Recent Biofuels Analysis
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...
COVID Impact on Ethanol Triggered Thinking on Long Term Ethanol Demand
The current renewable fuel standard (RFS) went into place in 2008 after the legislation was passed in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA); that bill raised the biofuel obligations from the original 2005 Energy Policy Act’s initial RFS. Of course, COVID in 2020 had a major...
Ag Review - December 2020
WPI's monthly publication features a review of the past month's market and policy analysis articles. This issue looks at global food supplies, the direction of the diesel market, Russia’s crop production, the future of agribusiness under the new Biden Administration, an analysis of market...
Heads Up: 2021 RVO for Biofuels is Coming
We previously reported that the Trump Administration EPA would likely “punt” on issuing the 2021 required volume obligations (RVOs) rule and leave it to the incoming Biden EPA. Specifically, we speculated that “a retroactive 2021 RVO would be issued next spring/summer” b...
Diesel Market Slowly Returning to Balance
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, at the end of November, U.S. distillate inventories fell to 145.8 million barrels, which was back within the previous five-year (2015–19) range for the first time since 8 May. Diesel demand dropped to its low the most in June and fu...
Ag Review - November 2020
WPI's monthly publication features a review of the past month's market and policy analysis articles. This issue looks at the global and local impacts of the recent U.S. election, President-Elect Biden’s trade agenda, fiscal policy and the U.S. federal budget, the challenges of long-term f...
Thanksgiving Week Fuel Demand and Budget Negotiations
Thanksgiving week is typically the biggest travel week of the year, but recent COVID lockdowns following a new spike in cases lowered travel this year. Although air travel was up more than expected last weekend, auto travel was down. Last week was the lowest price for gasoline the week before T...
Biden EPA Could Inherit an Obama-Biden Era RFS Court Ruling
With controversy over small refinery exemptions (SREs), election year political strategies, and COVID, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) never issued the required volume obligations (RVOs) for 2021 as required under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The statutory deadline is one week fr...
COVID Spike and Ethanol Outlook
The final required volume obligations (RVOs) for 2021 biofuel blending mandates is due in 17 days; that is a statutory requirement (although missed more than met since 2007 when it was implemented). However, not only has it not been issued, but the proposed rule has also yet to be published by...
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...
COVID Impact on Ethanol Triggered Thinking on Long Term Ethanol Demand
The current renewable fuel standard (RFS) went into place in 2008 after the legislation was passed in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA); that bill raised the biofuel obligations from the original 2005 Energy Policy Act’s initial RFS. Of course, COVID in 2020 had a major...
Ag Review - December 2020
WPI's monthly publication features a review of the past month's market and policy analysis articles. This issue looks at global food supplies, the direction of the diesel market, Russia’s crop production, the future of agribusiness under the new Biden Administration, an analysis of market...
Heads Up: 2021 RVO for Biofuels is Coming
We previously reported that the Trump Administration EPA would likely “punt” on issuing the 2021 required volume obligations (RVOs) rule and leave it to the incoming Biden EPA. Specifically, we speculated that “a retroactive 2021 RVO would be issued next spring/summer” b...
Diesel Market Slowly Returning to Balance
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, at the end of November, U.S. distillate inventories fell to 145.8 million barrels, which was back within the previous five-year (2015–19) range for the first time since 8 May. Diesel demand dropped to its low the most in June and fu...
Ag Review - November 2020
WPI's monthly publication features a review of the past month's market and policy analysis articles. This issue looks at the global and local impacts of the recent U.S. election, President-Elect Biden’s trade agenda, fiscal policy and the U.S. federal budget, the challenges of long-term f...
Thanksgiving Week Fuel Demand and Budget Negotiations
Thanksgiving week is typically the biggest travel week of the year, but recent COVID lockdowns following a new spike in cases lowered travel this year. Although air travel was up more than expected last weekend, auto travel was down. Last week was the lowest price for gasoline the week before T...
Biden EPA Could Inherit an Obama-Biden Era RFS Court Ruling
With controversy over small refinery exemptions (SREs), election year political strategies, and COVID, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) never issued the required volume obligations (RVOs) for 2021 as required under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The statutory deadline is one week fr...
COVID Spike and Ethanol Outlook
The final required volume obligations (RVOs) for 2021 biofuel blending mandates is due in 17 days; that is a statutory requirement (although missed more than met since 2007 when it was implemented). However, not only has it not been issued, but the proposed rule has also yet to be published by...