The ethanol industry got a morale boost this week at its annual National Ethanol Conference in San Diego.
“In ethanol’s short history, we have already changed the world, and we’ve got a lot more work to do.”
But Renewable Fuels Association Chair Erik Huschitt wasn’t alone in hailing the corn fuel’s achievements since the eighties and those yet to come.
“This new industry, this 36-billion-gallon industry called sustainable aviation fuel, this is a tremendous opportunity for America to define the economy of the 21st century, as we did, essentially, define the economy of the 20th century.”
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said it’s a chance for America to “lead the way to a better and brighter future”—one with a clean transportation sector. And one that keeps hundreds of thousands of smaller farms farming.
“I’m asking this country the question, and policymakers, are we ok continuing to lose farms, are we ok continuing to lose farmland, or can we do better? And I think we can. And your industry said in 1981, said we can do better…and I think this industry is saying today, we can do better.”
Vilsack argues that starts with creating new revenue streams for feedstocks and climate-smart practices like those that may help ethanol qualify for must-have tax breaks now being written - tax breaks Vilsack says USDA is fighting for and feels will happen.
-NAFB