Among the highlights of the conference will be opening general session keynoter Dr. James Canton, futurist and CEO of the Institute for Global Futures. For over 30 years, Canton has been insightfully predicting the key trends that have shaped our world and he will discuss the importance of engaging consumers to grow demand and improve the biofuels industry image.

The opening day luncheon address will feature presidential advisors Karl Rove and Robert Gibbs who will provide their “Insider Perspectives on Election 2012 – The Presidency and Congress.” Rove was one of President George W. Bush’s closest confidants and advisors, and Robert Gibbs has been a longtime advisor to President Obama.

With ethanol exports booming, speakers including former U.S. trade ambassador Mickey Kantor will address the trade opportunities and challenges facing U.S. producers as they seek to expand international markets.

Early registration and convention hotel rates both expire soon. Registration fees for the NEC increase by $100 after January 26. The room block at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center also expires on January 26.

The NEC will be held Feb. 22 to 24 in Orlando, Fla., at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. The NEC is the perfect opportunity for students interested in the world of renewable fuels to meet and connect with ethanol industry leaders, policymakers and experts in the field of renewable fuels. Find out more about the conference here.

Canton is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor who has been insightfully predicting the key trends that have shaped our world for over 30 years. He founded the Institute for Global Futures in 1990 as a leading think tank to advise business and government on future trends.

Canton is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the opening general session of the National Ethanol Conference on Thursday morning, February 23, in Orlando. Registration is now open for the Renewable Fuels Association 17th Annual National Ethanol Conference – Accelerating Industry Innovation. The conference will be held February 22-24 in Orlando, Florida at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.

More information can be found on the conference website – NationalEthanolConference.com.

Karl Rove will speak from the Republican perspective. Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000–2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004–2007. He is known as “The Architect” of President Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns.

From the Democrat angle, NEC participants will hear from Robert Gibbs, who has been an advisor and strategist to President Obama from the early days of Obama’s 2004 Senate race on to the White House. Most recently, Gibbs has served as President Obama’s Press Secretary.

Registration is now open for the Renewable Fuels Association National Ethanol Conference – Accelerating Industry Innovation. The conference will be held February 22-24 in Orlando, Florida at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.

More information can be found on the conference website – NationalEthanolConference.com.

The program will highlight how the industry has and continues to evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing marketplace. With federal policy changing, the global, market-driven environment in which the industry must compete comes with new market challenges. Industry leaders and experts will address how we are meeting these new demands by accelerating innovation in technology, marketing, logistics and feedstocks for the production of advanced ethanol.

More information can be found on the conference website – NationalEthanolConference.com.

This song is a parody of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” with lyrics tailored especially for corn farmers and ethanol producers. Here are some of the words:

I keep on growing, this corn of mine
I keep telling the truth about the lying
I know that ethanol is worth the fighting
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

Now many say it’s just a foil
That there’s no way to get off the oil
But a farmer can’t be stopped from trying
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

Enjoy!

Miller has been the Chairman of RFA three times and helped establish and served on the Technical Committee for 10 years. He is only the second person to receive the Membership Award.

Ron Miller began his ethanol career in 1981, fresh out of the oil industry. One of his first steps, along with two other companies, was to form RFA. Today, he owns a consulting firm called Prisma Advisors and specializes in working with advanced biofuels companies.

Miller notes that while the industry has gone from producing a 100 million gallons per year or so back in the early ’80s to now 10 percent of the total U.S. gasoline gallons, the same problems the country had then, are still the same problems the country has today: energy, economy and environment.

“We’ve grown a lot but the problems are still the same. It might be a little different in the way they’re looked at, but the challenges of trying to grow the industry are still there,” said Miller.

While Miller said the past 30 years have been a wild ride, he’s loved every minute of it and he’s looking forward to the years ahead which he believes will be the best yet.

