Recent Biofuels Analysis
4th of July, Russian Ruble, and Ethanol
Despite high gas prices, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is predicting heavy travel over this long weekend for the 4th of July holiday, forecasting the total to be roughly equal to 2019, prior to COVID. A few factors are at play for increased car travel: after two years of...
EPA’s Final RVO Rule
As Matt Herrington noted on Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency released the final required volume obligations (RVO) rule which set the biofuels blending levels for 2021 (retroactively) and 2022 (six months late, and five months into the compliance year). Following is the br...
No 1970’s Analog
The U.S. Federal Reserve is trying to accomplish a so-called soft-landing of the economy back down to a low inflation, modest growth, low unemployment scenario. An increasing number of voices are signaling their skepticism that this can be accomplished. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell even concedes...
Dwindling Diesel Stocks, Increasing Demand
Add diesel fuel supplies to market anxieties over shortages and high prices. Diesel hit all-time record prices this week. Both gasoline and diesel rose sharply after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but in the last two weeks, diesel prices spiked again. And the medium-term outlook remains bu...
Eight State Plan for E15 Equivalent to Adding One Large Ethanol Mill
In April, the Biden Administration’s EPA announced that it would provide a temporary waiver for year-round E15 (see WPI’s article about the immediate market reaction here, and a breakdown of the actual impact here). In the end, the waiver adds about 107 days of more demand for E15 i...
Ethanol Sobriety Check
Politics and not economics drove the White House announcement today to approve year-round E15 fuel sales under an emergency waiver of the Clean Air Act’s requirements. Ethanol makes sense as an octane booster but less so as a gasoline substitute. Blending at the E15 level is already allow...
Ag Policy Options Being Consider Regarding Russia/Ukraine Situation
As is typical when there is a crisis – from foreign policy issues, to the China trade situation, to animal disease, to COVID, and more – the market gets bombarded with rumors, leaks and speculation about potential emergency policy actions which may – or may not – be take...
Trade Policy Confusion; Energy Confusion
Trade Policy Confusion In its annual report to Congress yesterday on trade relations with China, USTR asserted that, “China has a poor record when it comes to complying with WTO rules” and suggested the Biden Administration is looking for a new strategy to address the Middle Kingdom...
E15 versus EVs
As we wrote just over one year ago, on 1 February 2021, … the general trend of fuel policy is clearly shifting the struggle from how much of the tank is filled with gasoline versus biofuel to a struggle between liquid fuel and alternatives. … Whether the petroleum and biofuels ind...
RINs Rumors and Fuel Use Outlook
Ethanol RINs dropped this week on news reports that EPA might consider lowering the 15 billion gallon required volume obligation (RVO) for 2022. This came after two months of steady increases based on a bright outlook for retail motor fuel use this year. Recall on 7 December, the Administration...
EPA Renewable Fuels Coming Regulations and Canola Trade
On 7 December, EPA announced its proposed required volume obligations (RVO) rules which gained much attention. What gained less attention was the regulatory agenda related to renewable fuels that it also announced in December. The 2023 RVO’s, proposed this spring, will be the...
Taking a Closer Look at a Few Details About the RVOs
There was a lot to sort through on Tuesday’s RVO announcement. Below is a look at some key issues. SREs: There has been a lot of media coverage implying that the EPA will deny all pending small refinery exemption (SRE) requests. But as we wrote on 7 December, that action would be&nb...
4th of July, Russian Ruble, and Ethanol
Despite high gas prices, the American Automobile Association (AAA) is predicting heavy travel over this long weekend for the 4th of July holiday, forecasting the total to be roughly equal to 2019, prior to COVID. A few factors are at play for increased car travel: after two years of...
EPA’s Final RVO Rule
As Matt Herrington noted on Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency released the final required volume obligations (RVO) rule which set the biofuels blending levels for 2021 (retroactively) and 2022 (six months late, and five months into the compliance year). Following is the br...
No 1970’s Analog
The U.S. Federal Reserve is trying to accomplish a so-called soft-landing of the economy back down to a low inflation, modest growth, low unemployment scenario. An increasing number of voices are signaling their skepticism that this can be accomplished. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell even concedes...
Dwindling Diesel Stocks, Increasing Demand
Add diesel fuel supplies to market anxieties over shortages and high prices. Diesel hit all-time record prices this week. Both gasoline and diesel rose sharply after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but in the last two weeks, diesel prices spiked again. And the medium-term outlook remains bu...
Eight State Plan for E15 Equivalent to Adding One Large Ethanol Mill
In April, the Biden Administration’s EPA announced that it would provide a temporary waiver for year-round E15 (see WPI’s article about the immediate market reaction here, and a breakdown of the actual impact here). In the end, the waiver adds about 107 days of more demand for E15 i...
Ethanol Sobriety Check
Politics and not economics drove the White House announcement today to approve year-round E15 fuel sales under an emergency waiver of the Clean Air Act’s requirements. Ethanol makes sense as an octane booster but less so as a gasoline substitute. Blending at the E15 level is already allow...
Ag Policy Options Being Consider Regarding Russia/Ukraine Situation
As is typical when there is a crisis – from foreign policy issues, to the China trade situation, to animal disease, to COVID, and more – the market gets bombarded with rumors, leaks and speculation about potential emergency policy actions which may – or may not – be take...
Trade Policy Confusion; Energy Confusion
Trade Policy Confusion In its annual report to Congress yesterday on trade relations with China, USTR asserted that, “China has a poor record when it comes to complying with WTO rules” and suggested the Biden Administration is looking for a new strategy to address the Middle Kingdom...
E15 versus EVs
As we wrote just over one year ago, on 1 February 2021, … the general trend of fuel policy is clearly shifting the struggle from how much of the tank is filled with gasoline versus biofuel to a struggle between liquid fuel and alternatives. … Whether the petroleum and biofuels ind...
RINs Rumors and Fuel Use Outlook
Ethanol RINs dropped this week on news reports that EPA might consider lowering the 15 billion gallon required volume obligation (RVO) for 2022. This came after two months of steady increases based on a bright outlook for retail motor fuel use this year. Recall on 7 December, the Administration...
EPA Renewable Fuels Coming Regulations and Canola Trade
On 7 December, EPA announced its proposed required volume obligations (RVO) rules which gained much attention. What gained less attention was the regulatory agenda related to renewable fuels that it also announced in December. The 2023 RVO’s, proposed this spring, will be the...
Taking a Closer Look at a Few Details About the RVOs
There was a lot to sort through on Tuesday’s RVO announcement. Below is a look at some key issues. SREs: There has been a lot of media coverage implying that the EPA will deny all pending small refinery exemption (SRE) requests. But as we wrote on 7 December, that action would be&nb...