Domestic Fuel

Looks like the discussions are going to kick off right at the upcoming International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW), June 10-13, 2013, in St. Louis, Mo. One of the first sessions will be the Association Roundtable: Mid-Year U.S. Ethanol Policy Update, featuring moderator Tom Bryan, President, BBI International; Bob Dinneen, President & CEO, Renewable Fuels Association; Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy; and Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President, American Coalition for Ethanol, set for Tuesday, June 11 at 9 am:

Join the top executive officers of the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol for a vital summer policy update on safeguarding RFS2, correcting misinformation about RINs, building the market for E15 and mid-level blends and maintaining our national commitment to commercializing advanced and cellulosic ethanol.

Still plenty of time to make your reservation for the event. Click here for more information.

More than 140 speakers will be talking during four track session at the upcoming 2013 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo, the ethanol industry’s largest and longest-running conference. Officials released the agenda for the June 10-13, 2013 event in St. Louis, Mo.

“Attendees of the 29th annual FEW will gain extremely important information about the ethanol industry,” said Tim Portz, Vice President of Content & Executive Editor at BBI International. “This year we had an overwhelming number of speaker abstracts. The large number of submissions, coupled with the feedback from last year’s attendees, that included producers representing 87 percent of all U.S. installed capacity, is helping to shape this conference’s agenda into the most current and relevant FEW we’ve ever produced.”

Track 1: Production
Track 2: Leadership & Financial Management
Track 3: Coproducts
Track 4: Cellulosic & Advanced Ethanol

Check out the entire agenda, and find more information at www.FuelEthanolWorkshop.com.

The general session panel was a highlight for many Monday morning at the 28th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop. Tom Bryan, Vice President BBI International, served as the moderator for the group with panelists Mark Marquis, President and General Manager Marquis Energy Inc., Ray Defenbaugh, President and CEO Big River Resources, Randy Doyal, CEO Al-Corn Clean Fuels and Walt Wendland, President and CEO Golden Grain Energy.

Topics varied from the future of RFS and E15 to traits these industry leaders take to continue their success. But the theme for the event centered around how U.S. ethanol producers are achieving profitability without VEETC. These ethanal plant CEOs and general managers shared their early experiences in this new reality and outlined operational and financial strategies for staying not just on line, but in the black.

Listen to the full panel discussion here: FEW Panel Discussion

2012 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Right after Growth Energy launched a new website featuring a Flex Fuel Finder application, I got to chat with Tom Buis, Growth Energy CEO, and Jeff Broin, Growth Energy Board Member and CEO of POET. They each expressed the positive impact RFS has had on the ethanol industry and the importance of keeping it implemented. Along that line they discussed what tools Growth Energy has put into place to educate the general consumer about E15 and Flex Fuel pumps.

Growth Energy launched a new user-friendly interface for EthanolRetailer.com, a website that seeks to outline the benefits of ethanol and the growing availability of Flex Fuel pumps. The website launch is part of Growth Energy’s new national campaign to increase awareness of E15.

The website is a comprehensive and easy to use resource for current and prospective ethanol retailers across the company, as well as consumers. It also features a Flex Fuel Finder application, which simplifies the process of locating ethanol blend pumps. The application is accessible from both the website and as a smartphone app, making it easier for Americans to locate cheaper, cleaner fuel while on the go.

Listen my interview with Tom Buis and Jeff Broin here: Interview with Growth Energy

2012 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

During the opening session of the 28th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Bob Dinneen, President & CEO, Renewable Fuels Association, addressed producers. Bob highlighted the challenges facing the ethanol industry in the near future and also the importance of maximizing demands. Sporting a “Don’t Mess with the RFS,” button Bob stressed the importance of RFS and what he is doing in Washington, D.C. to keep it in place.

“There are marketplace challenges because margins are tight right now but those are temporary and this is a commodity market selling into a commodity market so that doubles the challenges today. But with the crop that is expected I think most of the people around this room are fairly optimistic that we will get through those.”

“You got to have a button, that’s what makes a campaign, but it also reflects the seriousness with which we take this. RFS has been a tremendous success. When the first Renewable Fuels Standard was enacted in 2005 we were 60% dependent on foreign oil and liquid transportation fuels and today we are 45% dependent. That is a consequence of the growth in ethanol, a result of Renewable Fuels Association and because the people in this room who produce ethanol day in and day out have been successful.”