Listen to or download the interview with Ron Miller here: Ron Miller Interview

Those on the panel were (LtoR) George Fitch, Director of the Caribbean Basic Ethanol Producers Association; Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association; Marcos Jank, president and CEO of Brazil’s UNICA; Robert Vierhout, Secretary General of ePURE, European Renewable Ethanol; and Gordon Quaiattini, president of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association.

Moderator Bliss Baker with the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance started the session off with a bang by asking Jank his opinion on the United States tariff on imported ethanol. “I’d like to say ‘happy 30th anniversary’ to RFA,” Jank responded, turning his attention to Dinneen on his right. “I was questioning myself, if after 30 years the industry is not now a mature industry, which means if the industry still needs subsidy or not, still needs a tariff or not.”

Noting that the U.S. is now the largest ethanol producer in the world, Jank said to Dinneen, “I hope that in three years you will be a free trader as we are. It’s time to eliminate the tariff, it’s time to compete.”

The Caribbean’s Fitch challenged Jank’s position on the tariff issue and encouraged Brazil to avoid taking action against the U.S. tariff with the WTO. “The tariff is not WTO actionable,” Fitch said. “So what you’re doing is creating trade hostilities that you don’t need to create.” He suggested instead that Brazil continue marketing ethanol to the U.S. through the Caribbean Basin. “I would think that UNICA might want to use this as an initiative on their part,” he said. Brazil now can have their own Caribbean Basin Initiative to help countries not as advanced as they are … as opposed to getting into what could be a very nasty trade fight by going after the tariff.”

Dinneen pointed out that the U.S. is now shipping ethanol to Brazil because production has declined in the last year. “We ought not be trying to carve up the pie and go after each others’ industry,” said Dinneen. “The real battle here is how do we grow the international biofuels market so that we are taking more and more out of petroleum.”

Putting in his two cents, Vierhout noted that his organization in Europe is only a year old, “so if someone is entitled to duties, it is us!” However, his concern is with subsidies, not tariffs. “I don’t believe in the concept of free trade, it’s about fair trade,” he said. “So if you’re going to use national subsidies to launch your trade, we are utterly against it” adding that they would consider legal action against the blenders tax credit, or VEETC.

Unable to let that comment go, Dinneen responded that the intention of the current tax credit is for domestic ethanol use, not export and he encouraged Vierhout to do something about the European tariff schedule that encourages the import of ethanol blended gasoline. “You’re right, we need to fix that at our end, and we’re working on that,” said Vierhout.

Canada’s Quaiattini was happy to note that they have the pleasure of experiencing free trade with the United States. “We have some exports of ethanol going into the U.S. market, we have U.S. ethanol coming into the Canadian market. Under NAFTA, that is our world,” he said.

And that was just the first 15 minutes of the hour long panel! Listen to it all here – I promise you, it is entertaining. NEC Global Ethanol Outlook Panel

I also had the chance to talk with Bliss Baker to get his comments after the panel. Listen to that interview here: Bliss Baker Interview

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Also according to the report, ethanol production is contributing to our nation’s financial well-being. In 2010, the report calculated that ethanol production contributed $53.6 billion to the national Gross Domestic Product and added $36 billion to American household incomes. It also discovered that the increased economic activity and income generated by America’s ethanol industry added nearly $12 billion to federal, state and local governments through increased tax revenue.

In another area, the report found that the production of 13 billion gallons of ethanol equated to the importation of 445 million less barrels of oil in 2010 used to refine gasoline. To give you a comparison, this is more oil than America imports from Saudi Arabia annually, and displacing these barrels of oil saved the U.S. $34 billion last year.

“The investments we have made in our domestic ethanol industry are paying dividends in thousands of communities all across the nation,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen. “The jobs, economic activity, and energy security benefits we are witnessing today thanks to a commitment to renewable alternatives to imported oil are just scratching the surface. Continued innovation in ethanol technologies along with a renewed commitment to giving Americans more control over their energy future will create hundreds of thousands of more jobs and put America back in business as a leader in energy innovation.”

