The Nebraska Ethanol Board will meet in Lincoln at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4. The meeting will be at Hyatt Place (600 Q Street) in meeting room I-II. The agenda is as follows:
Call Meeting to Order
Approval of Agenda
Approval of Sept. 1, 2023, Board Meeting Minutes
Public Opportunity for Questions, Comments or Concerns
Budget Report
Fuel Retailer Update
Nebraska Corn Board Update
Renewable Fuels Nebraska Update
Travel Reports and Authorization
Marketing Programs
Dues & Subscriptions
NEB-hosted Conferences & Events
Technical & Research Updates
Working Lunch
State and Federal Legislation
Ethanol Plant Reports
Chair’s Report
Executive Director’s Report
Election of Board Officers for 2024
Next Meeting Date
Adjourn
This agenda contains all items to come before the Board except those items of an emergency nature. Nebraska Ethanol Board meetings are open to the public and also published on the public calendar.
The Nebraska Ethanol Board works to ensure strong public policy and consumer support for biofuels. Since 1971, the independent state agency has designed and managed programs to expand production, market access, worker safety and technology innovation, including recruitment of producers interested in developing conventional ethanol, as well as bio-products from the ethanol platform. For more information, visit www.ethanol.nebraska.gov.
LINCOLN, Neb. – This October, every time you fill up your gas tank with higher ethanol blends, you’re not just fueling your vehicle; you’re funding breast cancer research. Join in the Fuel the Cure campaign at your local participating gas stations and make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.
How it Works:
Choose Ethanol Blends: Opt for higher ethanol blends, such as E15 to flex fuel E85, available at gas stations listed at FueledbyNebraska.com/pink.
Your Fill-Up Makes an Impact: For every gallon of higher ethanol blend sold between Oct. 1-31, nearly 50 Nebraska fuel retailers will donate 3 cents toward cancer research and services within the state.
Look for Pink: Identifying the retailers supporting this vital cause is easy; just look for the pink Fuel the Cure signage at the pump, on the windows, and at the counter. Since 2018, Nebraska’s Fuel the Cure campaigns have raised over $45,000 for cancer research, primarily benefiting the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. “This distinguished institute plays a pivotal role in shaping cancer care, research, and education in Nebraska, the region, and the world,” said Jessica Sodeke, Nebraska Ethanol Board’s communications and outreach manager.
Ethanol-Blended Gasoline: Good for You, Good for the Environment
Gasoline blended with ethanol isn’t just a cleaner fuel; it’s healthier for you and the environment. Traditional gasoline contains toxic aromatics, such as BTEX, which make up 25% of a gallon of gas. These aromatics pose health risks when inhaled at the pump, from vehicle exhaust, and as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Ethanol, with its high-octane value, allows oil refiners to reduce aromatic content in gasoline by at least 5%. This percentage increases significantly when using higher ethanol blends like E15 and E30. As the No. 2 producer of ethanol in the nation, Nebraska is leading the way in providing eco-friendly fuel options.
Your Vehicle and Ethanol Blends:
E15 for Most Vehicles: E15 (15% ethanol and 85% gasoline), also known as Unleaded88, is approved for use in passenger vehicles from 2001 and newer.
Flex Fuel Vehicles: Higher ethanol blends are approved for use in flex fuel vehicles, and one in 10 Nebraskans drive one. Flex fuel vehicles can run on any blend of ethanol up to E85 (which contains 51-83% ethanol and 15% gasoline).
Not sure? Check the owner’s manual or visit FueledbyNebraska.com: If you’re unsure about your vehicle’s compatibility, consult your owner’s manual or look for a flex fuel badge on your trunk or tailgate, or a yellow gas cap.
Fuel the Cure is proud to partner with the American Cancer Society for its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Oct. 15 at Holmes Lake Park. It’s a space to celebrate cancer thrivers, like Jenn Klein (pictured above). Read her full story of survival by clicking on the image. If you plan to attend the Walk, please stop by the Fuel the Cure silver sponsor booth for T-shirt giveaways and drawings for ethanol gift cards.
Together, We Drive Change
“Cancer touches the lives of nearly everyone in some way,” said Kenneth H. Cowan, MD, PhD, director and physician-in-chief at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. “We appreciate that Nebraska fuel retailers are joining forces to empower drivers to support cancer research at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, which provides lifesaving care to people throughout our state. Through generous contributions, such as the Fuel the Cure campaign, we are able to fund researchers working on new treatments each and every day.”
Jenn Klein of Lincoln was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32. Her cancer cells were growing and dividing very rapidly, at a rate of about 80%. Lifesaving treatment was needed right away. She completed 20 weeks of chemotherapy, received multiple blood and platelets transfusions, underwent a four-hour procedure that included a port removal, sentinel node biopsy, double mastectomy, and immediate one-step reconstruction, and endured 33 sessions of radiation. By the end of 2015, Klein was finally cancer free. If it wasn’t for a chemotherapy treatment that was discovered by a funded researcher, Klein might not be alive.
