1) Increasing demand and value through new clean fuel policies
+ Reinforcing ACE’s thought leadership on the low carbon benefits of corn ethanol, Argonne National Lab scientists released a study showing ethanol’s carbon intensity continues to decrease.
+ Helped initiate and advise clean fuel policy stakeholder discussions in Nebraska.
+ Launched for testing the Carbon Intensity Calculator, a simplified GREET model tool, to equip farmers and ethanol producers with the ability to use their unique data to better understand their current carbon score.
+ Joined a diverse national coalition in sending a letter to House E&C and Senate EPW committees in support of developing technology-neutral national clean fuel legislation.
+ Led dialogue on progress with clean fuel policy in the Midwest at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop.
+ Continued building momentum for the Minnesota Future Fuels Act during the interim legislative period.
+ Joined over 160 companies and groups in calling on Congress to prioritize carbon capture projects and help commercialize carbon removal, transport, utilization, and storage technologies for the growing number of ethanol plants pursuing these programs.
2) Protecting and supporting existing policy-driven markets
+ Called on President Biden to set the maximum statutory conventional renewable fuel volumes under the RFS in the 2021, 2022 RVOs.
+ Coordinated with industry partners in reaction to Supreme Court overturning one of the three restraints the Tenth Circuit Court placed on EPA’s approach to RFS waivers for small refiners.
+ Provided training for members on using ACE resources to amplify their voice and support work being done by local, state, and national advocacy organizations.
+ Urged for bipartisan legislation in Congress to approve E15 use year-round immediately following D.C. Circuit Court’s reversal of EPA’s 2019 regulation. Encouraged industry stakeholders to urge their congressional leadership to cosponsor the legislation.
+ Encouraged and supported the introduction of legislation in Congress to increase ethanol use, including:
-Clean Fuels Vehicle Act of 2021, restoring incentives to automakers for the production of FFVs
-Low Carbon/Biofuel Act, providing new tax credits for higher ethanol blends
-Biofuel Infrastructure and Agricultural Product Market Expansion Act, creating a new cost-share grant program at USDA for higher blend infrastructure
-Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, providing year-round market access for E15
-Small Refinery Exemption Clarification Act, prohibiting small refineries from seeking RFS exemptions if their previous waivers had lapsed
3) Developing Domestic and international markets
+ Launched a hybrid electric flexible fuel vehicle project to demonstrate low to net-zero carbon vehicles powered by ethanol already have lower lifecycle GHGs than plug-in electrics and could reach net-zero long before EVs on the market today.
+ Connectedcorn grower groups with Pearson Fuels for an over $1 million investment in expanding E85 availability in California.
+ Recommended USDA develop a commonsense framework to measure, monitor, and verify practices that sequester carbon in the soil so farmers and ethanol producers can reap the reward in future low carbon fuel standard markets as part of its climate strategy.
+ Submitted comments to USDA as they determine how to designate $700 million to biofuel producers as part of its Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiatives.
+ Convinced OPIS and other biofuel media outlets to better characterize what RIN costs are and how they work, as well as educated fuel retailers and broader industry members via industry publications.
Coming off of our 34th annual conference, ACE is sharing an update with you that demonstrates our vision for the future of the ethanol industry.
Our event last month was focused on the latest growth strategies and market opportunities shaping the road ahead. For this reason, we chose the conference theme of Accelerate, because it aligns with our strategic plan for our membership.
A plan that communicates the opportunities we see before us and delivers on our commitment to provide results that matter to our members.
Accelerate Scorecard in Ethanol Today
How has ACE been Accelerating? Read about our activity from January through April this year to move the ethanol industry forward in the May/June issue of Ethanol Today!
Get timely updates on how we're moving toward our Accelerate initiative goals on social media by following us @ACEethanol or reading news updates on our website.
For more on our Accelerate plan and how you can take part, don't hesitate to reach out to me at kmuckenhirn@ethanol.org. Learn more about the what, how and why behind Accelerate via our website, and check out our scorecard to track progress.