I took a drive with Mark Maher, GM Executive Director for Powertrain and Vehicle Integration, to learn more about the company’s commitment to FFVs and what’s so new about the Buick Regal Turbo. “It’s got a 2.4 liter turbo-charged, E85 flex fuel vehicle engine and it’s also direct injected,” said Maher. “That helps with efficiency and it allows us to have a slightly higher compression ratio to improve efficiency. So, it’s a great match with high concentration ethanol fuels like E85 that are high octane.” Maher says 40 percent of GM vehicles were FFV, 45 percent this year, and they are hoping for 50 percent next year.

Maher had some great comments during his presentation to the NEC about E85 energy efficiency in FFVs and about the importance of not taking E85 for granted. “We need to make sure that ethanol gets credit for the CO2 reduction potential that it brings,” he explains.

Listen to or download my interview with Mark Maher here: Mark Maher Interview

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

This edition of “The Ethanol Report” podcast features an interview with RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen on the conference, the state of the ethanol industry, the new Advanced Ethanol Council and recent developments in Congress regarding funding for ethanol expansion, as well as thoughts about higher oil prices.

The 2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album is up to date with all the conference photos and more posts will be added in the days to come. It was a great conference and we would just like to say “Happy Anniversary RFA!”

Listen to or download the Ethanol Report on the 2011 NEC here: Ethanol Report on National Ethanol Conference

This year’s five winners hailed from all over the country and are interested in a variety of areas related to the ethanol industry. From left to right, they are: Kai Nortey, a graduate student of Integrated Marketing and PR at Golden Gate University in California; Ethanol Kenney, who is pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Anuradha Mukherjee pursuing her PhD in chemical engineering at Oklahoma State; Julia O’Rourke, a second year MS/PhD student in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas; and Derek Latil de Ros, who recently graduated from the University of Illinois with the first Master’s degree in the U.S. focused on Bioenergy.

This talented group of young people are energetic and enthusiastic about the future of ethanol in the nation. I had a chance to interview Kai and found her to be overflowing with passion for the industry and focused on sharing her excitement with others. “We have to use alternative media sources to help get the message out there,” Kai says. She has her own blog about ethanol – evolvewithe85.blogspot.com – and she also has a Facebook page and Twitter account devoted to E85 in particular. In addition, she is in the process of using a Flex Fuel converter to make her 2005 Honda Civic capable of using up to 85 percent ethanol.

Listen to or download my interview with Kai Nortey here to hear her enthusiasm for ethanol: Kai Nortey Interview

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

“Still our biggest challenge is that we can overproduce the market,” Tolman said during an interview after a presentation at the National Ethanol Conference on Monday. “Farmers respond to incentives, there’s an incentive right now to produce. I can guarantee we’ll have a big crop in 2011.”

Tolman makes that confident prediction after an informal survey of the NCGA farmer board members, who are mostly ahead of the game right now as far as being ready for spring planting, compared to where they were a year ago. “We had a great fall, farmers got their crop out of the field, they did their fall tillage, they did their application of inputs. We’re coming into the season in about as perfect a condition as you can have,” he said, adding that odds favor significant yields in 2011 and a larger carryover in 2012.

Tolman says NCGA is in the midst of a study commissioned by Informa Economics to look out to 2020 with different scenarios, including one in which there would be 20 billion gallons of corn ethanol produced. “The key point here is, even under a 20 billion gallon scenario, we see stocks continuing to grow because of this productivity equation,” Tolman said during his presentation.

Listen to or download my interview with Rick Tolman here: Rick Tolman Interview

Listen to or download Tolman’s presentation: Rick Tolman NEC Presentation

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

The Green Floyd band is made up of Frontline Bioenergy CEO Bill Lee, Neil and Tom Koehler with Pacific Ethanol and Paul Kamp with Inbicon. The group played a variety of songs from blues to folk to rock, and entertained with a couple of original parodies designed with the ethanol audience in mind. Here’s some of the lyrics to their latest Pink Floyd parody to the tune of “Wish You Were Here” – and a short video clip to enjoy.

