From issues relating to government policies, to infrastructure and opinion pieces, the ethanol industry has much to be reported on. Here is a representation of the past few months of news coverage. The comments do not necessarily represent the opinions of POET, LLC.
;void('');)
“When the final numbers were announced in late November, the RFS remained beneath the levels I believe are appropriate. Nonetheless, the EPA did adjust the requirements at least slightly higher because of the pressure we put on them. Especially at a time when the Middle East remains so volatile, our commitment to homegrown renewable fuels should not be in doubt. While the EPA is backing down, I am not.”
12.4.2015 - Representative Kristi Noem (R-SD) discusses the importance of maintaining a strong Renewable Fuel Standard in her weekly column.
“So much for the so-called blend wall. President Barack Obama’s administration on Monday ordered refiners to blend a record 14.5 billion gallons of ethanol into gasoline next year. For the first time ever, that will mean ethanol will make up more than 10 percent of the total U.S. fuel mix, a threshold that oil companies have said is dangerous to exceed because of potential damage to engines and catalytic converters.”
12.1.2015 - reporter Mario Parker reports in Bloomberg on the EPA’s Renewable Volume Obligation announcement.
“I went out to see some of the folks on the ethanol team. Good stuff and great people, put a lot of people to work out here. I just want to thank them, they’re doing an amazing job.”
11.13.2015 - Presidential candidate Donald Trump talks about his experience at POET Biorefining – Gowrie during a rally in Fort Dodge, IA.
“When it comes to environmental benefits, can anyone seriously believe that oil is better than biodegradable ethanol that burns cleaner, is renewable and improves air quality? We didn’t think so. Ecologically devastating spills such as Deepwater Horizon, which dumped more than 200 million gallons of oil and polluted an area in the Gulf of Mexico the size of Oklahoma, cannot be easily forgotten. Neither can the 7,662 spills, oil leaks and blowouts that occurred in 2013 alone.”
11.3.2015 - Growth Energy Co-Chair Tom Buis in an opinion pieced published in The Hill.
“Politicians like Ted Cruz support subsidies for Big Oil but want to end support for ethanol. Cruz backs policies that threaten rural Iowa and thousands of jobs.”
12.1.2015 - a new ad from America’s Renewable Future, calling out Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz for his lack of support for the Renewable Fuel Standard.
“I look forward to breaking the so-called ‘blend wall’ next year and proving this country’s ability to replace more imported oil with biofuels produced within our borders. In the future, we need to see a stronger and more consistent commitment to renewable fuel from Washington if we are ever going to realize the true potential of renewable fuels, including the development of cellulosic ethanol.”
11.30.2015 - POET CEO Jeff Broin responds to the EPA’s announcement of the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Renewable Volume Obligations.
“In the early 1980s when my father started looking at producing ethanol on his farm, corn prices were as low as $1.30 a bushel while costing more than two times that much to produce. Not only was there a surplus of grain and low prices, but also there were set-aside acres and storage payments to store corn that there was no market for. From a farmer’s perspective, the future of ag looked pretty bleak. The growth of ethanol over the next 20 years would definitely begin to balance the commodity supplies – not just for the U.S. but for the entire world.”
11.9/2015 - POET CEO Jeff Broin answers how important ethanol is to U.S. farmers.
“The health of our team members is a top priority. A workplace focused on holistic wellness – including the mind, body and spirit – helps the company thrive and prosper, and the opening of these new Energy Centers signifies our continued commitment to the Energy for Life program.”
10.28.2015 - POET President & COO Jeff Lautt in a press release announcing the opening of fitness centers at each POET plant location.
