TOP STORY

EPA Betrays President Trump's Promise to Rural America in Supplemental Proposal

On Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its supplemental proposal to the proposed 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs). EPA’s proposal is a departure from what was agreed upon by our industry, the president, and our congressional champions and betrays the president’s promise to rural America.

As our CEO Emily Skor said in her statement, "A week ago, Administrator Wheeler personally took to the airwaves and promised Iowa farmers that he would accurately account for lost gallons moving forward based on the ‘last three years of the waivers.’ Administration officials repeatedly said that 15 billion gallons will mean 15 billion gallons and this proposal fails to ensure that farm families and biofuel producers have the certainty they need to reinvest and rebuild after three years of massive demand destruction at the hands of EPA."

EPA also announced it will be holding a hearing to gather comments and testimony on this supplemental proposal on October 30th at Ypsilanti, Michigan. Growth Energy called on EPA to hold a regulatory hearing on the proposal in Iowa, so more Midwest families hit hardest by EPA exemptions can have a seat at the table.

Additionally, we will be sharing opportunities to make your voice heard on the EPA’s proposal in the upcoming days and weeks.

For more details, contact Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Chris Bliley.

IN OUR ASSOCIATION

Sanders Elected as New Chairman of the Board

Growth Energy announced earlier this week that Dan Sanders, vice president of Front Range Energy, has been elected as our new chairman of the board of directors. In our statement to press, Sanders offered his comments on being elected as chairman and forging a strong future for our industry:

“I’m honored to serve our members and staff as the next chairman of the Growth Energy Board of Directors,” said Sanders. “I look forward to working with our dedicated board to lead our association’s strategies to deliver strong demand for our products and supportive policy.”

Our CEO Emily Skor welcomed Sanders and underscored the value that his leadership and perspective will have in facing the challenges ahead: “This year we have achieved some major victories for the ethanol industry, but there is still a long road ahead of us. As the vice president of a small plant in Colorado, Dan brings a unique perspective to our board. His years of experience on the Growth Energy Board of Directors, including as Growth PAC chairman and vice chair of the board, make him the right man to continue leading this organization towards success.”

As chairman, Sanders succeeds Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, LLC who held the position since the association’s inception in 2008 and through the successful campaign to achieve year-round E15, the original goal on which the association was founded. Upon reaching this industry milestone, Broin announced in September he would step down as chairman, but plans to remain an active member of the Growth Energy Board.

Sanders previously served as vice chair of the board, which will now be filled by Mitch Miller. Miller currently serves as the chief executive officer and managing director for Carbon Green BioEnergy, LLC

You can view our full statement to press here, and be sure to read Sanders' bio on our website.

For more questions or comments, contact Vice President of Development, Kelly Manning.

IN MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Growth Energy Hosts Workshop for N.Y. Fuel Retailers on Integrating E15 Fuel

This week, Growth Energy and CSP have partnered to host a retailer education workshop today, October 17 in Syracuse, N.Y. for area fuel retailers interested in offering E15 and E85.

The workshop was put together in response to local retailer interest in offering E15 and will provide attendees the opportunity to hear from Growth Energy’s Vice President of Market Development Mike O’Brien and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley about the E15 landscape, the ideal marketing mix for optimal results, and regulatory considerations.

Additionally, participants will hear from renewable fuel pioneers, Minnoco and Protec Fuel, who will share how they implemented supply strategies and maximized their competitive advantage with high-octane fuel options like E15 and E85 at the pump.

Growth Energy has been the undisputed leader in expanding the E15 marketplace and has worked hand-in-hand with the leading independent retailers to grow E15 availability to over 1,900 retail locations today. Stay tuned for more on E15 in the New York market in the coming weeks.

For more details, contact Vice President of Market Development, Mike O'Brien.

AROUND THE GLOBE

International Spotlight on Biofuels at First Ever Global Ethanol Summit

The first-ever Global Ethanol Summit was held in Washington, D.C. this week. This one-of-a-kind event was sponsored by Growth Energy, U.S. Grains Council (USGC), and the Renewable Fuels Association, and brought together key industry and government officials to discuss biofuels policies and promote global ethanol use.

A range of Growth Energy members, retail partners, and staff – including Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor – took the stage at the event: Growth Energy Board Member and President of Absolute Energy Rick Schwark, Sheetz Inc. Executive Vice President of Petroleum Supply Mike Lorenz, Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Global Markets Craig Willis, and more.

On Monday, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor addressed the more than 400 attendees from 60 countries on retailer adoption of ethanol blends and the fuel's growing popularity in the U.S. and abroad. In particular, she highlighted why retailers are increasingly choosing higher blends like E15, and how countries around the globe have turned to cleaner-burning ethanol to secure a low-carbon future:

"Some of the most well-known U.S. retailers like Kwik Trip, Casey’s, Sheetz, not only carry the nation’s standard 10 percent ethanol blend – but they are also among the over 1,900 stores who are offering E15, a fifteen percent blend of ethanol. And we’re seeing that number of retailers offering this fuel choice continuing to grow," Skor said. "That’s because these retail giants know ethanol’s value, and so do their customers. They are comfortable, and excited, about putting their million and even billion-dollar brands behind engine-smart, earth-kind biofuels…Ethanol blended fuel is becoming the new global norm for consumers, and along with it, the promise of a low-carbon future.”

The Global Ethanol Summit was an opportunity for Growth Energy to showcase our success in leveraging our retail partnerships through Prime the Pump to spread the story of ethanol's success in the U.S. to countries around the globe. We have coordinated 8 workshops connecting our domestic retail partners with foreign fuel retailers to promote the economic benefits of ethanol and provide technical insights into how the fuel can be easily integrated at their stations. The meetings and conversations that took place at the Summit allow us to further grow the global ethanol outlook by making these critical connections with foreign fuel retailers and decision makers.

Learn more about the summit here, and read more on Skor's remarks here.

Pictured above (left to right): Growth Energy Board Member Rick Schwarck (far left); USDA Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Censky (right).

For more details, contact Senior Vice President of Global Markets, Craig Willis.

ON THE TRACK

Huge Weekend for American Ethanol in NASCAR and NHRA

This past weekend was a resounding success for American Ethanol in both NASCAR and NHRA.

Richard Childress Racing (RCR) celebrated a historic 50th anniversary milestone at the famed Talladega Superspeedway. In the fall of 1969, Growth Energy Board Member and Chairman and CEO of RCR Richard Childress got his first opportunity to compete in a NASCAR-sanctioned race at Talladega Superspeedway, and Dillon's No. 3 American Chevy Camaro ZL1 was decked out in style to celebrate the occasion.

Featuring a gold No. 3 and gold accents on our American Ethanol "e" logo as a nod to 50 years in NASCAR, Austin Dillon drove a fantastic race at Talladega - earning a 6th-place finish after rallying from 18th place.

Meanwhile, Deric Kramer and his American Ethanol NHRA Pro Stock team won the weekend’s NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals playoff race at zMAX Dragway. The win, Kramer’s second of the year, moved him up to 5th place in the Countdown to the Championship standings, just 88 points behind the leader with three thrilling drag races remaining.

There was quite a bit to celebrate for American Ethanol and RCR at Talladega, and we encourage you to read our latest blog post for a feature on Childress himself getting back on the track, as well as more on Kramer’s amazing win and Dillon’s gutsy top 10 performance.

For more details, contact Senior Manager of Communications, Austin Dabney.

The Weekly Rundown is the weekly newsletter for Growth Energy's members. It is published 51 times a year by the communications staff at Growth Energy. For more information, email team@growthenergy.org or visit our website GrowthEnergy.org. 

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