With vaccinated drivers hitting the road and a growing international dialogue around clean energy, optimism in our industry is running high. In May, I hosted our 12th Annual Executive Leadership Conference, alongside Growth Energy plant members and innovators, where we discussed our industry’s ambitions and bold plans for the future. After a tough year, it was truly inspiring to see so many colleagues and peers in one place.

Together, we’re framing the future on our terms, building on a growing appreciation among lawmakers for the full diversity of our industry and the vital role biofuels play in addressing climate change.

During our opening session, I noted early signals that this administration is ready to act as a partner in our efforts to grow demand by taking steps toward the inclusion of biofuel relief in the next round of COVID assistance and backing our industry’s position in the U.S. Supreme Court against improper small refinery exemptions.

The promise of that partnership was on full display at this year’s ELC, which featured virtual appearances by U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Regan, the first sitting EPA administrator to address our ELC in a decade, touted biofuels’ role in President Joe Biden’s administration’s agenda and emphasized his intention to insert greater transparency into agency actions and finalize 2021 and 2022 renewable volume obligations (RVO) by late fall. Vilsack trumpeted his agency’s commitment to biofuels, stating that “you can look to USDA as a champion for market-based solutions to climate change, for championing biobased products like renewable fuels, and for putting American agriculture at the heart of rural revitalization.”

Even with these positive trends, many challenges remain. That’s why we’ll continue to call on the White House to include biofuels in its infrastructure plans and shut down the previous administration’s penchant for issuing improper refinery exemptions, in accordance with the 10th Circuit’s 2020 opinion on the issue. We need regulators to restore integrity to the Renewable Fuel Standard and tear down barriers to growth. That means establishing strong biofuel targets for 2021 and 2022 and setting robust new standards for future years. It also means acting swiftly to lift labeling requirements on E15 and limits on the use of existing infrastructure for higher blends, and clearing the backlog of approvals for cellulosic pathways.

There is no path towards a net-zero future without plant-based biofuels. That’s why we’re working to ensure a level playing field for biofuels alongside other climate solutions. For example, Congress must ensure its commitment to green infrastructure includes all low-carbon fuels, not just electrification.

Growth Energy has expanded its market development team, adding top retail veteran Mike Lorenz to lead our global and domestic market development efforts. Together, we’re working with retail entities representing more than 50,000 sites across the country and building new awareness among consumers about the benefits of E15.

There could not be a better time to highlight how American bioethanol is leading the way as the single most affordable and abundant source of low-carbon fuel—available today—on the planet, which is why we unveiled our new consumer initiative at ELC. The Get Biofuel “Fuel Beyond” campaign is an important element of our market development strategy to expand access to higher biofuel blends. We now have a full-throttle industry effort that includes pursuing pro-growth policy, leveraging commercial opportunities, and spurring consumer demand—the E15 trifecta.

Over the past year, we have all seen how resilient the biofuel sector has been in the face of extraordinary challenges. Now, with fewer headwinds and a new administration, it’s time to show the world what our industry can do when the fight is no longer just about survival but about framing a brighter, healthier future fueled by bioethanol.

Published in July 2021 issue of Ethanol Producer Magazine