TOP STORY

Great news! Yesterday, New York's Department of Agriculture and Markets finalized a rule that will allow the sale of E15 fuel within the state. N.Y. is the fourth largest fuel market in the U.S., and full scale adoption of E15 across the state could create up to 300 million gallons per year of new ethanol demand.

“It’s exciting to see New York regulators finalize this vital update, and we thank Governor Cuomo and the Department of Agriculture and Markets for giving Empire State motorists access to cleaner, more affordable choices at the pump,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor after the announcement. “Over the last five years, Growth Energy has worked continuously with state policymakers to bring higher-octane, lower-emissions biofuel blends to the nation’s fourth largest fuel market. New York has been a pioneer in the climate movement, and their adoption of E15 is consistent with their commitment to a low-carbon transportation future.”

This is a huge victory for our industry and, as Skor stated, is the result of five years of hard work from Growth Energy and industry stakeholders in the state, including Growth Energy member and Western New York Energy President and CEO Timothy Winters. “This important update will allow more New York motorists to make their own decisions about purchasing renewable fuel blends, saving money and protecting the air," Winters said. "It also will support economic development and farmers in communities like Orleans County, where Western New York Energy is proud to produce more than 60 million gallons of ethanol annually.”

Growth Energy looks forward to continuing to work with retail partners and supporters to grow E15’s availability at pump across the Empire State.

For more details, contact Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley or Vice President of Market Development Mike O'Brien.

IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Securing year-round sales of E15 fuel this year has already had a substantial impact on the market, driving summer sales up 46 percent on a per-store basis in 2019 compared to 2018. Led by Casey's, the retail industry added 149 stores selling E15 – most commonly sold as Unleaded 88 at the pump – over the summer months, underscoring its popularity with drivers and retailers alike.

"Unleaded 88 provides American drivers unrivaled value at the fuel pump and the explosive growth in summer sales demonstrate what we’ve always known—once consumers have access to this engine-smart, earth-kind fuel they will come back again and again," Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said. "With summertime sales already up 46 percent over last summer, we expect to see interest from retailers and consumers alike continue to grow."

Read more about this exciting news and how Growth Energy leverages our retail partnerships to grow market access for biofuels in Ethanol Producer Magazine.

For more details, contact Vice President of Market Development Mike O'Brien.

IN COMMUNICATIONS

Discussing Trade, E15 Expansion at Annual NAFB Trade Talk

Last week, Growth Energy attended the National Association of Farm Broadcaster’s (NAFB) annual convention, where we hosted the Past President’s Dinner and participated in Trade Talk with agricultural reporters.

At the Past President’s Dinner, we were honored to be joined by former USDA Secretary John Block and legendary farm radio voices such as Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong. This was Growth Energy’s ninth year hosting this dinner and we are grateful to NAFB for their continued support of our industry.

Additionally, Senior Vice President of Global Markets Craig Willis and Vice President of Market Development Mike O’Brien participated in NAFB’s Trade Talk, completing over 30 radio, TV, and print interviews with ag reporters. Willis and O’Brien spoke with reporters from across the country about Growth Energy’s work to grow market opportunities both in the U.S. and abroad, and how we are leading the way in E15 retail expansion.

Only 8 Days Remain to tell EPA to Uphold the President's Promise by Submitting a Comment Today

We need your help to ensure our industry's voice is heard. Just one week remains before the EPA's public comment portal on proposed 2020 renewable volume obligations closes on November 29.

If you haven't already, join us in pressuring EPA to uphold the president's promise to rural America, by submitting a comment today:

Additionally, we have developed a social media toolkit with sample posts and images for you to share on your own social channels, which can be downloaded here.

For questions about our comment portal, contact Senior Manager of Communications Austin Dabney.

For more details, contact Vice President of Communications Elizabeth Funderburk.

AROUND THE GLOBE

Preparing for the Upcoming COP 25 Summit

Last week, Growth Energy joined the U.S. Grains Council and industry allies in meetings with European stakeholders to prepare for the upcoming United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP 25) being held in Madrid, Spain on December 2-13.

From November 11-15, Growth Energy consultant Jim Miller met with international energy research organizations and various divisions of the UN in France, Germany, and Italy to discuss the benefits that ethanol fuel can provide in mitigating climate change. The capstone of the trip came in a meeting in Rome between Miller, U.S. Agricultural Ambassador to the UN Kip Tom, representatives from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN, and representatives of the International Energy Agency.

Growth Energy looks forward to participating in COP 25 to promote the benefits of ethanol fuel, forge key trade relationships, and coordinate with biofuels supporters from around the globe to expand the global ethanol outlook.

For more details, contact Senior Vice President of Global Markets Craig Willis.

IN POLICY

Growth Energy recently joined a group of industry associations in sending a letter to Congressional leadership asking for Congress to extend a number of key tax provisions, including the second generation biofuels production credit.

The letter cites the negative impacts of continued uncertainty on industries across the nation, including those in our industry who have chosen to make investments in cellulosic biofuels from crop wastes and corn kernel fiber:

"The continued uncertainty regarding eventual congressional action on tax extenders is undermining the effectiveness of these incentives and stands as a needless barrier to additional job creation and economic growth. Providing taxpayers with predictable tax rules is conducive to increased domestic investment and economic activity. Accordingly, we respectfully ask that you act on a package that extends these expired and expiring tax provisions at least through 2020 before the end of this calendar year."

Download the letter from our website here.

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

ON THE TRACK

For more details, contact Senior Manager of Communications Austin Dabney.

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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