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No. 298, October 19, 2023 |
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Meet Our New Chairman: Tom Willis, CEO of Conestoga Energy Holdings |
Later this morning, Growth Energy will officially announce the election of Tom Willis as chairman of the association’s board of directors. Willis was previously the board’s treasurer and is CEO of Conestoga Energy Holdings, a leading provider of sustainable, low-carbon ethanol with the capacity to produce more than 200 million gallons annually.
“Growth Energy and its members have always been at the forefront of innovation and that’s never been truer than it is today. We’re building a broad, sector-spanning bioeconomy, poised to provide solutions to any number of economic and environmental challenges,” said Willis. “I’m honored to serve as Growth Energy’s chairman during this exciting time. I look forward to working with our board, our members, and the Growth Energy staff to ensure continued progress for an ever-expanding industry.”
Growth Energy’s outgoing Chairman Dan Sanders, CEO of Front Range Energy, welcomed Willis to the position, noting his strong leadership within the industry and strong background in agriculture. “For years, Tom has been one of our resident experts on how the biofuels industry is delivering on the nation’s energy, environmental, and economic goals,” Sanders said. “Beyond his leadership at Conestoga, he’s farmed hundreds of acres, raised livestock, and was one of the country’s first evangelists for carbon capture technology, which is only growing in popularity and importance for our industry. His leadership, acumen, and vision make him uniquely positioned to take the reins and lead our membership into this next chapter.”
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor also thanked Sanders for his four years of service to the organization. “Dan’s steadfast resolve, his confidence in and commitment to the Growth Energy membership and staff has elevated our organization’s size, stature, and impact. Dan led Growth Energy through the challenges and uncertainty during the pandemic, rounding out his tenure as chairman helping us secure critical tax incentives and continued access to higher blends throughout the last two summer driving seasons,” Skor said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to work closely with him and I speak for the entire Growth Energy community when I say that we’re grateful for his work as chairman.”
The entire Growth Energy staff is similarly grateful to Dan for his leadership over the last four years, and we're excited to begin this new chapter working with Tom as well! Tom's bio can be found here, and you can learn more about Growth Energy’s Board of Directors here.
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For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Development Kelly Manning. |
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Last week, domestic ethanol demand was 14.0 BGY, up 4.2% compared to a week ago. The EIA-reported gas demand was up 4.2% from last week, at 137.1 BGY. The 4-week average ethanol and gas demand are 13.3 and 130.9 BGY.
Ethanol production was 15.9 BGY last week, up 3.1% versus the week before, and 8.0% more than the 4-week average in 2019. Midwest production was up 3.7% (+10.3 MG) versus a week ago, and average production in the other regions was down 7.4% (-1.2 MG), mainly the Gulf Coast region. Capacity utilization of plants online was 91.0% overall, 92.6% in the Midwest, and 67.9% on average, elsewhere, excluding 1,415 MGY of capacity shutdown at 28 ethanol plants for other than maintenance (details on pg. 31). On an installed capacity basis, utilization was 84.4% overall, 89.3% in the Midwest and 40.8% in the other regions.
Exports were an estimated 27.1 MG last week based on 120 MG/mo. of exports forecast for October. The EIA reported no ethanol imports last week.
Overall inventory was up 5.5 MG last week. EIA-counted stocks decreased 17.4 MG, and regional changes were: East (-9 MG), Gulf (+0.4 MG) and West (-9 MG) Coasts and the Midwest (+0.3 MG). In-transit inventory increased 22.9 MG.
Based on the total inventory of 1,764 MG on October 13th and the 4-week avg. domestic demand, there were 48.0 days of supply, down 0.4 days versus a week ago. Including the 4-week avg. of net exports, there were 43.3 days of supply, down 0.5 days versus a week ago. |
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Growth Energy’s “Green American Road Trip” Recognized for Digital Excellence |
Growth Energy to NHTSA: Biofuels Must Be Part of CAFE Standards |
California Environmental Justice Advisory Committee Update |
Growth Energy Welcomes Introduction of Adopt GREET Act in Senate |
Help Growth Energy Educate Lawmakers about Biofuels Co-Products - Share Your Story |
Growth Energy CEO Moderates Panel on Global Ethanol Policies at Summit |
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Grant for Heartland Hydrogen Hub |
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National FFA Convention Indianapolis, IN November 1-4, 2023
Learn More Get Bioethanol NASCAR Cup Series
Phoenix, AZ November 5, 2023 |
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Growth Energy’s “Green American Road Trip” Recognized for Digital Excellence |
Growth Energy announced today that the Get Biofuel consumer initiative has been recognized by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) for digital excellence.
