000 barrels when compared to the 25.339 million barrels of stocks reported for the previous week. When compared to the same week of last year, stocks for the week ending Feb. 17 were up 81,000 barrels.
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Feb 21, 2023
The USDA’s Economic Research Service on Feb. 7 published a report discussing its analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration data and predicting possible domestic and global demand for ethanol through 2030.
EIA’s various outlook scenarios through 2030 predict that U.S. gasoline consumption could decrease by as much as 3.3 percent or increase by as much as 5.3 percent over the next decade when compared to 2021 levels. For E85, the EIA predicts U.S. consumption will grow between 1.4 percent and 10.4 percent between 2021 and 2030, depending on U.S. economic growth over the decade. “The projected increase in ethanol consumption across all scenarios—despite falling gasoline consumption in some scenarios—is due in part to EIA’s assumption that the Renewable Fuel Standard will increase total U.S. consumption of renewable fuels,” said the ERS researchers in the report.
Globally, the USDA report specifically looks a historical blends (HB) scenario and a targeted blends (TB) scenario. Under the HB scenario, fuel ethanol consumption is expected to increase by 5.7 percent between 2018 and 2030, driven primarily by increased demand in India, Brazil and China. Between 2021 and 2030, ethanol consumption is expected to increase by 7.4 percent, due primarily to increased demand in Canada, China and Brazil. Under the TB scenario, international fuel ethanol consumption could increase by 180 percent between 2018 and 2030, due primarily to increased demand in Canada, China and Brazil. Between 2021 and 2030, ethanol consumption could increase by 173 percent, also primarily due to increased demand in Canada, China and Brazil.
A full copy of the USDA report is available on the ERS website.
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Feb 20, 2023
The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Feb. 9 issued a determination that states the U.S. EPA’s June 2022 denial of 69 small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard is not a rule, and therefore is not subject to the requirements of the Congressional Review Act.
Sens. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.V.; and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., in June 2022 sent a letter to U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro asking him to review whether the EPA’s June 3, 2022, denial of 69 SREs constitutes a rule for the purposes of the CRA. The CRA, signed into law in 1996, requires the GAO to report on major rules that federal agencies make. Federal agencies promulgating rules must submit a copy to both houses of Congress and the GAO before the rules can take effect. The CRA also empowers Congress to overturn rules issued by federal agencies via passage of a joint resolution.
The GAO on Feb. 9 announced it had completed the requested review and issued its decision, concluding that the June 2022 denial qualifies as an order—not a rule—under the CRA because its purpose was to provide the final disposition of particular SRE petitions.
A fully copy of the GAO decision is available on the agency’s website.
Read the original story here.
Feb 7, 2023
December U.S. ethanol exports slipped 9% to a 17-month low of 74.2 million gallons (mg), or 41% less than the volume shipped a year ago. Essentially all U.S. ethanol exports landed in just eight countries, with Canada securing an unprecedented 66% of total exports. December marks Canada’s 21st month as our largest customer with 48.8 mg (up 2% from Nov.) moving across the border, the bulk of which was denatured ethanol. U.S. ethanol exports quadrupled to the Philippines (to 8.8 mg, an 11-month high) and doubled to Jamaica (to 4.1 mg, nearly a 3-year high). Mexico (4.0 mg) imported 23% fewer gallons while South Korea (3.9 mg) cut imports in half. Vietnam, which imported U.S. ethanol for essentially the first time since July 2020, purchased a record 2.4 mg. Some significant markets for U.S. ethanol were noticeably absent in December, including the European Union, Brazil, and India. Total U.S. exports for the year were 1.35 billion gallons, the fourth highest on record.
The U.S. imported 2.2 mg of undenatured ethanol from Brazil. Total U.S. imports for the year were 79.3 mg, or 36% more than 2021.
U.S. exports of dried distillers grains (DDGS), the animal feed co-product generated by dry-mill ethanol plants, leapt 22% to a three-month high of 887,433 metric tons (mt). While the mix of larger customers varied from recent norms, Mexico remained our top customer for the sixth consecutive month despite an 18% decline to 169,032 mt (equivalent to 19% of December exports). Shipments to South Korea bounced back 35% to 124,216 mt and Colombia imported a record 64,373 mt. Other larger markets included Vietnam (61,964 mt, -9% to a 10-month low), United Kingdom (58,149 mt, up from zero to the largest monthly volume in over 4 years), Canada (57,287 mt, -5%), Indonesia (56,248 mt, +7%), Turkey (48,891 mt, +246%), Japan (46,850 mt, +23%), and the European Union (40,740 mt, +48%)—primarily to Ireland. Notably, imports to China hit an 11-month high (27,985 mt) while Taiwan imported the largest volume in 11 years (27,595 mt). Total U.S. DDGS exports for the year of 11.0 million mt were 4% more than 2021.
Read the original story here.
Feb 1, 2023
U.S. fuel ethanol production was up nearly 2 percent the week ending Jan. 27, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Feb. 1. Weekly ending stocks were down nearly 3 percent.
Fuel ethanol production averaged 1.028 million barrels per day the week ending Jan. 27, up 16,000 barrels per day when compared to the 1.012 million barrels of production reported for the previous week. When compared to the same week of last year, production for the week ending Jan. 27 was down 13,000 barrels per day.
Stocks of fuel ethanol fell to 24.442 million barrels the week ending Jan. 27, down 635,000 barrels when compared to the 25.077 million barrels of stocks reported for the previous week. When compared to the same week of last year, stocks for the week ending Jan. 27 were down 1.412 million barrels.
Read the original story here.