Ethanol Week - December 12, 2016

December 12, 2016

Trump nominates Pruitt to lead the EPA President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as administrator of the U.S. EPA. His nomination is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. READ MORE SHARE
EIA slightly increases 2017 ethanol production forecast The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the December edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting fuel ethanol production will average 990,000 barrels per day in 2016, increasing to 1 million barrels per day in 2017. READ MORE SHARE
	FTC: US ethanol industry remains unconcentrated The Federal Trade Commission recently issued its 2016 Report on Ethanol Market Concentration. As in previous years, the report found U.S. ethanol production remains unconcentrated. The report also showed production capacity increased last year. READ MORE SHARE
EPA seeks comments on flex fuel provisions of REGS rule On Dec. 2, the U.S. EPA issued a notice of data availability (NODA) that will make additional data available for comment on the ethanol flex fuel (EFF) provisions of its proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support rule. READ MORE SHARE
Minnesota n-butanol plant comes online Green Biologics Inc. has successfully converted a Minnesota ethanol plant into an n-butanol production facility. The plant, which is now online after two years of development, recently made its first customer shipment. READ MORE SHARE
Senate committee hearing focuses on GAO’s RFS reports On Dec. 1, the Senate Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management held a hearing to discuss the U.S. EPA’s management of the renewable fuel standard (RFS) and two Government Accountability Office reports released on Nov. 28. READ MORE SHARE
EPA sets cellulosic waiver credit price for 2017 at $2.00 The U.S. EPA recently published a notice to its website setting the cellulosic waiver credit (CWC) price for 2017 at $2.00. The CWC price for 2016 was set in at $1.33 in November 2015. READ MORE SHARE
EPA holds hearing on REGS rule On Dec. 6, the U.S. EPA held a hearing on its proposed Renewables Enhancement and Growth Support rule in Chicago. Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association were among the organizations that testified at the event. READ MORE SHARE
Economists examine RVO impact on conventional, advanced biofuels University of Illinois ag economists Scott Irwin and Darrel Good have published an analysis exploring two central questions that arise when considering biofuels consumption through 2022 in a Dec. 7 FarmDoc Daily post. READ MORE SHARE
DOE to open FOAs for integrated biorefineries, algae biofuels In early December, the U.S. Department of Energy announced plans to open two biofuel-related funding opportunities. One is focused on the optimization of integrated biorefineries, while the other is focused on algae-based fuels. READ MORE SHARE
Economists: Gas price has tightest correlation to ethanol price When it comes to price relationships, a recent analysis found statistically significant relationships between ethanol, corn and gasoline prices and ethanol ending stocks. Gasoline price matters most, followed by corn price and ethanol ending stocks. READ MORE SHARE
FTC grants Gilbarco petition on flex fuel labeling requirements On Nov. 29, the Federal Trade Commission announced it has granted Gilbarco Inc. and other ethanol flex fuel retailers a partial exemption to its Fuel Rating Rule labeling requirements. READ MORE SHARE
Green Biologics certified under USDA BioPreferred program Green Biologics Inc. recently announced that its high purity biobased n-butanol and acetone have received official certification under the USDA BioPreferred program. The products are marketed under the BioPure brand. READ MORE SHARE
Leaf Resources, Novozymes launch biomass-to-sugars collaboration Leaf Resources recently announced a collaboration with Novozymes, the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes, to further increase the yields and efficiency associated with Leaf Resources’ innovative biomass conversion technology. READ MORE SHARE
Researchers collaborate with AST to develop lignin-based products American Science and Technology has teamed up with Terma Group, a team of Waste and Environmental Technology researchers at the University of Malaga in Spain, to continue efforts on the development of new lignin-based products. READ MORE SHARE
Praj partners to develop second generation ethanol plants Praj Industries Ltd. recently announced it has entered into agreements with Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. to develop several second generation ethanol plants, each with the capacity to produce 100,000 liters per day. READ MORE SHARE
Food scientist aiding fuel ethanol with new engineered bacteria a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor has launched a new company, Lactic Solutions, that is using genetic engineering to solve problems associated with contamination by lactic acid bacteria in the ethanol fermentation process. READ MORE SHARE
ADM announces project to provide renewable natural gas Archer Daniels Midland Co. has announced a project in which renewable natural gas, produced as a byproduct at ADM’s corn processing facility in Decatur, Illinois, will be distributed by Ameren Illinois into the nation’s natural gas infrastructure. READ MORE SHARE
Research could make ethanol production more efficient, economic New research at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus could significantly change ethanol production by lowering operating costs and simplifying the dry grind process. READ MORE SHARE