During his opening remarks at the second annual Growth Energy Executive Leadership Conference, POET CEO Jeff Broin said the ethanol industry must focus on expanding access to the marketplace in order to overcome challenges. The conference started in Las Vegas today and brings together ethanol leaders and other industry stakeholders for two days of discussions.

Broin said many of the challenges facing the industry are unprecedented. “We continue to be in an oversupply situation…and without a plan for flex fuel vehicles and blender pumps, our industry will continue to be left in the same predicament it’s in today.”

Broin said the industry needs to focus on two policy initiatives from Growth Energy: fully implementing E15 and transitioning the ethanol tax credit to fund infrastructure through the Fueling Freedom plan.

“For the first time in 30 years there is now a crack in the blend wall,” Broin said in reference to EPA approval of E15. “And even with the incredible opposition to E15, I assure you that in time, we will overcome the hurdles to bring E15 to the market.” But, Broin said that E15 will not remove the need for blender pumps and FFVs. “Any plan that doesn’t include infrastructure is really no long-term solution at all.”

About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 22-year-old company produces more than 1.6 billion gallons of ethanol and 9 billion pounds of high-protein animal feed annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET also operates a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in Emmetsburg, Iowa. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com.
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