LINCOLN, Neb. — On Aug. 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced they granted 31 small refinery biofuel waivers for 2018. This follows the 54 waivers the Trump Administration granted in 2016 and 2017, which caused 2.6 billion gallons of demand destruction. These new waivers add another loss of 1.4 billion gallons, for a total loss of 4 billion gallons.

“Over the past two years, the EPA has granted hardship waivers to refineries owned by companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron,” said Roger Berry, Nebraska Ethanol Board administrator. “Their continued handouts to the oil industry comes during a time when heartland farmers are really struggling due to depressed commodity prices, flooding and trade wars. Securing access and demand for homegrown, cleaner-burning biofuels should be top priority from an economic and environmental standpoint, not destroying the marketplace program the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was created for.”

Berry urges everyone to show their continued support for the RFS. American Coalition for Ethanol highlights the many benefits of the RFS: it’s a program that saves American families hundreds of dollars a year in gasoline purchases; has deterred more than $40 billion in foreign oil purchases thus far; reduces lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent; and serves as a catalyst for technology innovation and private-sector investment in advanced biofuels.

The EPA released proposed 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for the RFS and is accepting comments on the proposal until Aug. 30, 2019. The public is invited to engage and make their voices heard regarding the proposed rule here.

“Exempting refiners from blending their obligated share of ethanol directly undermines demand for the quality fuel produced by our hard working farmers and the 1,400 Nebraskans directly employed in the ethanol industry,” Berry said. “I urge all who care about access to cleaner-burning fuel to contact your members of Congress to call for immediate action and submit your comments by Aug. 30. State the need to reallocate the 4 billion lost gallons in the 2020 RVOs.”

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.

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LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Ethanol Board (“NEB” or “the Board”) is pleased to announce that Roger Berry began working at the Board today and will assume the position as NEB’s Administrator following the next board meeting this Friday, May 31.

Berry is from Nebraska, farmed in the state and has served in senior positions in agricultural organizations. Most recently, he spent over three years as Director of Market Development at the Nebraska Corn Board. In that role, Berry worked with NEB staff to carry out ethanol promotion events, spoke about ethanol markets and policy at industry conferences and was involved in industry ethanol policy discussions.

“I commend the NEB members on their choice in Roger Berry to serve as Administrator following my departure,” said current NEB Administrator Sarah Caswell. “Roger is the right person to lead the work of the board at this crucial time for Nebraska’s ethanol industry. He knows the importance of ethanol as a value-added agriculture market, especially during these times of trade uncertainty and an ongoing downturn in the farm economy. His farming background and deep experience and knowledge of the industry will enable him—from day one—to effectively direct the work of the NEB and its staff to carry out the mission of the NEB to the benefit of Nebraska’s ethanol industry stakeholders, including farmers, ethanol producers, consumers and the state’s economy.”

“We thank Sarah for her great work on behalf of the board,” said Nebraska Ethanol Board Chairperson Jan tenBensel. “Her guidance and forethought on industry issues is commendable, and we appreciate all she’s done. This will allow for a seamless transition to Roger, who is a familiar face who is well-known and well-respected in the ag community. He has notable, established relationships with commodity and trade groups both locally and nationally. Roger will be another great asset to the agency.”

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.

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LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Ethanol Board will meet Friday, May 31 at 11:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in Grand Island, Nebraska, in the community meeting room at Bosselman Enterprises Headquarters (1607 S. Locust St.).

The board meeting agenda is as follows:

1. Call Meeting to Order
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Approval of Feb. 1, 2019, Board Meeting Minutes
4. Budget Report
5. Fuel Retailer Update
6. E30 Demonstration Update
7. Marketing Programs
8. Approval of Contracts
9. State and Federal Legislation
10. Ethanol Plant Reports
11. Chair’s Report
12. Administrator’s Report
13. Working Lunch
14. Travel Reports and Authorization
15. Personnel
16. Next Meeting Date
17. Adjourn

This agenda contains all items to come before the Board except those items of an emergency nature.

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.

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LINCOLN, Neb. – May is typically the kick-off to the summer drive season, and it’s also a time to celebrate renewable fuel choices through Renewable Fuels Month. Since 2006, the acting Nebraska governor has dedicated one month out of each year to recognize the importance of renewable biofuels, such as ethanol, to the state.

