Latest News From EPA

John Phipps says he was aware that the West and especially the southern Plains had high average wind speeds, he didn't realize the Midwest was also a good place to site wind turbines, especially the newer, larger ones.

The lawsuit claims the EPA failed to "fully assess" the affect increased corn for ethanol production will have on endangered species, including land conversion and increased fertilizer and pesticide use.

U.S. climate legislation collapsed last week, and analysts say it could hamper the development of clean-burning transportation fuels. Biofuels groups were banking on the legislation to boost investment in fuels like SAF.

Infuriating price increases are the topic of the day, and but like the 80’s, rising inflation is driven largely by energy and the price of oil. It's now less about the supply of oil, and more about refining capacity.

“Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible solution to the crisis of the day,” says Chief Justice Roberts.

NCGA sees the new labeling requirements as a way to “impose arduous new restrictions and mitigation measures on the herbicide, limiting how much of the product farmers use.”

With drivers searching for the cheapest gas price possible, gasoline with higher blends of ethanol is seeing an uptick in demand as E85 is currently priced 30% to 40% less than E10.

EPA hosted its fifth WOTUS roundtable last week with the Kansas Livestock Association, revealing murky waters in the WOTUS definition.

EPA finalized its RVO ruling on Friday, which shows the total renewable fuel level for 2022 is set at 20.63 billion gallons, down from the 20.77 billion gallons originally proposed.

The White House is considering waiving U.S. gasoline environmental rules aimed at reducing summertime smog, hoping the waiver will combat rising pump prices, Reuters reported.

“This flawed system isn’t due to rains or weather. Unless we have remedial practices and advocate for cover crops, buffer strips and diversity, we can’t solve the problem," says Former USDA Soil Scientist Thicke.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan hints at a major uptick in renewable fuel blending obligations to be announced on June 3rd, as ethanol production is stunted by railway inefficiencies.

Year-round E15 will be announced by President Joe Biden today at a Poet bioethanol facility in Menlo, Iowa. The EPA will make the move official in a waiver closer to the beginning of June.

The White House is considering temporarily removing restrictions on summer sales of higher-ethanol gasoline blends as a way to lower fuel costs for U.S. consumers, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The recent action means Enlist One and Enlist Duo can now be used in all counties of Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

As the White House looks to fill the gap of displaced Russian oil, agriculture says E15 is a ready-made answer. Analysis by the Nebraska Ethanol Board shows why bumping blends to E15 could ease prices at the pump.

In 2021, the agency reported it received 3,500 dicamba-related incident reports, including approximately 711 incidents in Minnesota and 528 incidents in Iowa.

Oil prices soared to their highest since 2008 due to delays of Iranian nuclear talks and the potential return of Iranian crude to global markets, which are already suffering from Russian supply disruptions.

A new Reuters report indicates the White House is exploring a solution that would remove Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) blending requirements for ethanol to help soften increasing food prices. 

The Biden administration laid a stake in MP Materials for their battery plans that will likely power future fleets of electric vehicles.

The EPA says prior to Jan. 11, 2022, the agency “did not consistently assess the potential effects of conventional pesticides on listed species when registering new active ingredients.”

As gasoline prices climbed this year, is it policy or other factors that fueled the rise? John Phipps covers the topic in U.S. Farm Report's Customer Support.

The potential elimination of stepped-up basis proved to be a hot-button topic for agriculture in 2021. Pro Farmer's Ag Person of the Year earned the award for his work in stepped-up basis and Clean Air Act mandates.

As airlines jet out to reduce their carbon footprint, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel are taking flight. And analysts say it could be a demand boon for U.S. farmers.

After months of waiting on the Biden administration's plans for the RFS and pending waivers, EPA released updated blending requirements earlier this week. The announcement also came with plans for financial relief.

The EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are seeking comment on the pre-2015 WOTUS rule published in the Federal Register.

