Growing demand for the ethanol industry domestically with E15 and higher ethanol blends and expanding markets internationally were the key themes of the Growth Energy Executive Leadership Conference last week, Vision 2020.
National Corn Growers Association President Kevin Ross participated in a discussion on-stage with Mark Marquis, CEO of Marquis Energy. “The farmer voice is so important in Washington D.C.” Ross told the crowd. “We are a grassroots organization and partnerships with industry groups that have similar goals like Growth Energy will help us continue to grow the E15 market and higher blends of ethanol.”
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor, during her CEO address, told attendees “Make no mistake, successful E15 market adoption paves the way for even higher blends. We will only get higher blends when we show E15 isn’t niche fuel – that this higher blend is the preferred, regular fuel consumers use every time they fuel up.”
Skor went on to say "We now have more than 2,000 locations up and running across 30 states. And during the very first summer without RVP limits, sales jumped 46 percent compared to the previous year on a per-store basis. With year-round E15 secured, we’re moving into an exciting new phase of expansion."
Iowa Corn Growers Association CEO Craig Floss and Ethanol Action Team Vice-Chair and Iowa farmer Kelly Nieuwenhuis participated in a panel on Communicating the Industry’s Key Issues Through a Unified Voice, talking about the efforts in 2019 between corn, ethanol and biodiesel to defend biofuels.
To see a video interview with Growth Energy Emily Skor, click here.