November 25, 2013
BY Holly Jessen
Every winter, Harlan Schott, a director on the Glacial Lakes Energy board, and his wife, Donna, travel to Jamaica. While there, the Vermillion, S.D., residents are often there with people from the East Coast.
Last winter, Schott decided to take along an “Ethanol, Fueled with Pride” T-shirt, which he wore as a cover up. What happened surprised him and brought a whole new dimension to the trip, he wrote in a past Glacial Lakes newsletter. I thought it was such an interesting story I contacted Schott and asked if I could share his story with our readers and he said yes.
The first day he wore the shirt, two people asked Schott if ethanol meant the fuel made from corn. He told them that, yes, he was part of a group that owns ethanol plants in South Dakota. “Their strong reaction surprised me,” he said. “They asked how we could support ethanol, when it’s using up all of the food in the world and supports only ag lobbies and large agricultural companies like Monsanto?”
The adventure didn’t end there. The next day he had more people congregated around him and none of them were fans of ethanol. When he asked why they were so against ethanol, they told him they had read news stories about the subsidies farmers received. One man even said he had traveled through South Dakota and talked about the half a million dollar combines farmers had but only use a few days a week. Another person claimed it was unrealistic to expect that ethanol could ever make the U.S. energy independent. “While I wasn’t prepared for the strong response my shirt elicited, this experience provided me a unique opportunity to pull out some facts and hopefully dispel some myths,” he said.
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Schott waded in, explaining that ethanol, a value-added product, has helped to increase the standard of living for farmers. And, while ethanol production does reduce dependence on foreign oil, the corn-based fuel was never meant to make the country totally energy independent. Finally, ethanol is a more environmentally friendly product that lowers the amount of toxic emissions from vehicles, reducing air pollution. And, he explained about distillers grains role in animal feed markets. “These were messages my newfound audience had never heard, and some asked why these positive attributes of ethanol weren’t talked about in the media,” he said. “I don’t know if I changed anyone’s opinion, but at least I gave them factual information.”
Wearing an ethanol T-shirt was an eye-opening experience for Schott. It made him realize that ethanol and agricultural supporters sometimes live in a bubble and expect others to understand the industries. But, even in South Dakota, a state with a large rural population, most people are three or even four generations removed from an ag background. “We can hire lobbyists and PR firms to represent us, but it’s important we tell our own story,” he said. “Take the time to tell others that we’re proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it, and that we produce ethanol for the right reasons. We don’t have to apologize for anything. In fact, maybe more of us should start wearing an ethanol T-shirt. And then let the conversations begin.”
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The U.S. Energy Information Administration maintained its forecast for 2025 and 2026 biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released July 8.
XCF Global Inc. on July 10 shared its strategic plan to invest close to $1 billion in developing a network of SAF production facilities, expanding its U.S. footprint, and advancing its international growth strategy.
U.S. fuel ethanol capacity fell slightly in April, while biodiesel and renewable diesel capacity held steady, according to data released by the U.S. EIA on June 30. Feedstock consumption was down when compared to the previous month.
XCF Global Inc. on July 8 provided a production update on its flagship New Rise Reno facility, underscoring that the plant has successfully produced SAF, renewable diesel, and renewable naphtha during its initial ramp-up.
The USDA’s Risk Management Agency is implementing multiple changes to the Camelina pilot insurance program for the 2026 and succeeding crop years. The changes will expand coverage options and provide greater flexibility for producers.