The White House announced Tuesday it's tapping into oil reserves in an effort to help relieve the rising prices at the pump. But could the decision drive oil prices higher and impact corn prices? Analysts weigh in.

Is there any correlation between President Biden's energy policy and current prices at the pump? John weighs in on a viewer's question during U.S. Farm Report's Customer Support segment.

Build Back Better heads to the Senate while Conservation Credit Corporation allocates $27 billion to conservation. Plus, when will the EPA announce RFS mandates?

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is scheduled to be signed by President Biden this afternoon. The Build Back Better plan has a way to go, but the White House hopes to have it approved as late as this weekend.

EPA released an environmental impact evaluation of commonly used herbicides such as glyphosate and atrazine. The report released Nov. 12 has several ag groups frustrated, even questioning "the science" EPA used. 

Pro Farmer's Jim Wiesemeyer reports EPA Administrator Michael Regan says the biofuels blending requirements won't favor oil or agriculture, comments that lead to more chatter a RFS announcement may finally be coming.

The $1.2T infrastructure bill passed through the House following months of negotiation. Farm country can expect $550 billion in new spending. AgriTalk’s Chip Flory and Pro Farmer’s Jim Wiesemeyer take a closer look.

A group of U.S. Democratic lawmakers called on President Joe Biden to halt a plan to slash the amount of biofuels that oil refiners must blend into their fuel, according to a letter dated Monday.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported EPA is mulling cuts to biofuel blending levels, calling it a win for big oil. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley commented on the RFS rumors on AgriTalk.

The EPA is proposing big cuts to the nation's biofuel blending requirements for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, according to a document seen by Reuters, in a move that is sure to anger farmers and biofuel producers. 

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday ordered his administration to find ways to ensure people are protected from extreme heat, including through work-related rules and other cooling efforts.

Reports last week claimed EPA was prepared to suggest lowering the renewable fuel volume requirements below 2020 levels. Monday, biofuels groups provided some clarity on what are the facts of the issue today.

The EPA is expected to recommend to the White House lowering the nation's biofuel blending mandates below 2020 levels, in what would be a blow to the biofuels industry, two sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

EPA is banning the use on food crops of the pesticide chlorpyrifos. The decision is a victory for environmental activists who have fought to stop the use of the chemical that is applied to row and produce crops. 

Biofuels groups are asking for a rehearing on a recent appeals court decision that blocked the sale of E15 year-round. The approval of E15 sales during the summer driving season was made by the Trump Administration.

Solar could supply more than 40% of the nation's electricity by 2035 if Congress adopts policies like tax credits for renewable energy projects and component factories, according to a memo by the Department of Energy.

U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil Corp, along with Chevron Corp, is seeking to bulk up in the burgeoning renewable fuels space by finding ways to make such products at existing facilities, Reuters sources said.

Biden signed an executive order to create a zero-emissions auto fleet by boosting the sale of electric vehicles. The plan also updated emissions standards for light cars and trucks but made no mention of ethanol.

President Biden will sign an executive order on Thursday aimed at making half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles and will propose new vehicle-emission rules to cut pollution through 2026.

A trade group representing some of America's biggest baked goods companies is urging Biden to ratchet back its biofuel ambitions, arguing using fuel made from crops could raise the cost of donuts, bread and other foods.

EPA announced it's creating a durable definition of WOTUS by reverting back to the pre-Obama era rule as a framework. EPA is encouraging farmers and ranchers to weigh in during a series of public meetings in August.

As gasoline demand makes history, two court decisions put ethanol’s optimism on a detour in the short-term. That's as the biofuels industry say they'll continue to work in Washington, D.C. to make the case for ethanol.

AgriTalk's Chip Flory and Pro Farmer’s Jim Wiesemeyer are joined by Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. They discuss recent court decisions impacting the ethanol industry, how to expedite higher blends and more.

Renewable fuels groups were dealt a blow Friday as the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision to overturn a 2020 appellate court ruling that said EPA could only grant waivers to refiners that had previously received them.