Listen to my interview with Bob here: Interview with Bob Dinneen

Listen to Bob’s complete keynote address here: Bob Dinneen's Keynote Address

2012 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

The ethanol industry’s largest and longest-running conference, the 2012 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop (FEW) & Expo, has released its agenda for this year’s annual event set for June 4-7, 2012 in Minneapolis, Minn.

The 2012 FEW is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees and will include national and international ethanol producers, investors, industry suppliers and policymakers. More than 140 speakers and four content-packed tracks highlight the show including:

Track 1: Production & Operations
Track 2: Leadership & Financial Management
Track 3: Co-eproducts & Product Diversification
Track 4: Cellulosic & Advanced Ethanol

See the full agenda including a list of current speakers.

“The 28th annual FEW is shaping up to be an exciting event,” said Tom Bryan, Vice President of BBI International. “With Bob Dinneen, President & CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association as one of our keynote speakers, in addition to our more than 140 session speakers, we believe this conference will provide attendees with exciting, current and relevant industry content.”

“Many have expressed concern about the end of VEETC and wondering what affects it will have,” said Nick Jensen, Program Manager for BBI International. “The first general session of the FEW will host five highly respected ethanol board members talking about living in the post VEETC world. Anyone serious about being a part of the ethanol industry moving forward will want to hear what they have to say.”

During the 2011 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop attendees got a chance to see the new documentary from Josh & Rebecca Tickell. I first met Josh during a National Biodiesel Conference before he produced his award winning film, “Fuel.” Together with Rebecca they have now produced a film that should open a lot of people’s eyes about the myths surrounding ethanol. It is called “FREEDOM.”

FREEDOM is a one-hour documentary that takes a hard look at America’s perilous and unsustainable addiction to foreign oil. It explores the role that Ethanol plays as a homegrown alternative that will boost the domestic economy, create jobs and reduce our need to rely on dangerous and unstable parts of the world for our fuel. Filmmakers Josh Tickell and his wife Rebecca set out on a journey to take a fresh look at Ethanol and try to separate the myth from the hyperbole.

Following the screening which was viewed in a packed room at the FEW, I spoke with them about their latest project.

Rebecca says the devastation in the Gulf of Mexico last year spurred them to look into more alternatives to oil. So they did some checking to find out the truths about our main alternative fuel source, ethanol, and had their eyes opened when they looked into the myths surrounding the industry and the fuel. They spoke to experts on all sides of the debate including the authors of anti-ethanol studies.

They chose the title, “FREEDOM,” because event though we were promised by our current President in his election campaign that he would bring our troops home from the Middle East, we have actually increased the number of our soldiers there. Developing our own renewable fuel choices would give us freedom from that situation. They also point out the complete lack of a fuel choice at the pump and say that’s not freedom either.

The couple is embarking on a 30-city FREEDOM bus tour to promote their new film and you can see the schedule and find out more about the project on their website. You can watch and purchase the film there. They are producing a 90 minute theatrical version of the film too.

You may want to consider purchasing the film to show to your neighbors and friends or your favorite skeptic. How about sending a copy to your elected leaders? It’s great for generating conversation!

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

Pioneer was demonstrating the new mobile app for their Dynamic Pricing Platform during the just concluded 2011 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop. I spoke with Steve Crowe, Pioneer Business Manager, Biofuels about the new method of interacting with your DPP account. That’s his iPhone in the photo in front of the monitor showing the desktop version.

Steve says that smartphones have become so prevalent that they created both iPhone and Android versions of the app. You’ll need a DPP account to use the app but the app is free. He says producer feedback has been great. It allows ethanol plants a way to reach out directly to local farmers to purchase grain. No seed purchase is necessary btw. Steve Crowe Interview

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

The mood was very upbeat at the 27th International Fuel Ethanol Workshop. I spoke with Tom Bryan, BBI International, about how he would characterize this year’s event which concluded yesterday.

Tom says the technical sessions were extremely well attended. In fact, chairs had to be added to some of them due to the attendance in them. He says there were over 2,000 in attendance this year. That may not be as high as several years ago but shows that the industry is resilient and upbeat for the future. Tom Bryan Interview

I have several more interviews from this year’s event that I will be posting over the coming days. Thanks a lot to BBI International for allowing me to attend and for all the support they provide us. Their crew is top notch and a joy to work with.