Currently, over 97% of all gasoline in the United States, is blended with locally-produced ethanol. Nebraska is home to 25 ethanol plants across the state, which produce 2.2 billion gallons of clean-burning, locally produced fuel each year. Because most of the ethanol produced in the U.S. is produced from corn, ethanol plants also produce over 6.4 million metric tons of distillers grains (a high-protein livestock feed) as an ethanol coproduct.

Nebraska’s ethanol industry also creates jobs. Over 1,400 people in rural Nebraska were directly employed by the industry with an average salary of more than $50,000.

“Nebraska’s ethanol industry not only benefits our state’s farmers, but also our consumers and our nation’s economy,” said David Bruntz, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board and farmer from Friend. “The more ethanol we use, the cleaner our air becomes. We’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting cancer-causing toxic chemicals from entering into our atmosphere. Additionally, we’re able to save money at the pump on higher-octane fuels.”

Several events and promotions are scheduled throughout the month of May to raise the awareness of the different renewable fuel options and benefits. The month kicked off with the 2019 Lincoln Marathon/Half Marathon on May 5, 2019. The event was sponsored by American Ethanol, which used the event as a platform to engage with runners and spectators about the clean-air benefits of using ethanol. During the event, the Biofuels Mobile Education Center trailer was on hand and served as an educational lab to explain the positives of the U.S. ethanol industry. RoboTron E15, a 9-foot-tall interactive robot, was also on hand to visit with runners and spectators throughout the weekend.

On Friday, May 17, 2019, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts will make an official proclamation declaring the month as Renewable Fuels Month at Casey’s General Store in Bennington (7141 N. 156^th Street, Omaha, Nebraska). The announcement will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be followed by a fuel pump promotion where higher blends of ethanol will be heavily discounted from 10:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.

“We know we have to share our story with the consumer,” said Jan tenBensel, chairman of the Nebraska Ethanol Board and farmer from Cambridge. “There truly are many myths going around about the ethanol industry, and we want to be able to set the record straight. Renewable Fuels Month gives us this opportunity.”

Renewable Fuels Month is being coordinated through the Nebraska Corn Board and the Nebraska Ethanol Board. Additional radio and online promotions will be taking place throughout the month. Follow the Nebraska Corn Board or the Nebraska Ethanol Board on Facebook or Twitter for updates. 

The Nebraska Corn Board is a state funded agency funded through a ½-cent-per-bushel checkoff on all corn marketed in the state. The mission of the Nebraska Corn Board is to promote the value of corn by creating opportunities. Checkoff funds are invested in programs of market development, research, promotion and education.

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.

LINCOLN, Neb. — On April 29, 2019, the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) submitted written comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urging it to issue a final rule allowing for year-round sales of E15 (gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol) throughout the country by June 1, when summer driving season begins.

“It is crucial for the EPA to get the rule out by June 1, so that our retailers can sell E15 all year, everywhere in the U.S. This change has the potential to create significant new demand for ethanol, which is a key value-added agriculture market for farmers in Nebraska, and so important at this time of an ongoing downturn in agriculture and uncertain global trade,” remarked Jan tenBensel, Chairman of the Board.

NEB Secretary, Randy Gard, stated that “the USDA, state governments, and retailers like Bosselman have made significant investments in the infrastructure needed to sell E15. We want to protect those investments and be able to get a return on them throughout the year, not just nine months out of it. Our customers want to put E15 in their cars. They know it is generally 5 to 6 cents cheaper than regular gasoline and has higher octane, with the engine performance benefits that goes with that. Retailers should be able to sell and customers use E15 year round. There is no good reason why this option should not be available to them, and I hope EPA will issue this rule by June 1.”

Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator Sarah Caswell explained that “the NEB has submitted comments to the EPA urging it to release a final rule by June 1 allowing for year-round E15. In our comments, the NEB stressed to EPA some key changes we would like to see in the final rule that would strengthen its impact to help facilitate the further production and use of ethanol and other biofuels, in accordance with the intent of the Renewable Fuel Standard. We encouraged the agency to issue a final rule allowing for E15 all year throughout the U.S. that does not include some of their more controversial proposals to alter the RIN market.”

Read the Nebraska Ethanol Board’s comments here.

Review the April 1, 2019, press release issued by the offices of Governor Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska Ethanol Board on their comments as part of the U.S. EPA’s March 29, 2019, field hearing on this rulemaking here.

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.

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