Hey, so you think you can tell,
Heaven from Hell
Blue skies from rain?
Can you tell a Corn field from a Tar Sand Hell,
a Seed from a Drill – Do you think you can tell?

James Carville and Mary Matalin gave their opposite views of the political landscape to a crowd of about 1300 ethanol supporters from around the country.

The couple are pictured here with Renewable Fuels Association chairman Chuck Woodside and RFA CEO Bob Dinneen.

Keep checking the photo album for more pictures!

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Chuck Woodside, General Manager of farmer-owned KAAPA Ethanol in Minden, Nebraska is the current chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). “I am fortunate to follow in the footsteps of great leaders in this industry that have helped shape the role and place of ethanol in America’s energy, economic and environmental future,” he said, noting that RFA has been present at every major turning point for ethanol over the past 30 years.

It was Woodside’s pleasure to recognize one of the pioneers of the ethanol industry as the recipient of the 2011 RFA Membership Award. Ron Miller was one of the founders of the RFA and served as chairman of RFA three times. “We’ve been successful because we as an industry have spoken with one voice,” he said. “Back in 1981, we were like a gnat buzzing around an 800 pound gorilla. Today, the 800 pound gorilla is still there, but we’re about an 80 pound gorilla and he’s taking us seriously.”

Pictured from left to right are Chuck Woodside, Ron Miller and RFA CEO Bob Dinneen

Listen to or download comments from Woodside and Miller here: Opening of National Ethanol Conference

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Giving the “State of the Ethanol Industry” address to some 1300 attendees at the National Ethanol Conference, RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen started off quoting the organization’s first president, Dave Hallberg, in 1981 that sounded like it could have been written today. “Dave went on to cite the inimitable comic strip character Pogo, “We are faced with insurmountable opportunities,” concluding with a familiar sense of optimism that they would be realized,” Dinneen said, adding that, “This industry can and will meet today’s challenges as it has met every ‘insurmountable opportunity’ of the past, and that we will, once again prevail.”

Dinneen addressed the pivotal changes facing the ethanol industry, starting with expiration of the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) at the end of this year and the potential for complete reform of federal ethanol policy. “Congress does appear ready to end the ethanol tax incentive program, however. At least, end it in its current form and cost. Our industry needs to work with Congress and the Administration to reform the tax incentive moving forward.”

“One way or another, change is coming to this industry,” Dinneen concluded. “We need to do what the RFA has done for 30 years – build bridges. We need to build a bridge wide enough for the entire biofuels industry to cross to a more sustainable energy future. We need to build a bridge to our customers and consumers so the road to increased ethanol use is paved with understanding. We need to build a bridge to lawmakers so that we end up with a motor fuel policy befitting a 21st century energy industry. And we need to stride confidently across this bridge with enough vision, strength and innovation to conquer the insurmountable opportunities of our time.”

Listen to or download Dinneen’s remarks here: Bob Dinneen - 2011State of the Ethanol Industry

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

So, feel free to send a link to this post to your friends and neighbors who are interested in ethanol for a look at what’s ahead for the industry. Just click on the player below to begin the feed.

Post Update: Here’s the recorded version of our live feed from this morning.

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

Chuck says he brings a lot of people from his company to the conference to gain a broader understanding of what’s been accomplished over the last year and a look ahead at what’s coming. He wants his folks to go home with a better understanding of the issues and how they’ll affect them.

You can listen to my interview with Chuck here: Chuck Woodside Interview

2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

I sat down with Bob Dinneen, CEO, Renewable Fuels Association for our annual preview of the conference. Bob says attendance is up and the networking opportunities like today’s activities provide are going to be used by those attending to get some work done. Featured speakers include James Carville and Mary Matalin who will provide their perspective on policy. He says this is going to be a pivotal year for the ethanol industry.

