The Big River Resources ethanol plant at West Burlington, Iowa, about 120 km southwest of Davenport. (Steven Vaughn photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Biden backs ethanol industry on low-emission aviation fuel tax credits

Aviation is seen as one of the few routes to increase ethanol demand amid rising electric vehicle sales

Reuters - The Biden administration said on Friday it will recognize a methodology favored by the ethanol industry in guidance to companies looking to claim tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a pivotal win for the politically powerful U.S. corn lobby.

(Jimfeng/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. to boost biofuel mandates over next three years

Biofuel groups still feel shortchanged

Reuters — The Biden administration on Wednesday increased the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into the United States’ fuel mix over the next three years, but the plan has angered the biofuel industry, which says mandates for corn-based ethanol and biodiesel are not high enough. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized […] Read more

Dairy Distillery produces alcohols from a milk byproduct called milk permeate. It produces vodka, hand sanitizer, and will now be producing ethanol for fuel.

Dairy Distillery plans fuel ethanol plant in Michigan

The plant in Michigan plans to produce 2.2 million gallons of ethanol per year to displace 14,000 tonnes of carbon

Ontario’s Dairy Distillery is moving into a new type of alcohol through a partnership with a Michigan dairy co-operative to process waste milk permeate into ethanol. Dairy Distillery is known for its transformation of whey and milk permeate into vodka, called VodKow, which is now available across the province at LCBO stores. Why it matters: […] Read more

File photo of a combine at work during a harvest in Germany. (Abadonian/iStock/Getty Images)

Germany considering withdrawal from crop-based biofuels by 2030

Lawmakers seek to boost biofuel made from wastes

Hamburg | Reuters — Germany’s government is considering proposals to phase out the use of biofuels produced from food or animal feed crops by 2030, the German biofuels industry association (VDB) said on Tuesday, adding the measure could increase carbon emissions. German environment minister Steffi Lemke said Jan. 17 she will soon send proposals to […] Read more

(Scharfsinn86/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. EPA proposes revamp of biofuel program to include EVs

Mandated biofuel levels to rise through 2025

New York | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday unveiled a three-year proposal to expand the U.S. biofuels policy with bigger volume mandates and — for the first time — to include a pathway for electric vehicle manufacturers to generate lucrative credits. Biden wants to fight climate change by reducing fossil fuel […] Read more


CBOT January 2023 soybeans (candlesticks, right column) with 20- and 100-day moving averages and CBOt January 2023 soyoil (blue line, left column). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy snaps win streak on disappointing biofuel mandates

Wheat falls on export sale data; soy weakness weighs on corn

Winnipeg | Reuters — Chicago soybeans fell on Thursday, snapping five days of gains as soybean oil sold off sharply after the U.S. government proposed smaller-than-expected biofuels blending requirements. Wheat slid on disappointing export sales, while soybean weakness dragged corn lower. The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) settled down 39-3/4 […] Read more

A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team found that the Renewable Fuel Standard drove up corn prices by about 30 per cent.

Opinion: Beware of the POTUS effect

It’s well known that U.S. President Joe Biden faces a steep challenge when it comes to winning over voters in farm states, but his efforts of late should give farmers here on the northern side of the border pause. That’s especially so when the goals of ramping up production and curbing inflation appear in the […] Read more



CBOT July 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (light green line) and MGEX and K.C. July 2022 wheats (yellow and orange lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat firms after earlier slide

Corn struggles to regain; soy firm

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures gained on Thursday after reaching two-month lows as liquidation by investment funds abated and supply tensions remained despite talks to reopen Ukrainian ports that have been blocked since Russia’s invasion. A large wheat purchase by Egypt and a report that the U.S. government may retroactively raise an ethanol […] Read more

(ThamKC/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. EPA allows temporary summer sales of higher-ethanol fuel

Waiver seen as score for corn growers

New York | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency waiver for a higher-ethanol gasoline blend on Friday, allowing summertime sales of the fuel in an attempt to help lower gasoline prices at the pump. The move represents a temporary win for the biofuels industry and corn farmers, as it will likely […] Read more