NCGA Welcomes Administration Support for High Octane Fuels

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) today recognized the benefits of high octane fuels, such as mid-level ethanol blend, in their proposed SAFE Vehicles rule. The agencies specifically requested comments on how EPA, “could support the production and use of higher octane gasoline” to support compliance with vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards.

 

As corn growers know, ethanol is a high octane fuel that provides a cost effective means for automakers to reduce GHG emissions and improve fuel economy when used with optimized engines. Analyzing fuels and vehicles as a system provides automakers with more flexibility and options to meet vehicle standards. 

 

As an active member of the High Octane Low Carbon Alliance (HOLC), NCGA has advocated for the benefits of high octane fuels. The agencies’ proposed rule today acknowledges HOLC and information we provided on high octane fuels as this proposed rule was drafted. 

 

Moving forward, NCGA will provide comments to EPA and DOT focused on the high octane portions of the proposed rule as part of the organization’s mission to create and increase opportunities for corn growers.

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.