TOP STORY

EPA Rejects SRE Request

On Friday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied one of the 30 small refinery exemption (SRE) requests pending for the 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance year. There are 65 total pending requests for all years. CEO Emily Skor released the following statement in response: 

“As our industry awaits three years’ of Renewable Volume Obligations from EPA, we hope today’s SRE denial is an indication that they are working toward getting the RFS back on track,” said Skor. “For too long, refiners have misused SREs as a way to avoid their statutory requirements to blend more clean, renewable fuels, and we’re encouraged that today’s SRE denial means that this SRE abuse will be a practice of the past. If our country wants to achieve the climate goals being discussed this week at COP26, we need to blend more cleaner-burning biofuels, not less, and EPA should take this into consideration when issuing the upcoming RVOs.” 

For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley.

IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Passed the U.S. House: $1.2T Infrastructure Legislation; Build Back Better Up Next

Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package which now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature. The legislation is largely focused on providing funding to improve roads and bridges, transit systems, airports, and rural broadband. However, its passage also included an agreement among Democrats to bring to a vote the Build Back Better (BBB) plan as soon as next week. The BBB includes several key biofuel priorities including nearly $1 billion in biofuel infrastructure support, a Clean Fuel Production Credit, and enhancements to the Section 45Q tax credit. We will continue to track the legislation and keep you updated.

Update: COP26

The 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) is a two-week summit in Glasgow where participants, including President Joe Biden, are working to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

Ahead of the start of COP26, the Biden Administration released its Long-Term Strategy of the United States, Pathways to Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050, where it outlines how the U.S. can achieve its ambitious climate goals. Throughout the year, we’ve been working with the Biden Administration and Members of Congress to position biofuels as a way to reduce emissions today and decarbonize the transportation sector. CEO Emily Skor released a statement in response to the Biden administration's long-term strategy to achieve net-zero emissions and participation at the COP26 summit in Glasgow: 

"Growth Energy stands with leaders at the U.N. climate conference working to accelerate our transition away from fossil fuels. Biofuel producers are on the front lines in the battle against climate change and key players in helping decarbonize the ag sector.  

“As President Biden presses for action in Glasgow, we look forward to working with his administration, as well as Congress, to ensure that biofuels continue to deliver the carbon reductions needed to meet our climate commitments at home and abroad—from passenger vehicles to our aircraft fleet." 

Next Week: CEO Emily Skor to Testify Before U.S. House Ag Committee

communities, and drives down fuel costs at the pump for consumers. 

For more information, please contact Vice President of Government Affairs John Fuher.

IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS

Seven Midwest Governors Request EPA Action on E15

Last week, the Governors of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan asking for restored year-round access to E15 and suggested pursuing state options. 

"Fuel marketers and retailers, renewable fuel producers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and
state governments have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to expand
consumer access to low-cost, clean-burning fuels like E15," wrote the governors. "Not only does the recent court decision threaten to strand these public and private investments, but it also jeopardizes the progress we’ve made toward cleaning up our fuel supply and reducing emissions from transportation.

"In the wake of the court decision, we are exploring all of our options to ensure retailers are able to sell E15 to consumers all year long without interruption. It is our understanding that the EPA
Administrator has the authority under Section 211(h) of the Clean Air Act to promulgate
regulations that would put E10 and E15 on equal footing with regard to volatility limitations, thus
re-opening the door to unencumbered, year-round sales of both fuels."

For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley.

IN OUR ASSOCIATION

Report: Biofuel Industry Boosts Union Jobs

A newly released report found that America's biofuel industry is growing union jobs and helping to rebuild the middle class. Specifically, the report states that biofuel production supports more than 30,000 union jobs, primarily in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and utilities, construction, and professional and business services. 

“This important report illustrates how America’s biofuel industry is growing union jobs and helping to rebuild the middle class,” noted sponsors of the study in a joint statement from Growth Energy, the Advanced Biofuels Business Council, the National Biodiesel Board, and the Renewable Fuels Association. “It also underscores the truth behind President Biden’s declaration that ‘doubling down on these liquid fuels of the future will not only make value-added agriculture a key part of the solution to climate change — reducing emissions in planes, ships, and other forms of transportation — but will also create quality jobs across rural America.’ As global climate conversations continue, we urge policymakers to embrace America’s biofuel industry as a vital tool to rebuild the economy around homegrown and clean energy solutions.”

Eco-Energy Launches Solar Division, Expanding its Carbon Solutions Platform

Growth Energy member Eco-Energy, an energy solutions and midstream company with a long history in renewable energy, announced the completion of the first two fuel terminals in the United States to achieve net-zero emissions for on-site operations, in Augusta and Cartersville, Georgia. The emission reductions were realized through the installation of solar arrays by Eco-Energy's newly created Solar Division.

The Solar Division is a critical component of Eco-Energy's Carbon Solutions platform, and is actively working on solar projects to realize emission reductions in its own supply chain and in the operations of the customers it serves. Eco's Carbon Solutions platform is also involved in project development and trading in the voluntary and regulated carbon markets.

"As a leading integrated energy solutions company with more than 25 years of experience in the renewable space, Eco-Energy is uniquely positioned to offer renewable energy and low-carbon solutions to its upstream and downstream customers," said Brian Simpson, Executive Vice President. "We view the current energy transition as an opportunity to deploy innovative solutions that make sense environmentally and financially."

"No other fuel terminal in the United States had yet to achieve net zero status because doing so is a unique engineering challenge. With our new solar division at Eco-Energy, we were able to meet the challenge and are now able to help our customers do the same," said Brandon Travis, Vice President of Solar at Eco-Energy.

For more information, please contact Vice President of Membership Kelly Manning.

IN GLOBAL MARKETS

Ethanol Export Update: September 2021

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released new export numbers for September 2021.

Ethanol export numbers for U.S. remain consistent compared to previous summer months and Canada remains ethanol’s top export destination.

September 2021 | 75.8 mg

1. Canada - 36.2mg

2. S. Korea - 17.9mg

3. Mexico - 4.8mg

Additional export update: The Brazilian Ministry of Economy has cut the duty on 87% of products by 10% until the end of 2022 in order to alleviate inflation. Brazil used a clause of the Mercosur agreement that justifies the measure due to the 'emergency related to the pandemic crisis', in order to alleviate its negative effects. Ethanol is included in the list of products and therefore the tariff drops from 20% to 18%.

For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Market Development Mike Lorenz.

IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT

SIGMA 2021

This past week the Growth Energy Market Development team attended the SIGMA (Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America) Annual Conference in Phoenix, AZ. The team met with more than 15 retail entities that own or supply more than 37,000 retail locations selling more than 20 billion gallons of fuel annually.

IN PERFORMANCE TEAM

Get Biofuel MMA Fighters Join CEO Emily Skor to Support Seeds of Change

A night for change! At this year's Seeds of Change fundraiser event is Sioux Falls, members of the Get Biofuel MMA fight team joined CEO Emily Skor to support a great cause. 

VETERANS DAY 2021

Thank You For Your Service

1 in 6 ethanol industry employees is a veteran. To those who have bravely served this country -- thank you for your service. Today and every day we are grateful for what you have given on behalf of our freedom.

The Weekly Rundown is the weekly newsletter for Growth Energy's members. It is published weekly by the communications staff at Growth Energy. For more information, email team@growthenergy.org or visit our website GrowthEnergy.org. 

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