Iowa State Legislature Passes E15 Access Bill |
On Tuesday, The Iowa state house passed the 2022 Biofuel Access Bill with overwhelming bipartisan support, and the bill now heads to Governor Reynolds' desk to be signed into law. House passage followed state senate passage on Monday, and months of work by Growth Energy, POET, and other biofuels and ag leaders in the state to give Iowans cleaner, more affordable fuel options. The legislation would offer E15 statewide by 2026 and update the E15 promotion tax credit to $0.09 per gallon year-round through 2025.
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“This week’s bipartisan and bicameral support of the Biofuels Access Bill underscores Iowa legislators’ strong commitment to making statewide E15 a reality, a move that could soon provide all families across Iowa access to affordable, engine smart, earth kind fuel options,” said Skor. “As our nation was reminded earlier this month with President Biden’s national E15 announcement, Iowa is a leader in addressing high gas prices and rising climate challenges through expanded access to higher biofuel blends. Research shows that statewide E15 in Iowa could cut climate emissions by 180,000 metric tons, the equivalent of removing almost 40,000 vehicles off the road across the state. In recent weeks, drivers in Iowa have seen significant savings when filling up with E15, which makes a meaningful difference, especially amid today’s high gas prices.
“We thank Governor Reynolds for her leadership; Speaker Grassley, Minority Leader Konfrst, and Chair Hein in the House; and Majority Leader Whitver, Sens. Zumbach, Brown, and Minority Leader Wahls in the Senate for their strong support of biofuels and for once again placing Iowa at the forefront of providing access to cleaner, American biofuels with the passage of this legislation. We look forward to Governor Reynolds’ swift approval of the 2022 Biofuel Access Bill and for this legislation to serve as an example for biofuels’ role in decarbonizing our transportation.”
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For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley. |
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IN LEGAL
Growth Energy Holds EPA to RVO Deadline of June 3rd |
IN REGULATORY AFFAIRS Bliley Testifies Before Surface Transportation Board on Rail Service Disruptions' Impact on Biofuels Industry Growth Energy Participates in Ag-Auto-Ethanol Annual Forum |
IN COMMUNICATIONS Washington Post Continues to Get it Wrong on Biofuels
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IN OUR ASSOCIATION Growth Energy Welcomes ClearFlame Engine Technologies as New Associate Member White Energy Partners with Sorghum Farmers
Study: Summit Carbon Solutions Will Drive Economic Growth Across the Midwest |
IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Growth Energy Signs Letter to Support DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office Funding |
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Washington Watch | NAFB May 2-4, 2022
Advanced Clean Transportation Expo May 9 - 12, 2022 Eastern Energy Expo
May 23 - 25, 2022 Mohegan Sun, CT FEW (Fuel Ethanol Workshop)
June 13 - 15, 2022 Minneapolis, MN |
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| Growth Energy Holds EPA to RVO Deadline of June 3rd |
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday approved a consent decree agreement between Growth Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that requires EPA to finalize 2020-2022 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) by no later than June 3rd. The consent decree follows Growth Energy’s multiple notices of intent to sue and a complaint in federal district court in response to the agency’s extended delay in issuing the RVOs – a direct violation of the deadlines established by Congress in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“We are encouraged by EPA’s commitment to this deadline, as it gives more credence to the agency’s stated intention to get the RFS back on track by providing regulated parties and the biofuels industry with timely guideposts to enhance market certainty and incentivize innovation for biofuels,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “This is particularly important as EPA moves to consider the blending obligations for the already-delayed RFS ‘Set’ in the year ahead.”
“This agreement is a significant milestone for the biofuels industry and reflects our persistent efforts to hold EPA accountable to issue timely RVOs and provide market certainty for biofuel producers.” |
For more information, please contact General Counsel Joe Kakesh. |
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Bliley Testifies Before Surface Transportation Board on Rail Service Disruptions' Impact on Biofuels Industry |
Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) on current rail service disruptions' impact on the biofuels industry, and the urgent need for STB and the railroad industry to take action. The disruptions, explained Bliley, include extreme delays in unit traffic and getting loaded trains offsite.
“Nearly 70 percent of all ethanol is shipped by rail with 377,000 carloads in 2018 alone,” said Bliley. “Rail service is vital to get ethanol from our biorefineries in the Midwest to American consumers from coast to coast. It is perhaps even more important today with drivers facing high gasoline prices and ethanol continuing to trade 80 cents to a dollar less per gallon than wholesale gasoline. “It is imperative that all possible actions be taken by the nation’s railroads to ensure that these critical fuel supplies are immediately prioritized and reach markets as quickly as possible.” Additional Action on Rail Service Delays -
Growth Energy sent a letter to STB voicing concerns over the significant service delays in the rail supply chain impacting the biofuel industry.
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Growth Energy joined members of the Agricultural Transportation Working Group in sending a letter to STB echoing these rail service challenges and calling for a resolution to prevent future service failures.
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Growth Energy Participates in Ag-Auto-Ethanol Annual Forum |
Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Development Kelly Manning and Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley participated in this year's Ag-Auto-Ethanol forum along with automakers, corn growers, ag companies, and many others. The goal of the annual forum is to bring together a cross section of groups, allowing each to share progress on efforts for better fuels in better engines. During the forum, Bliley, who serves on the AAE leadership team, presented on Growth Energy's support of the Next Generation Fuels Act and shared outlook on upcoming fuel regulations expected in Washington, D.C. and across the country.
