SOTU and Switchgrass The U.S. ethanol industry had never been in such a perfect position for dynamic growth than it was at the start of 2006. President George W. Bush was the strongest ally the industry had ever had in the White House. His 2006 State of the Union address was primarily focused on terrorism, with the memory of 9/11 …

Prologue: Priming the Pump Ethanol was no overnight success story. It was a very long road to getting a place at the pump, starting as early as the first combustion engines and horseless carriages. Some of the world’s greatest inventors praised alcohol as a fuel. Alexander Graham Bell is quoted as saying in 1917, “Alcohol makes a beautiful, clean and …

Chapter One: Off to the Races Chapter Two: Full Speed Ahead Chapter Three: Life and Death in the Fast Lane Chapter Four: RFS Fuels Major Ethanol Investments Chapter Five: Defending the Tariff Chapter Six: Wheels of Bureaucracy Turn Slowly

It took a Texas oil man to finally unleash the power of renewable fuels. In the aftermath of 9/11, energy independence became a driving force for President George W. Bush, and he saw the potential for our nation’s productive farmers to help attain that goal. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed on August 8 of that year at …