Recent Biofuels Analysis
Ethanol Price Impact
The June ethanol futures contract hit a record high last week at $2.29/gallon but that may not have a lasting effect on exports. The market has been in recovery mode as transportation fuel demand recovers from COVID restrictions that had sent ethanol values last year to a 10-year record low of...
Ethanol Ripple Effects
Brazilian ethanol prices have been rising, which has usually been good for U.S. ethanol exports. Bloomberg reports that increased demand for transportation fuel may force more Brazilian sugar into ethanol production rather than food. The sugar market is very tight on reduced output. U.S. ethano...
Colonial Pipeline Cyber Attack and Biofuels
On Friday, the Colonial Pipeline, which is the largest refined product pipeline in the U.S., running 5,500 miles from Texas to New Jersey, was attacked by ransomware, assumed to be launched by hackers in Russia. The pipeline was forced to close. The company is slowly reopening lateral pipelines...
Ethanol Exports and Domestic Production Rebound
Ethanol exports in March were 133 million gallons and more than a third of that went to China. The 48.3 million gallons exported to China is the second highest monthly total on record, just 8,278 gallons below April 2016. Recall that in 2016, China was the fastest growing market for U.S...
Infrastructure Plan: Ag Provisions and Politics
Last week, President Biden unveiled a major $2 trillion infrastructure package, the American Jobs Plan. From agriculture’s perspective, the plan is a mixed bag, but mostly positive proposals in terms of infrastructure upgrades. Inland waterways, ports, and in-land ports of entry would r...
RFS Waivers and RINs Prices
On 22 February, we noted that the Supreme Court had agreed to hear a challenge to the 10th District Court’s ruling on small refinery exemptions (SREs). In January, the Department of Justice, acting as counsel for the EPA, had requested that the Supreme Court not hear the case and instead...
New EPA Administrator Resetting the RFS Clock
The Senate confirmed Michael Regan to be Administrator of the U.S. EPA this week by a vote of 66-34. Since 2017, Regan has been Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and previously he worked at EPA in the air office. That experience will come in handy as he has to...
Oilseed Highlights: Soy Export Sales; South America Soy; Renewable Diesel
Soy Export Sales Highlights Today’s USDA export sales report indicated there was a rebound in soybean export sales in the week ending 25 February. Sales of soymeal and soyoil also increased last week compared to the previous week. Net soybean export sales last week totaled 334,000 MT for...
Ethanol Corn Use and Outlook
USDA released the January Grain Crushings report yesterday; total corn use for fuel alcohol was down 11 percent from January 2020, and down 6 percent from January 2019. Dry mill production of DDGS was 1.7534 MMT during January 2021, 90 percent of last year and 98 percent of December. On the ye...
Ag Review - February 2021
WPI's monthly publication features a review of the past month's market and policy analysis articles. This issue looks at policy possibilities in the year ahead, the impact of government spending, world grain stocks, pork demand, climate change, international market analysis and much more.  ...
EPA Adopting 10th District Ruling on SREs
The U.S. EPA announced a major change in the agency’s perspective on granting small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the renewable fuel standard. In short, EPA will apply the ruling of the 10th District Federal Court of Appeals decision on granting SREs. Recall that in January...
Electric Vehicles, Political Distrust and Ethanol Demand
Last week, General Motors announced that in an effort to lower its emissions its goal will be to produce 40 percent of its car and light duty vehicles as electric powered. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFS) commented through a statement from CEO Geoff Cooper. I would encourage people to take...
Ethanol Price Impact
The June ethanol futures contract hit a record high last week at $2.29/gallon but that may not have a lasting effect on exports. The market has been in recovery mode as transportation fuel demand recovers from COVID restrictions that had sent ethanol values last year to a 10-year record low of...
Ethanol Ripple Effects
Brazilian ethanol prices have been rising, which has usually been good for U.S. ethanol exports. Bloomberg reports that increased demand for transportation fuel may force more Brazilian sugar into ethanol production rather than food. The sugar market is very tight on reduced output. U.S. ethano...
Colonial Pipeline Cyber Attack and Biofuels
On Friday, the Colonial Pipeline, which is the largest refined product pipeline in the U.S., running 5,500 miles from Texas to New Jersey, was attacked by ransomware, assumed to be launched by hackers in Russia. The pipeline was forced to close. The company is slowly reopening lateral pipelines...
Ethanol Exports and Domestic Production Rebound
Ethanol exports in March were 133 million gallons and more than a third of that went to China. The 48.3 million gallons exported to China is the second highest monthly total on record, just 8,278 gallons below April 2016. Recall that in 2016, China was the fastest growing market for U.S...
Infrastructure Plan: Ag Provisions and Politics
Last week, President Biden unveiled a major $2 trillion infrastructure package, the American Jobs Plan. From agriculture’s perspective, the plan is a mixed bag, but mostly positive proposals in terms of infrastructure upgrades. Inland waterways, ports, and in-land ports of entry would r...
RFS Waivers and RINs Prices
On 22 February, we noted that the Supreme Court had agreed to hear a challenge to the 10th District Court’s ruling on small refinery exemptions (SREs). In January, the Department of Justice, acting as counsel for the EPA, had requested that the Supreme Court not hear the case and instead...
New EPA Administrator Resetting the RFS Clock
The Senate confirmed Michael Regan to be Administrator of the U.S. EPA this week by a vote of 66-34. Since 2017, Regan has been Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and previously he worked at EPA in the air office. That experience will come in handy as he has to...
Oilseed Highlights: Soy Export Sales; South America Soy; Renewable Diesel
Soy Export Sales Highlights Today’s USDA export sales report indicated there was a rebound in soybean export sales in the week ending 25 February. Sales of soymeal and soyoil also increased last week compared to the previous week. Net soybean export sales last week totaled 334,000 MT for...
Ethanol Corn Use and Outlook
USDA released the January Grain Crushings report yesterday; total corn use for fuel alcohol was down 11 percent from January 2020, and down 6 percent from January 2019. Dry mill production of DDGS was 1.7534 MMT during January 2021, 90 percent of last year and 98 percent of December. On the ye...
Ag Review - February 2021
WPI's monthly publication features a review of the past month's market and policy analysis articles. This issue looks at policy possibilities in the year ahead, the impact of government spending, world grain stocks, pork demand, climate change, international market analysis and much more.  ...
EPA Adopting 10th District Ruling on SREs
The U.S. EPA announced a major change in the agency’s perspective on granting small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the renewable fuel standard. In short, EPA will apply the ruling of the 10th District Federal Court of Appeals decision on granting SREs. Recall that in January...
Electric Vehicles, Political Distrust and Ethanol Demand
Last week, General Motors announced that in an effort to lower its emissions its goal will be to produce 40 percent of its car and light duty vehicles as electric powered. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFS) commented through a statement from CEO Geoff Cooper. I would encourage people to take...