We continue to advocate and educate on the octane and emission benefits of ethanol with federal and state agencies, Congress, and other stakeholders. |
For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley. |
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| Washington Post Continues to Get it Wrong on Biofuels |
Recently, the Washington Post published an editorial that slammed President Biden’s decision to allow for E15 sales this summer, parroting old talking points by oil groups. We immediately submitted a response to the paper, and are posting it here in a continued effort to set the record straight:
A recent Washington Post editorial unfairly slammed President Biden’s decision to allow summertime sales of E15 – a lower-cost, lower-emission 15 percent ethanol fuel blend. Unfortunately, it reflects dismissive and ill-informed attitudes about rural America’s climate contributions, actively undermining a national desire to use all tools in our toolbox to reach effective climate solutions.
Specifically, the editorial leans on a single, widely-debunked study to dismiss the well-established climate benefits of ethanol, which offers a nearly 50 percent carbon advantage over gasoline. It also repeats outdated and incorrect vapor claims about smog, despite the undisputed fact that E15 has lower – not higher – evaporative emissions compared to fuel blends already at the pump.
The authors even downplay the benefits to consumers, who have been saving 10 to 60 cents on E15 at the peak of high gas prices this spring. Instead, the editorial repeats a false claim about food prices, when in reality they are primarily driven by the price of oil. Supporting over 400,000 jobs across the country, the ethanol industry is bolstering rural economies and creating new markets to help drive down our country’s carbon emissions.
Readers deserve the truth, and the facts show that President Biden’s decision was a win for the climate and for working families. |
For more information, please contact Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs Elizabeth Funderburk. |
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Growth Energy Welcomes ClearFlame Engine Technologies as New Associate Member |
We are pleased to announce the addition of ClearFlame Engine Technologies to Growth Energy. ClearFlame’s engine technology retains the high torque, energy efficiency, and durability benefits currently associated with diesel engines, yet eliminates the need for diesel fuel and its associated emissions challenges. By completely replacing high-carbon, petroleum-based fuels with decarbonized, renewable, liquid fuels, ClearFlame’s technology significantly reduces CO2 and particulate-matter emissions from diesel-style engines to meet increasingly stringent industry regulations.
"We look forward to partnering with Growth Energy," said BJ Johnson, CEO of ClearFlame. "Together, we can work to drive the use of decarbonized fuels for hard-to-electrify applications as a clean, low-cost, and sustainable solution – a critical combination to accelerate adoption and impact our carbon reduction today." Please join us in giving ClearFlame a warm welcome! |
White Energy Partners with Sorghum Farmers |
White Energy, a Growth Energy member and one of the leading producers of biofuels and animal feed, has the capacity to produce approximately a quarter-million gallons of ethanol per year in addition to other co-products such as wet and dry distillers grain. To achieve maximum production capacity and its sustainability commitments, White Energy has announced a collaboration with the National Sorghum Producers.
“White Energy is pleased to collaborate with NSP as an industry leader striving toward a low-carbon future locally, nationally and abroad. Together, as one collective voice, we will be prominent and influential in shaping that future and the policies guiding it, while at the same time bringing value back to our partner farmers,” White Energy Vice President of Commodities and Risk Management Christopher Hughes said.
“To accomplish this, we are pushing to source a greater portion of our grains right here at home benefiting the same communities that have allowed us to grow and succeed as not only a company, but also as a good corporate citizen,” he added. “As we continue pushing to increase plant efficiencies on our path to carbon-neutral, locally and regionally sourced sorghum has become a premiere feedstock and remains vital in allowing us to make these significant strides while producing green renewable biofuels to power America forward.”
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Study: Summit Carbon Solutions Will Drive Economic Growth Across the Midwest |
A new study from Ernst and Young shows that Summit Carbon Solutions proposed carbon capture and storage project will create jobs, generate new property tax revenue for local communities, support local suppliers, and strengthen the regional economy.
“From the outset of this project, Summit Carbon Solutions has been committed to driving the future of agriculture by expanding economic opportunities for ethanol producers and by strengthening the marketplace for farmers in the Midwest,” said Jake Ketzner, Summit Carbon Solutions Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. “In addition to those benefits, the latest analysis shows the overwhelmingly positive impact of this multi-billion-dollar private investment, including the creation of thousands of new high-quality jobs, the utilization of local suppliers and main street businesses, and tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenues that will help local communities fund our roads, hospitals, first responders, and more.”
| For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Development Kelly Manning. |
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| Growth Energy Signs Letter to Support DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office Funding |
This week, Growth Energy joined other biofuel companies and trade groups in sending a letter to the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees in support of robust funding for the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) at levels that meet or exceed the President's budget request.
"Housed within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), BETO is one of the most important FD&D programs on bioenergy in the federal government," wrote the group. "The work funded by this program has helped to make biofuels produced by a wide range of feedstocks more affordable and has helped achieve significant emissions reductions compared to traditional fuels.
"Research conducted through the BETO program has also helped develop more efficient and lower-cost catalysts needed to process bio-based fuels into jet fuel-grade hydrocarbons. The work done on these catalysts has enabled the industry to pursue a greater variety of feedstocks to produce SAF, including agriculture residues, municipal solid waste, waste oils, and more -- all of which can achieve significant emissions reductions compared to fossil jet fuel." |
For more information, please contact Vice President of Government Affairs John Fuher. |
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