Get Biofuel’s Green American Road Trip received three w3 Awards: a gold award for social content and marketing, as well as two silver awards in the environmental and sustainability video and influencer marketing for social good categories.
“We have seen great success with this consumer initiative that uses cutting-edge creative elements and targeted digital deployment to engage new audiences on the benefits of biofuels. We are not only thrilled to grow the base of consumers who are opting for Unleaded 88 when at the pump, but also honored to see this campaign get the recognition it deserves,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.
The Green American Road Trip initiative, which launched in February 2023, is a consumer engagement effort aimed at elevating the benefits of higher biofuel blends. By showing American drivers just how easy it is to make a greener choice for their family and the planet when on the road, a growing number of consumers are making the switch to Unleaded 88 (a fuel blend of 15% plant-based ethanol also known as E15 that is approved for all cars 2001 and newer).
This summer, through a partnership with Gold Medal Olympian and New York Times Bestselling author Shawn Johnson East and her family, Get Biofuel was able to tap into a market of like-minded consumers – busy families on the go – to showcase how a simple change at the pump could make a lasting impact on the planet.
“We loved partnering with Get Biofuel because of everything they stand for. As a mom, having greener, cleaner air for my kids to grow up with is so important to me. Plus, we had such a blast on our Green American Road Trip,” said Johnson East.
The East Family took the first Green American Road Trip from Nashville, Tenn. to Dallas, Texas in the spring, and then headed out again this summer to Shawn’s hometown Des Moines, Iowa. They documented the trip along the way with their social media followers, encouraging them to take their own Green American Road Trip with the help of fully planned road trip itineraries and quick access to the Get Biofuel Trip Planner to map out their route. For more information about Get Biofuel, click here. |
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Growth Energy to NHTSA: Biofuels Must Be Part of CAFE Standards |
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In comments this week to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Growth Energy urged regulators to include a role for American-made biofuels in the Agency’s proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards for Passenger Cars and Light Trucks for Model Years 2027-2032 and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks and Vans for Model Years 2030-2035.
Growth Energy highlighted some of the proven emissions benefits of biofuels like ethanol in its comment, while also noting that NHTSA’s proposed standards may violate the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), in particular the law’s prohibition on using electric vehicles (EVs) as a “baseline” to set fuel-economy standards and the law’s focus on using domestic energy sources to address America’s energy challenges.
“In setting the CAFE Standards, NHTSA is directed by EPCA to consider, among other factors, ‘the need of the United States to conserve energy.’ Increasing the nation’s use of biofuels meets that goal, by both providing another source of fuel that reduces our demand for petroleum and by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) and other emissions,” said Growth Energy in its comments. “To begin with, ethanol and other biofuels significantly enhance energy security because of their flexibility—they can be used in existing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and fueled at existing gas stations. Consumers and operators of fleets around the country therefore have the ability to use more biofuels.”
To address its issues with the proposal, Growth Energy recommends that NHTSA remove EVs from its calculations in setting a baseline for the 2027-2032 CAFE standards; consider the GHG-reduction and energy security benefits of biofuels throughout the final rule; and preserve and expand its rules to allow for greater use of higher ethanol-blended fuels like E15 (15% ethanol), E85 (51%-85% ethanol), and other blends in between.
Read Growth Energy’s full comment here. The organization also expressed similar concerns to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about its vehicle tailpipe emissions standards earlier this year. Growth Energy has been an industry leader in advocating for the role of high octane, ethanol blends with NHTSA, EPA, and California for more than a decade. Learn more about Growth Energy’s actions on this topic at growthenergy.org/tailpipe-emissions.
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California Environmental Justice Advisory Committee Update |
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An update to our coverage from last week: the California Air Resources Board (CARB) held their meeting for California’s Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (EJAC) this past Friday, and Growth Energy Director of State Government Affairs Dallas Gerber participated to submit comments on behalf of Growth Energy.