You can listen to my interview with Bob here: Bob Dinneen Interview

I’ve got a photo album started which you are free to view and download what you’d like. We’ll be adding to it over the next couple days: 2011 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

For Blackberry, Droid and all other smartphones: From your phone, point your mobile browser to http://m.core-apps.com/nec2011 (the system will determine your phone type for proper download for your device). Then bookmark this page on your phone for easy future access.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Building Bridges to a More Sustainable Future” and features a variety of session focused on the future, including Biofuels Tax Policy, Next Generation Biofuels Commercialization, Moving Beyond E10, Global Ethanol Outlook and a “Behind the Scenes Look at Impact of 2010 Elections on Congress and Presidential Politics, featuring Mary Matalin and James Carville.”

Rooms at the conference hotel, the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, have sold out, but there are still plenty of rooms available at the Marriott Residence Inn Phoenix Desert View just one mile away. Early bird registration for the conference ends January 26 – after that, registration goes up $100.

Hope to see you there!

“This is a conference you have to attend. All the other major players in your industry will be there, which puts you at a disadvantage if you sit this one out,” says John Litterio, Director, CHS Renewable Fuels Marketing.

Conference session highlights include:

• • Future of Biofuels Tax Policy
• • Where Are We on the Road to Next Generation Biofuels Commercialization?
• • Behind the Scenes Look at Impact of 2010 Elections on Congress and Presidential Politics, featuring Mary Matalin and James Carville
• • Moving Beyond E10
• • How Will EPA’s GHG Tailoring Rule Impact Your Business?
• • Global Ethanol Outlook
• • Oil Products and Feedstock Forecasts

This is one time that it doesn’t pay to procrastinate. You can learn more about the NEC conference and register online for both the conference and your hotel here.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association, James Carville and Mary Matalin will “present an enlightening and entertaining look at today’s most important political issues and a behind-the-scenes look at how the outcome of the 2010 Congressional elections will affect Congress and the 2012 Presidential campaign.”

Co-authors of the national best seller All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President, Matalin and Carville are key players on the national political stage—they each have over 30 years of experience in politics and have worked for every president over the last three decades. They combine their unique experiences to provide audiences with a stimulating, candid and provocative conversation from both sides of the political aisle.

The theme of the 2011 conference is “Building Bridges to a More Sustainable Future” and there is lots more on the agenda for the premier education and networking opportunity for the ethanol industry. Information on the full agenda, registration and sponsorship opportunities is available on-line.

“America’s energy security will one day rest in the hands of our country’s youth,” said Mike Jerke, RFF Chairman and General Manager of Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company. “We encourage students to attend the National Ethanol Conference to network with industry leaders and learn how important alternative fuels like ethanol are to our independence on foreign oil and our economy.”

The scholarships will cover the cost of the NEC registration fee – a $775 value – enabling winning students the opportunity to attend the event at no cost. Recipients will be responsible for all other costs associated with travel to/from the conference, including airfare, hotel and non-conference meals. Additional financial assistance to offset travel expenses may be available at the discretion of the RFF/RFA.

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must explain in detail how this scholarship will assist them in achieving their academic and/or career goals – all in 500 words or less. In addition, students must provide two letters of recommendation, a current resume and an official school transcript. This scholarship opportunity is open only to those students attending a U.S. institution of higher learning and enrolled in an approved ethanol-related program. All applications must be submitted by November 30, 2010. Click here to download the application and to learn more about next year’s NEC conference.

The good news is that the RFS2 improves upon the rule EPA proposed last year, and that it is much better than what California is using to determine lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. The bad news is the continued reliance on the non-scientific indirect land use change. EPA’s new calculations determined that corn ethanol was better than they first thought when it comes to indirect land use change, so they cut that penalty in half, while they totally eliminated it for sugarcane ethanol – a move that has RFA mystified.

This podcast was recorded at the recent National Ethanol Conference, where RFS2 was the main topic of discussion. We reference a presentation done at the conference by EPA’s Sarah Dunham, which you can find in a previous post here on Domestic Fuel.

You can subscribe to this twice monthly podcast by following this link.