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

At the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop the Reverend of Renewable Fuels, Bob Dinneen, CEO, Renewable Fuels Association took the stage as a keynote speaker. Bob started his presentation with a report on several policy issues and then moved to a “conversation” with attendees in which he took questions.

Bob first touched on yesterday’s EPA announcement of a label for E15. He says it’s not everything they hoped for but it’s not as bad as had been feared. It does show that the EPA considers E15 a viable fuel. Hopefully we’ll see the fuel in the market soon. Bob then moved on to the latest votes in Congress and what was really going on in the background and what those votes really mean. You can listen to Bob’s presentation here: Bob Dinneen Keynote

You can also watch Bob on stage with the first part of his presentation before he took questions and answers:

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

This morning at the 2011 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop, the 2011 Award of Excellence was presented to Dr. Bruce Dale, Michigan State University, by BBI International VP, Tom Bryan.

Dale, professor of chemical engineering and associate director of the office of biobased technologies at Michigan State University, received the award for his extensive research in the areas of indirect land use change (ILUC) and the production of cellulosic ethanol. Earlier this year, he co-authored an analysis of ILUC which found no correlation between U.S. biofuel production and land use change in other countries.

In accepting the award, Dr. Dale recounted how he was the son of a mining engineer and that the towns where he grew up are now ghost towns because the ore has been depleted. “Because the industry on which they were based is not a renewable industry,” he said. When he became a chemical engineer and realized that he was most likely to end up working for the oil industry, he committed himself instead to develop large-scale renewable fuels.

Listen to the rest of his remarks here: Dr. Bruce Dale Remarks

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

Following this morning’s opening plenary session at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Tom Buis, CEO, Growth Energy, met with members of the press. He gave us an overview of where things stand on a number of issues facing the ethanol industry before taking questions. I’ve posted the overview for you to listen to.

Tom’s farm is right down the road from Indianapolis so he was very happy to come to FEW this year. He says that even with all the challenges facing the industry there are a lot of opportunities. He started out discussing the most recent political maneuvering on ethanol policy. He says they will continue to work on policy issues like infrastructure, tax credit extensions and Federal investment into flex fuel technology. He says the big question is “Where do we find a legislative vehicle that actually is going to get enacted into law?” You can listen to or download Tom’s remarks on this and other issues here. Growth Energy Press Conference

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

Our “Keynote Conversation” this morning at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop was between Brian France, NASCAR CEO (left) and Tom Buis, Growth Energy, CEO. These two CEO’s talked about the relationship between the racing league and American Ethanol and what it means for ethanol producers and the general public. As we have seen with the Indy Racing League starting several years ago and continuing today, the high performance race cars of NASCAR are now proving that they can run just fine on a fifteen percent blend. At the beginning of the conversation you’ll hear Brian talk about how well ethanol performs in their cars. “Our industry with a lot of testing in the most difficult circumstances, 500 miles at 200MPH . . . this fuel has been a great fuel for NASCAR and we’re happy to be your partner.” He says it has been a step in the direction of going green since the fuel reduces emissions. I think you’ll find the conversation very enlightening, especially if you’re one of the critics out there who for some reason refuse to believe the facts on performance and why we should all be supporting an American made biofuel.

You can listen to or download the conversation here. A NASCAR Conversation at FEW

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

At the beginning of this morning’s opening session of the Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Rick Tolman, CEO, National Corn Growers Association, was presented the High Octane Award by Tom Bryan, BBI International. I will post Rick’s comments later this morning after this plenary session.

Our morning session includes a conversation between NASCAR CEO Brian France and Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. That’s taking place now. I will also have that posted later today as well.

Post Update: Here are Rick’s comments from this morning’s award presentation. Rick Tolman Award Remarks

2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.

The 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is underway in Indianapolis, IN. The program gets underway tomorrow. I’ll be providing photos and interviews during the next several days.

I got in during the opening reception which was held in the trade show. It was a nice relaxing time to catch up with friends in the industry.

The program is fully packed with simultaneous workshops and general sessions that will cover some of the most current issues in the industry. I’m collecting photos in an online photo album which you can find here: 2011 FEW Photo Album

Our coverage of the 2011 Fuel Ethanol Workshop is being made possible by the Renewable Fuels Association.