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Momentum for ethanol in 2023

The ethanol industry is looking to maintain momentum as stakeholders gather in Orlando this week for the National Ethanol Conference. 

Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper says there were several big wins in the policy and regulatory arena in 2022.

“I’d say it was probably the most fruitful year for ethanol policy since at least 2007, which of course was the year we got the expanded and extended RFS.”

He tells Brownfield the Biden administration put the RFS back in growth mode, denied nearly 70 pending small refinery exemption requests, and issued an emergency waiver allowing summertime sales of E15.

“So those were the key victories from 2022, and now we kind of have the wind at our back and we need to take advantage of that and keep that momentum going as we move into 2023 and beyond.”

He says RFA is doing everything it can to ensure E15 will be available this summer.

Brownfield interviewed Cooper ahead of the 2023 National Ethanol Conference in Orlando that begins Wednesday.