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Growth Energy launched a new ad campaign this week calling on the Biden administration to protect summer access to E15, an affordable, cleaner-burning fuel option. The digital advertising campaign will run across multiple platforms, including key news sites and YouTube. Watch the ad here.

“The clock is ticking, and drivers across the country need action now to maintain access to lower-cost, earth-friendly fuel this summer,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Our retail partners need time to ensure uninterrupted delivery of E15. That’s why we’re rallying advocates, members, and elected leaders to press the administration to move quickly on a summer waiver, as they have for the past two years.”

Read the full release here. You can help by contacting your legislators and urging them to push EPA for an emergency waiver using the link below.

For more information, please contact Vice President of Communications Elizabeth Funderburk.

LATEST EIA DATA

Last week, domestic ethanol demand was 13.5 BGY, down 6.8% compared to a week ago. The EIA-reported gas demand was down 6.8% from last week, at 132.0 BGY. Last week was the week after the long holiday weekend, and as is the typical pattern, the week after, demand is lower than usual, just as the week before was more than usual (+6.0% WoW) as it was the week ending in the holiday weekend. The 4-week average ethanol and gas demand are 13.9 and 135.6 BGY (-2.7% YoY).

Ethanol production was 16.2 BGY last week, down 1.6% versus the week before, and 5.6% more than the 4-week average in 2019. Midwest production was down 1.5% (-4.4 MG) versus a week ago, and average production in the other regions was down 4.0% (-0.6 MG). Capacity utilization of plants online was 91.3% overall, 93.3% in the Midwest, and 62.7% on average, elsewhere, excluding 1,157 MGY of capacity shutdown at 24 ethanol plants for other than maintenance (details on pg. 31). On an installed capacity basis, utilization was 85.7% overall, 90.9% in the Midwest and 39.0% in the other regions.

Exports were an estimated 31.2 MG last week based on 130 MG of exports forecast for March and 140 MG for April. The EIA reported no ethanol imports last week.

Overall inventory was up 11.7 MG last week. EIA-counted stocks decreased 8.7 MG, and regional changes were: East (-9 MG), Gulf (-3 MG) and West (-0.3 MG) Coasts and the Midwest (+5 MG). In-transit inventory increased 24.4 MG.

Based on the total inventory of 1,873 MG on April 5th and the 4-week avg. domestic demand, there were 48.9 days of supply, up 0.7 days versus a week ago. Including the 4-week avg. of net exports, there were 44.0 days of supply, up 0.6 days versus a week ago.

For more information, please contact Jake Comer.

WORKING FOR YOU

UPCOMING EVENTS

Celebration of Modern Agriculture on the National Mall 

Washington, D.C.

May 6-8, 2024

2024 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop

Minneapolis, Minn.

June 10-12, 2024

IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS

This week, Growth Energy, the U.S. Grains Council, and the Renewable Fuels Association, jointly submitted comments within the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade (CAMEX) seeking the removal of Brazil's tariff on imported U.S. ethanol.

The three organizations’ joint comments, submitted in Portuguese, included the following:

“Considering this significant discrepancy in our historically productive commercial relationship between countries, we would like to stress that the U.S. industry will continue to advocate for restrictive measures to entry for Brazilian ethanol into the U.S., in the case that the Brazilian government does not rethink the current tariff policies…. Despite the promising opportunities emerging new ethanol export markets could bring to both countries, we stress that we are not willing to cooperate with Brazil in any possible partnerships, nor with technology transferring or within new uses for ethanol such as SAF, in case the market is not completely open for free trade for ethanol. We strongly consider the permanent reinstatement of the duty-free access for ethanol as a window of opportunity to strengthen the bilateral agenda and stimulate trade cooperation between Brazil and the United States.”

Learn more here.

Last week, Growth Energy's Director of State Government Affairs Dallas Gerber provided oral comments to the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Environmental Justice Advocacy Committee (EJAC). During a meeting to discuss cap-and-trade, the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS), and carbon capture use storage (CCUS), Gerber noted that while there are other demonstrable opportunities to change distribution of cost impacts in cap-and-trade, "CARB can reduce the LCFS’ impact on Californians by approving fuels with higher blends of bioethanol for the state’s passenger vehicle fleet."

"E15 can be a vital contributor to achieving GHG reductions. A simple switch from E10 to E15 statewide would reduce GHG emissions by 1.8 million tons. This is the emissions reduction equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off California roads each year, while providing more affordable fuel for drivers," said Gerber.

Growth Energy will continue to provide comments to CARB urging them to embrace biofuels' impact on lowering carbon emissions. View a presentation by Danny Cullenward of University of Pennsylvania on California's cap-and-trade program that Gerber referenced in his comments here.

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

IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Growth Energy members Cardinal Ethanol and Vault 44.01 joined us in Washington, D.C. this week for meetings with elected officials to discuss the benefits of carbon capture and sequestration projects to the biofuels industry.

Last week, Growth Energy Vice President of Government Affairs John Fuher attended and spoke at The ProExporter (PRX) Seminar in Kansas City, Mo. This annual seminar provides a world grain and market outlook for its clients, drawing on noted outside experts in key areas such as energy, farm policy, and more. Fuher presented to the audience on the impact of 45Z, the Inflation Reduction Act's clean fuel production credit. 

As we continue to make our argument for year-round E15 to the EPA, on Capitol Hill, and in state legislatures around the country, we've found that a picture really is worth a thousand words. If you see an example of significant cost savings at a fuel station near you, take a picture and share it with us! We'll put your photos to good use telling the story of how E15 saves drivers money. Email them to hcullen@growthenergy.org.  

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

IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Jake Comer, Growth Energy’s Vice President of Market Development, is in Marrakesh, Morocco this week, attending the U.S. Grains Council Partners Conference. During the three-day meeting, participants share their learnings and experience to help create the U.S. Grains Council’s two-year strategy to grow global demand for U.S. ethanol.

For more information, please contact Vice President of Market Development Jake Comer.

IN OUR ASSOCIATION

A small group of Growth Energy staff joined a virtual meeting of FFA's #SpeakAg Pioneers this week, using the opportunity to discuss career opportunities supporting the agriculture sector through advocacy and communications. Senior Vice President of Development Kelly Manning, Director of State Government Affairs Dallas Gerber, and Director of Communications and Media Relations Jake Barron all spoke about their backgrounds and fielded questions from the group of college-age students about the ins and outs of what it's like to work for an advocacy organization that has an impact on agriculture. 

Growth Energy is a proud sponsor of FFA's #SpeakAg Pioneers, who lead the way in promoting agricultural advocacy and literacy to FFA members and the public by hosting workshops, creating content for social media, and attending events such as National Ag Day.

With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, we want to know what your plans are! If your organization is planning to celebrate Earth Day with a special event, message, or activity, share it with Growth Energy so we can amplify it!

To share your plans, contact Holly Cullen.

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

Growth Energy is the leading voice of America’s biofuel industry, delivering a new generation of plant-based energy and climate solutions.

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