TOP STORY

This week, Growth Energy hosted its first-ever virtual fly-in with Members of Congress and/or staff from congressional offices in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. We had the opportunity to discuss ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts for biofuels, trade barriers, and other pressing issues for the biofuels industry.

Now more than ever, Congressional members need on-the-ground information from business leaders so they are better prepared to serve their state’s needs, so we are thankful to these members for spending valuable time to speak with their offices.

Hear from Growth Energy's Chairman of the Board Dan Sanders on why this fly-in is so critical by clicking here or on the image below.

We'll be continuing our meetings with legislators and their staff over the next few weeks and will be sure to keep you updated. If you are interested in participating in one of upcoming fly-ins, please contact Zach Martin at zmartin@growthenergy.org.

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

**In observance of the Memorial Day holiday next week, the weekly rundown will be suspended and will resume on Thursday, June 4th.**

IN EVENTS

We are excited to announce that this year’s Biofuels Summit will now be a virtual experience! Originally scheduled for September 14-17 in Washington, D.C., our Biofuels Summit is an important opportunity for you to connect with our lawmakers about the issues most important to our industry, and we are grateful to still be able to arrange these meetings in a new format.

Check out this video from Vice President of Events and Operations, Kitty Loyd, for a quick update:

While there may be plenty of unknowns in the coming months, what remains clear is that the health and safety of our members and attendees is our top priority. So while we won’t be meeting in person this year, we are eager to embrace the latest technology, engage with you and Congress in new and creative ways, and still deliver the high-quality and exceptional experience you have come to know from Growth Energy. 

We look forward to sharing more details throughout the summer and hope to see you online in September!

For more details, contact Vice President of Operations Kitty Loyd.

IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Earlier this week, U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced legislation that would provide assistance to biofuel producers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the legislation would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reimburse biofuel producers for their feedstock purchases in the first quarter of 2020 through the Commodity Credit Corporation

Growth Energy praised this legislation, and CEO Emily Skor thanked the senators for their commitment to the recovery of the biofuels industry and rural America. In her statement, Skor said that the “Urgent, bipartisan calls to protect America’s biofuel sector continue to resonate across Capitol Hill, and we’re grateful to Senators Grassley and Klobuchar for outlining a solution that would deliver immediate relief for biofuel workers, our farm partners, and thousands of rural communities. After the devastation created by COVID-19, it’s vital that Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture ensure that biofuel plants stand ready to restore production and reopen markets for America’s farmers. Unless Washington acts, we’ll be trying to rebuild the rural economy with one arm tied behind our back.” 

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

IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS

On Friday, May 15th, Growth Energy sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB), urging members of a new COVID-19 Review Panel to examine the impact of toxic gasoline additives on respiratory health, as well as the potential benefits offered by bio-based alternatives like ethanol:

“As you explore the human costs of air pollution, including heightened risk from COVID-19 among vulnerable communities, we urge SAB members to examine the wide body of related research pointing to readily available solutions,” wrote Chris Bliley, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Growth Energy. “Federal regulators have long acknowledged that biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 39 percent or more, but ethanol also serves as the single most affordable and abundant alterative to toxic fuel additives, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. These petroleum-based aromatics play a dominant role in the formation of toxic emissions linked to cancer, as well as neurological, cardiovascular, and reproductive damage. They also drive significant increases in particulate emissions, which cause asthma and contribute to heart and lung disease.”

The SAB’s COVID-19 Review Panel was created in April to provide rapid advice on scientific issues to inform EPA’s response to the crisis. Among the topics the panel is charged with considering are environmental factors affecting the transmission and severity of COVID-19, including air pollutants like ozone, particulate matter, and diesel exhaust.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical that the EPA explore the full impact of petroleum-based aromatics on air quality,” added Bliley, who recommended the agency examine data linking particulate matter and negative health impacts, including groundbreaking research by Dr. Steffen Mueller at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Energy Resource Center.

On Thursday, May 14, the Federal Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) finalized updated hours of service rules for commercial drivers. The key revisions are as follows:

• The Agency will increase safety and flexibility for the 30-minute break rule by requiring a break after 8 hours of consecutive driving and allowing the break to be satisfied by a driver using on-duty, not driving status, rather than off-duty status.
• The Agency will modify the sleeper-berth exception to allow drivers to split their required 10 hours off duty into two periods: an 8/2 split, or a 7/3 split—with neither period counting against the driver’s 14‑hour driving window.
• The Agency will modify the adverse driving conditions exception by extending by two hours the maximum window during which driving is permitted.
• The Agency will change the short-haul exception available to certain commercial drivers by lengthening the drivers’ maximum on‑duty period from 12 to 14 hours and extending the distance limit within which the driver may operate from 100 air miles to 150 air miles.

The final rule can be found here. FMCSA has also extended regulatory relief to commercial drivers in response to COVID-19, for a list of specific updates, please visit: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/COVID-19.

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

IN COMMUNICATIONS

In his update, Neeley shared his perspective on the impact of COVID-19 in his home state of Nebraska, and some of the challenges many media contacts face in receiving timely responses from the administration at this time. Neeley has been a tremendous partner to Growth Energy and the biofuels industry, and we were grateful to hear his perspective on reporting on our industry and COVID’s impact on the ag community at large. 

As our industry continues to press policymakers on the urgent need for relief, the Growth Energy communications team has put together a new post on our website on the topline issues facing our industry and our agricultural partners. 

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

IN OUR ASSOCIATION

Weekly all-member call on Wed., May 27, 2020

Next week's call will be held on Wednesday, May 27, at 11 AM CT/12 PM ET. Please join us to hear timely updates from our board chairman and Growth Energy senior staff.

Phibro industry panel: "Plant Considerations During Extended Shutdowns and Slowdowns"

As part of their ongoing effort to extend new avenues of interaction during this unprecedented time, Phibro has compiled a panel to discuss a topic currently impacting a large portion of fuel ethanol plants: shutdowns and slowdowns. The discussion will be held on Wednesday May 27th, at 1:00 CDT.

In addition to Phibro’s own list of important items to consider about best plant practices and procedures, the panel will discuss techniques to prepare for these situations to help reduce the impact of problems when coming back online. This panel consists of experts with decades of experience in various disciplines inside the fuel ethanol industry and will help plants with operational insights through interaction and dialogue throughout the session.

Register now by clicking the button below so you can have the opportunity to ask Phibro's panel of experts your most challenging questions.

If you have any questions please email: steve.rust@pahc.com

Remote learning and the biofuels curriculum

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way students across the country are learning. As some have already returned to school and others continue remote learning, Growth Energy's Biofuels Curriculum has been a valuable resource for both educators and parents.

We're fortunate to be partners with National FFA and the National Association of Ag Educators, who have helped to ensure our program is prominently displayed as an available learning tool. In the last month, we've seen nearly 300 new downloads of our materials and activities through the National FFA portal. 

For more details, contact Vice President of Development Kelly Manning.

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. 

You're receiving this newsletter because you've subscribed to Growth Energy's The Weekly Rundown.

Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly.

Copyright © 2020 Growth Energy.