The full conference kicked off this morning with a welcome and a series of presentations and comments from the Renewable Fuels Association and the EPA. We heard from RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen that the state of the ethanol industry is strong, that 10.6 billion gallons were produced last year, and that there is a lot of work remaining for this industry to take advantage of opportunities ahead. Dinneen’s energetic recounting of ethanol industry growth and his approach was excellent and I look forward to hearing more from Dinneen in the future.
In response to a geopolitical commentary, Dinneen received an extended applause from the packed audience this morning for the comment nobody should die because we have failed to wean ourselves from oil. Collective efforts from the biofuels industry are needed to advance relevant federal policies and maintain helpful tax credits.