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EPA: Grain sorghum ethanol is renewable fuel

Grain sorghum has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as an eligible feedstock for an advanced biofuel under the Renewable Fuels Standard. Terry Swanson, a grower in southeast Colorado and chairman of the National Sorghum Producers, says this is a great day for the U.S. sorghum industry.

“That’s going to open up a BIG marketing opportunity for grain sorghum because, right now, most of those biofuels are being produced with the right carbon footprint in South America.”  South America is the primary producer of ethanol from sugar cane.

Swanson says this will give grain sorghum a competitive edge. He tells Brownfield Ag News, “That’ll let us produce that here locally and supply California, especially with the required ethanol that they need with the right carbon footprint.”

The EPA has determined that grain sorghum, when used to make ethanol at facilities that use natural gas, has a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of 32 percent, qualifying it as conventional ethanol.  The National Sorghum Producers has been working with the EPA for more than a year to achieve this status.

AUDIO: Interview with Terry Swanson at NAFB Trade Talk, Nov. 8, 2012 (3:00 mp3)

  • Duh, EPA! Why did it take a year to answer the questions and reach this conclusion? Surely the Obama Administration could be more efficient.

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