Representatives of the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol on June 13 discussed the future of the U.S. ethanol industry during a general session panel at the 39^th annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, which kicked off this week in Omaha, Nebraska.

Troy Bredenkamp, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at RFA; Chris Bliley, senior vice president of regulatory affairs at Growth Energy; and Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE, participated in the general session’s association leadership panel. The panel discussed a wide range of issues, including the importance of lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) modeling that accurately reflects the carbon intensity (CI) of ethanol, the ways in which that modeling impacts markets, and access to tax credits, including the 45Z clean fuel production credit created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The panel also discussed how across-the-board electrification is not a practical solution to reducing GHG emissions, particularly in the transportation sector, and the importance of building support for the Next Generation Fuel Act, which Jennings called a “more intelligent energy transition.” That legislation, which has been introduced in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, includes several provisions that would benefit the U.S. ethanol industry, including the establishment of a high-octane, low-carbon fuel standard. It would also establish a minimum research octane number (RON) standard of 98 for gasoline and require automobile manufacturers to design and warrant their vehicles to allow fuels containing higher levels of ethanol. “It’s just a much smarter roadmap to get us to a better place if you’re interested in reducing pollution within the tailpipe, if you’re interested in reducing carbon pollution, I think there’s an FFV element to it as well,” Jennings said.

The panelists also unpacked the future of the Renewable Fuel Standard post-2022 and the upcoming RFS “set” rule. Bliley announced that Growth Energy today agreed to an extension, giving EPA one more week to promulgate the final renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2023, 2024 and 2025, requiring the agency to issued the rule by June 21.

Bredenkamp discussed the importance of accurate lifecycle GHG modeling regarding opportunities to use ethanol as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) via alcohol-to-jet technology in light of the SAF tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act. “I can’t overemphasize the importance of modeling, and in the IRA it’s as important as anything,” he said.

The panelists also discussed support and challenges for E15 use at the state and national levels. “It’s really about access … we’ve run 75 billion consumer miles on E15,” Bliley said. “We’ve had a lot of critics, but we’ haven’t run into any problems.”

Also during the general session, BBI International and Ethanol Producer Magazine presented Mick Henderson, general manager at Commonwealth Agri-Energy LLC, with the 2023 High Octane Award, and Keli Davis, vice president of New Energy Blue, with the 2023 Award of Excellence.

Nearly 2,400 attendees representing 27 countries, 48 U.S. states and seven Canadian providences have gathered in Omaha for the FEW. This year’s event also featured a co-located Carbon Capture & Storage Summit and a Biodiesel Summit that features presentations on the growing SAF and renewable diesel industries.