As a reminder, part of their agenda was to review and discuss the proposed changes to the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that were originally brought up during the September 28th CARB meeting. In our comments, we urged committee members to consider the positive impact biofuels in general, and bioethanol in particular, has made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease fossil fuel use, and help communities that disproportionately experience the effects of vehicle emissions. To listen to Gerber's comments in full, click here. |
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For more information, please contact Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley. |
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Growth Energy Welcomes Introduction of Adopt GREET Act in Senate |
Growth Energy this week applauded Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) for introducing the bipartisan Adopt GREET Act today. The bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use Argonne National Lab’s Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model for greenhouse gas modeling of ethanol, biodiesel, and all approved fuel pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“Biofuels are playing a crucial role in helping our nation meet our energy and climate goals,” said Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. “As a country, we can’t afford for renewable, affordable biofuels to be held back by outdated and inaccurate modeling. Years of rigorous, peer-reviewed research have shown that corn ethanol already cuts greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half compared to gasoline. Unfortunately, EPA’s outdated model fails to fully capture the enormous decarbonization potential of ethanol. Growth Energy and its members applaud Senators Thune and Klobuchar for sponsoring this commonsense legislation. It’s past time for the EPA to implement sound science and fully recognize biofuels’ outsized role in creating our clean energy future.”
Background
Last Congress, Senators Thune and Klobuchar introduced the Adopt GREET Act to require EPA to update its greenhouse gas modeling for only ethanol and biodiesel. The version of the legislation introduced today will broaden this instruction to apply to any approved pathway under the Renewable Fuels Standard program. Further, EPA will be required to update its modeling not later than every five years, and it would have to also adopt the GREET model for any future-established pathways.
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Washington Update: House Speaker |
The U.S. House of Representatives has still not elected a Speaker of the House. Shortly following Rep. Steve Scalise won the nomination within just the GOP Conference last week, he dropped out of the Speaker race due to too many Members announcing they would not vote for him on the House floor. Because Republicans only have a very small majority in the House, the Speaker nominee can only lose four votes from his own party and still win a majority of votes.
After Scalise announced that he was not longer in the running, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio became the official nominee. This week, the full House has already held two votes for Speaker and Rep. Jordan has failed to win a majority of votes each time. The House is expected to vote again today. |
Help Growth Energy Educate Lawmakers about Biofuels Co-Products - Share Your Story |
We had a fantastic Growth Energy Biofuels Summit this year, and while we were on the Hill we found that a number of lawmakers had questions about co-products--What are they? How do they fit into the biofuel production process? Why are they important?
Whether it's animal feed, food-grade CO2, bioplastics, or anything else, we want to hear about what unique and value-added co-products (beyond biofuels) that you're involved in manufacturing. Every story you share helps us educate lawmakers about all of the innovative things that are happening in the plant and on the farm, and further demonstrates our industry's pivotal role in cultivating the bioeconomy. To share your story, contact Holly Cullen. |
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For more information, please contact Vice President of Government Affairs John Fuher. |
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Growth Energy CEO Moderates Panel at USGC Global Ethanol Summit; POET CEO Jeff Broin Delivers Keynote |
This week, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor moderated a panel at the 2023 U.S. Grains Council Global Ethanol Summit titled, Government Perspective: Global Ethanol Policies and Regional Success Stories. The panel featured leaders from across the globe who have pursued successful bioethanol policies over the years.
"This is an exciting time for bioethanol. Our industry isn't just at the forefront of climate innovation here in the U.S.," remarked Skor. "We're in the race to provide a growing share of the whole world’s low-carbon transportation needs. And that starts with making sure policymakers and diplomats, from DC to New Delhi, recognize all the ways our industry is getting more competitive--reducing carbon intensity, diversifying co-products, and adopting new practices to enhance the value of those products."
Growth Energy's Former Chairman and Current Board Member Jeff Broin, CEO of POET, also delivered the keynote address at the event--offering POET's perspective on how agriculture is fueling the bioeconomy (pictured below). |
U.S. Department of Energy Announces Grant for Heartland Hydrogen Hub |
Late last week, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $925M grant for the Heartland Hydrogen Hub.
What is the Heartland Hydrogen Hub? The Hub includes Xcel Energy, Marathon Petroleum, TC Energy, in collaboration with the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Resource Center and Growth Energy member DENCO II, to produce and use low-carbon hydrogen at commercial scale in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana.
What will the Hub do? The hub aims to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 220,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road. The Hub will leverage the region’s abundant energy resources to help decarbonize the agricultural sector’s production of fertilizer, decrease the regional cost of clean hydrogen, and advance the use of clean hydrogen in electric generation and for cold climate space heating.
Learn more here. |
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For more information, please contact Vice President of Development Kelly Manning. |
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The Weekly Rundown is the weekly newsletter for Growth Energy's members. It is published weekly by the communications staff at Growth Energy. For more information, email team@growthenergy.org or visit our website GrowthEnergy.org.
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Copyright © 2023 Growth Energy. |
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