Listen to or download the podcast here:

Those attending the Renewable Fuels Association 15th annual National Ethanol Conference in Orlando last month had the opportunity to see the Kinder Morgan terminal in Orlando and hear about the first pipeline in the country to provide commercial ethanol deliveries. “We now have the capability of handling 100 percent of the greater Orlando demand for ethanol by pipeline,” said Jim Lelio, Director of Business Development for Kinder Morgan Energy Partners.

Florida’s E10 market penetration has increased rapidly in just two short years, moving from virtually nothing at the end of 2007 to almost 100 percent at the end of 2009. The 104 mile Central Florida pipeline, in operation since December 2008, is the only pipeline currently moving commercial ethanol batches to supply major U.S. markets. “Our number one concern is the integrity of that pipeline and maintaining safety of it. We have had no signs of corrosion during comprehensive testing,” Lelio said. “We proved it’s possible and now we are gaining in confidence and looking at different pipelines.” That includes the Plantation Pipe Line from Louisiana to Virginia.

Last year, Kinder Morgan handled nearly 30 percent of total U.S. demand for ethanol, or about 83 million barrels, and this year that is expected to increase to 95 million. The company is the largest independent transporter of petroleum products in the nation, transporting more than 2 million barrels per day.

Listen to or download Jim Lelio’s presentation from the 2010 NEC here:

“Green Floyd” is made up of Frontline Bioenergy CEO Bill Lee, Neil Koehler with Pacific Ethanol and bioenergy consultant Paul Kamp. The group played a variety of songs from blues to folk to rock, and entertained with a couple of original parodies designed with the ethanol audience in mind. Here are the lyrics to “The Blend Wall” (to the tune of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”) and a short video clip to enjoy.

We don’t need o-ver production
We could use some E-15
Lisa Jackson, approve our waiver
Listen to our man, Dinneen

Hey, Lisa –
Listen to Bob Dinneen!
All in all it’s just another wicked Blend Wall
All in all it’s just another wicked Blend Wall

(For those not in the industry, the references are to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, the waiver to allow up to 15 percent ethanol in regular gasoline, RFA president and CEO Bob Dinneen and the blend wall faced by the industry if the allowable blend is not increased – trust us, it’s funny!)

Novozymes made the biggest splash with its Cellic® CTec2 for the production of biofuel from agricultural waste, but the other two are no less significant in the race towards commercialization of advanced biofuels.

Verenium Corporation‘s new introduction into the enzyme mix is called Xylathin, which is specifically designed to improve the economics of fuel ethanol production from cereal grains. According to the company, “Xylathin rapidly breaks down xylan, a compound found in cereal grains such as wheat, rye and barley and significantly reduces mash viscosity. This faster acting enzyme allows producers to shorten retention times and reduce enzyme dose. Xylathin also reduces grain water retention lowering grain drying energy requirements.”

At the same time, Danisco’s Genencor introduced Accellerase® DUET, a step up from Accellerase® 1500. “Accellerase® DUET employs a whole broth formulation, which provides nutrients for fermentative organisms and lowers the chemical load introduced into our customers’ processes. Higher performance at lower dose will lead to significant improvements in enzyme cost in use for producers, which is critical to enable the cellulosic biofuels industry.”

Representatives from all three companies, as well as others in the field, made presentations at two different sessions during the National Ethanol Conference to talk about advanced biofuels technology and the path to commercialization. If you attended the conference, those presentations are now available on-line.

CME Group this week announced the launch of Distillers’ Dried Grain agricultural commodity futures contracts, scheduled to begin trading April 26. Information about the new contract was released during the Renewable Fuels Association’s National Ethanol Conference in Orlando where CME Group was a sponsor.

Distillers’ Dried Grains, a byproduct of corn-produced ethanol, is used for animal feed, including livestock and dairy cows. The electronically traded and physically delivered futures contracts can be used by livestock and ethanol producers, commercial corn interests and others to lock in the price of feed or to hedge their ethanol refining margin in combination with corn, natural gas and ethanol futures.

The contracts will be listed with the Chicago Board of Trade and more information is available on the CME Group commodities website.