GoodFuels

RFA Questions EPA About E15 Decision

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is seeking more clarification from EPA regarding the agency’s apparent focus on vehicles model year 2001 and newer when it comes to increasing the allowable ethanol blend level in gasoline to 15 percent. Such a limitation could potentially limit once again the market for ethanol by excluding some 40% of the vehicle market and causing both consumer confusion and retailer unwillingness to offer the product.

In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” we hear from RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen about the letter he has written to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson about their concerns.

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Ethanol Report From Farm Broadcasters Meeting

Representatives of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) were in Kansas City recently for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual Trade Talk event, which meant they did dozens of interviews about the importance of ethanol to agriculture and the rural economy.

In this edition of “The Ethanol Report,” we hear from RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen about some of the topics they discussed with reporters, including when the EPA decision on increasing the ethanol blend level might be made, how the industry is faring, and the great productivity of the American farmer.

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Promoting Blender Pumps at NACS

BYO Ethanol was on the trade show floor at the NACS Show this week in Las Vegas.

The ethanol blender pump program was introduced as partnership between the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the American Coalition of Ethanol (ACE) at the 22nd Ethanol Conference & Trade Show in August. Missy Ruff (pictured), RFA’s Market Development Manager, was one of several BYOEthanol representatives at the NACS booth this week telling retailers about the advantages of blender pumps. This annual convention of the Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing draws some 10,000 visitors and is the premier event to reach the primary marketers of fuel - convenience store owners.

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features interviews by Domestic Fuel reporter Joanna Schroeder with Robert White of RFA and Ron Lamberty of ACE about the program, blender pumps in general, and feedback from retailers.

Listen to “The Ethanol Report” here:

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Fairness Needed in Indirect Land Use Analysis

Regulatory agencies and environmental groups should be considering the indirect land use impacts of ALL fuels, not just biofuels, when they look at lifecycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions.

That is the message that Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association took to the annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Journalists in Madison, Wisconsin last weekend.

“Every energy decision we make has indirect effects associated with those decisions and we’re not looking at any of those other fuels and their indirect impacts,” Cooper says. “If we’re going to look at indirect effects for biofuels, we need to look at indirect effects for every energy source and we need to be fair.”

Cooper says the environmental journalists he addressed seemed to be surprised that only biofuels were being subjected to indirect effects and he was happy to share some of the new studies that analyze the carbon footprint of such practices as petroleum production from the Canadian tar sands. “Most previous reports excluded emissions from land use change and exploration and development of the natural gas used in the tar sands process.”

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features an interview with Geoff about these topics and others related to ethanol and the environment.

You can listen to “The Ethanol Report” on-line here:

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Less Acres to Produce Bigger Corn Crop

In the September crop forecast out Friday morning, USDA is now calling for a near record corn crop for 2009 – at 13 billion bushels, just shy of the 2007 record – and a record soybean crop.

Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association notes that this bin buster is being produced on less acres. “What the report demonstrates is that we’re not needing additional land to produce the incremental amount of feedstock that we need as the ethanol industry grows,” Cooper said. “We’re producing a 13 billion bushel crop this year and we needed 6 1/2 million LESS acres to do it than in 2007. You are seeing acreage decrease each year as yields increase and total production increases.”

Cooper says this disputes the theory of indirect land use change and proves that U.S. farmers can very well produce food, feed and fuel. “The report drives another nail in the coffin of the food versus fuel argument,” said Cooper. “USDA is projecting increases in both the amount of corn we are feeding to livestock and the amount of corn going to export.”

In addition, RFA is pleased to congratulate Highwater Ethanol in Lamberton, Minnesota on its grand opening, held on the eighth anniversary of 9/11 terrorist attacks on American soil. “American farmers and ethanol producers are doing their part to enhance the security of this country and bolster our domestic food and fuel supplies,” said Cooper. “The opening of this plant on a day that has particular meaning to Americans is a good reminder of that.”

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” features an interview with Geoff Cooper about these topics and others related to the good news of increased corn and ethanol production and what that means for our nation.

You can listen to “The Ethanol Report” on-line here:

Or you can subscribe to this podcast by following this link.