Some years are measured in milestones. Others are measured by the momentum they create for the future. For POET, 2026 has been both.
Across our company and throughout our industry, we have taken ideas that once seemed to belong in the future and brought them to life in the present. From the farm to the racetrack, from American bioprocessing facilities to the international marketplace, bioethanol is proving that its potential reaches far beyond the fuel tank.
Once again, this year we made significant investments to enhance our facilities and strengthen our operations and productivity. In June, we broke ground on a major expansion that will double the production capacity at POET Bioprocessing – Shelbyville, Ind., bringing it from 98 million to 193 million gallons per year. This expansion will generate 32 million bushels of new grain demand for local farmers and improve access to new and growing markets for our bioproducts.
At POET Bioprocessing – Big Stone, S.D., we introduced groundbreaking thermal energy storage technology. This innovative system improves efficiency, lowers costs, and unlocks additional production capacity, creating tens of millions of dollars annually in new market opportunities for South Dakota farmers.
These are just two of the more than 80 ongoing and completed construction projects across our plant network in 2026 — and this momentum extended far beyond additions to our facilities.
In February, POET made history as the first Official Bioethanol Partner of NASCAR. This partnership is an exciting next step in our longtime partnership with the league, putting the world’s first zero-carbon bioethanol to the test on one of the most iconic proving grounds in motorsports.
We also made significant strides on the policy front. This spring, the Trump Administration announced the fifth consecutive emergency waiver allowing summertime E15 sales, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation supporting permanent, nationwide access to E15. These developments represent meaningful progress in our more than decade-long effort to bring Americans greater access to a lower-cost, homegrown fuel, and we remain committed to working with policymakers to pass this legislation in the Senate and secure a permanent solution in the near future.
Perhaps most importantly, in 2026 we’ve continued to turn possibility into progress by strengthening the network that connects American-made bioproducts to markets around the world. This year we established POET de Ecuador — our second international location — and were recognized as the United States’ 11th-largest container exporter. This growth underscores something we have long understood: The world is demanding American-made biofuel and bioproducts. POET will continue to invest in assets that allow for the efficient transport of our products worldwide, expanding global opportunities for agriculture.
Across the broader ag and biofuels sectors, new developments continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible for bioethanol. John Deere’s introduction of an E98-powered tractor is demonstrating the potential for renewable fuels in farm equipment, while advancements in marine applications, including Maersk’s work with E100 dual-fuel engines, are opening doors to an entirely new frontier. From the machines that harvest our feedstock to the ships that carry our bioproducts across the globe, we are proving that bioethanol is a powerful solution for the future of transportation.
At the same time, S&P Global Energy launched its Potential of Agriculture study, an important effort to quantify the enormous economic opportunity that lies at the intersection of bioenergy and agriculture. This study reinforces what POET has believed for nearly four decades: that the answers to many of the world’s most pressing challenges are growing all around us.
The next chapter in the POET story will require the same talent, tenacity, and hard work that brought us here — along with continuing to challenge the status quo, invest in innovation, and drive new markets at home and around the globe. The world is changing rapidly, and with that change comes great opportunity for us to evolve and make POET competitive for decades
to come.
As remarkable as our progress has been in 2026, I believe some of our greatest opportunities still lie ahead. Because at POET, we’ve never been content to simply keep up with a changing world. We’ve always set out to change it ourselves.