Join the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Renewable Fuels Nebraska, and participating retails stations in supporting Fuel the Cure. By choosing ethanol blends at the pump, you’re not only driving cleaner but also contributing to the fight against cancer. For more information about the benefits of ethanol, participating locations, and how your fill-up supports cancer research, visit FueledbyNebraska.com/pink.
The Nebraska Ethanol Board will meet in Grand Island, Nebraska, at 11:00 a.m. Friday, Sept. 1. The meeting will be at the Riverside Golf Club Clubhouse (2820 Riverside Drive) in the Grand North Ballroom. The agenda is as follows:
Call Meeting to Order
Approval of Agenda
Approval of June 9, 2023, Board Meeting Minutes
Public Opportunity for Questions, Comments or Concerns
Husker Motorsports Presentation
Budget Report
Fuel Retailer Update
Nebraska Corn Board Update
Renewable Fuels Nebraska Update
Working Lunch
Travel Reports and Authorization
Technical & Research Updates
Marketing Programs
Dues & Subscriptions
NEB-hosted Conferences & Events
State and Federal Legislation
Ethanol Plant Reports
Chair’s Report
Executive Director’s Report
Next Meeting Date
Personnel
Adjourn
This agenda contains all items to come before the Board except those items of an emergency nature.
Nebraska Ethanol Board meetings are open to the public and also published on the public calendar.
The Nebraska Ethanol Board works to ensure strong public policy and consumer support for biofuels. Since 1971, the independent state agency has designed and managed programs to expand production, market access, worker safety and technology innovation, including recruitment of producers interested in developing conventional ethanol, as well as bio-products from the ethanol platform. For more information, visit www.ethanol.nebraska.gov.
LINCOLN, NEB – This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to accept $450 million in grant applications for the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). The funding, which comes from designation within the Inflation Reduction Act, will have application windows that run quarterly from July 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024. Approximately $90 million will be made available each quarter to fueling stations, stores and facilities who implement higher ethanol blends such as E15 and higher, and biodiesel blends greater than 5 percent, such as B20.
“Investing in infrastructure just makes sense for a retailer to keep their equipment up-to-date,” said Reid Wagner, executive director for the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB). “Grant assistance, especially in conjunction with modified tax credits from the recently passed E15 Access Standard in Nebraska (LB562), makes these investments economical. These funds are a great opportunity for all retailers to invest in higher blends of ethanol like E15 and E30 to provide a healthier fuel choice to all our Nebraska communities. We appreciate the USDA re-opening this program and helping support our mission of making ethanol more widely available.”
The purpose of the HBIIP is to significantly increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. The program is also intended to encourage a more comprehensive approach to market higher blends by sharing the costs related to building out biofuel-related infrastructure.
NEB compiled resources to make the application process easier, including a brief titled Infrastructure Compatibility with Higher Blends of Ethanol. Access this tool on the agency website at here. Applicants may reach out to the NEB office with any questions at 402-471-2941.
Lincoln, Nebraska – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the final set rule of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The rule sets renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for the next three calendar years. The total renewable fuel RVOs in the final rule are 20.94 billion gallons for 2023, 21.54 billion gallons for 2024, and 22.33 billion gallons for 2025. The conventional renewable fuel RVO, which includes corn ethanol, is set at 15 billion gallons for 2023, 2024, and 2025 each year. Overall, the RVOs in the final rule include lower volumes for advanced, cellulosic, and conventional biofuels and higher volumes for biomass-based diesel than the originally proposed rule published Dec. 30, 2022.
“While we are encouraged that EPA continues to call for higher volumes of renewable fuels year over year, we are disappointed that the final RVOs are significantly lower than originally proposed for conventional and cellulosic biofuels,” said Reid Wagner, executive director of the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB). “Our current ethanol infrastructure has the capacity today to easily meet the originally-proposed 15.25 billion gallon conventional biofuel requirement, and a growing number of ethanol producers are deploying technologies for processing corn kernel fiber into ethanol, which will contribute significant volumes of cellulosic biofuel soon. Ensuring adequate RVOs aids in market development as the ethanol industry works to expand access to its products. By sidelining these low-carbon biofuels options, EPA is effectively leaving tools in the box that could be used to accomplish their decarbonization goals.”
The final rule also includes a cumulative 550-million-gallon increase in the biomass-based diesel RVO, from the originally proposed rule. “In sectors that are more difficult to electrify, namely heavy-duty transport, renewable diesel and biodiesel will continue to play a key role in decarbonization efforts,” Wagner said. “The final biomass-based diesel RVO is certainly trending in the right direction, but still may not be sufficient to capture the rapid growth in capacity of renewable diesel and biodiesel production.”
The final set rule also did not include provisions related to RINs generated from renewable electricity (eRINs), as it did when it was first proposed.
The Nebraska Ethanol Board works to ensure strong public policy and consumer support for biofuels. Since 1971, the independent state agency has designed and managed programs to expand production, market access, worker safety and technology innovation, including recruitment of producers interested in developing conventional ethanol, as well as bio-products from the ethanol platform. For more information, visit www.ethanol.nebraska.gov.
