Push for RFS Waiver
More than 140 congressional lawmakers have signed onto a letter urging the Environmental Protection Agency to lower the 2012 Renewable Fuels Standard. As a result of the drought, “corn prices have risen dramatically over the past few weeks and are likely to remain at record highs,” the lawmakers said in their letter. “This means literally billions of dollars in increased costs for...
Read MoreE15 Gets Final Approval
EPA on Friday gave its final approval to the sale of E15, fuel made of 15 percent ethanol. The agency’s approval of fuel companies’ misfueling mitigation plans was the last regulatory hurdle before retailers could sell E15 fuel for use in vehicles made in 2001 and later. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack trumpeted the news in a prepared statement. “This gets us one step closer to giving the...
Read MoreGas Expensive Without Ethanol
Ethanol reduced wholesale gasoline prices by 29 cents per gallon between 2000 and 2011, according to an updated study conducted by Iowa State University’s Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. A similar study done a few years ago showed ethanol reduced the wholesale price of gasoline by just under 28 cents per gallon between 2000 and 2010. The original study wasn’t funded, it was...
Read MoreE15 Clears Final Hurdle
After three years, the American ethanol industry has finally satisfied all federal requirements for E15 commercial sales as set by the partial E15 waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Growth Energy. On Monday, 99 ethanol producers had funded a nationwide fuel survey as required by the partial waiver that represents the final hurdle to E15 availability. “Americans...
Read MoreEnding Ethanol Credits Not Part of House-Passed Debt Measure
The bill passed by the House Monday to raise the debt limit and cut federal spending does NOT do away with the 45-cent tax credit for each gallon of ethanol blended into gasoline and the 54-cent tariff on Brazilian imports that are both set to expire Dec. 31. “The current deal to raise the debt limit does not include any revenue raising measures, including the compromise to reform ethanol...
Read MoreCSU: Grasses Could Replace Corn for Ethanol
A study by Colorado State University and the University of Illinois finds that perennial grasses such as switchgrass have the potential to replace corn-based ethanol in the production of biofuels. The research shows that, by replacing corn ethanol, perennial grasses could increase the productivity of food and fuel within the region without causing additional indirect land use change. “Growing...
Read MoreLegislative Tracking 2013
