WASHINGTON, D.C. – Advocates and experts have virtually converged in Washington, D.C. this week for Growth Energy’s annual Biofuels Summit to advocate for biofuels in our nation’s capital. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor kicked off this year’s all-virtual event with opening remarks and a fireside chat on industry priorities with Growth Energy Chairman of the Board and Front Range Energy Vice President , Dan Sanders, Jr.
“We have 50 days to make our voices heard before elected officials face the voters in November, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” said Skor.
“In managing the crisis, industry has shown its ingenuity and resilience. We pivot, we remain agile, we seize those opportunities that emerge — planned or unplanned — but we also we stay the course. We approach this decade through the lens of what will drive demand for ethanol and propel this industry forward,” she added, before sharing a video montage of Growth Energy’s “Conversations with Biofuels Champions” summer video series.
From September 14 to 17, over 150 participants heard from Growth Energy experts and guest speakers in preparation for meetings with legislators and congressional staff in 87 offices representing 15 states. Attendees also helped honor 44 lawmakers with the 2020 Fueling Growth Award, which is given annually to outstanding champions with an exceptional record of support for the biofuels industry.
Updates on the retail, trade, legal, and policy landscape were offered by Mike O’Brien, Vice President of Market Development; Craig Willis, Senior Vice President of Global Markets; Joe Kakesh, General Counsel; John Fuher, Vice President of Government Affairs; and Zach Martin, Director of Government Affairs. In addition, guest speaker David Wasserman from the Cook Political Report offered an election-year update on the political outlook for November.
Armed with this knowledge, attendees met with legislators on the industry’s top priorities, including ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts, lifting trade barriers, promoting climate-friendly ethanol, securing strong 2021 biofuel targets, halting improper exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard obligations, and breaking down regulatory and infrastructure barriers to the sale of higher ethanol blends like E15.
This year’s summit was sponsored by DuPont, Novozymes, BASF, Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits, CTE Global, Inc., Hydrite Chemical Co., and Phibro, along with Growth Energy media partner Ethanol Producer Magazine. For photos and posts about Fueling Growth Award winners, check out the Growth Energy Twitter feed linked here.