2022 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit Recap
The 2022 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit was held on January 25 at the Community Choice Convention Center in downtown Des Moines. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) was excited to host the Summit in person once again! The day was full of exciting speakers and roundtable discussions on top-of-mind issues impacting the biofuels industry.
IRFA Celebrates 20 Years of Growth
IRFA President Devin Mogler kicked off the day with opening remarks.
State of the Iowa Industry Address
IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw delivered his annual “State of the Iowa Industry” address, declaring the biofuels industry “fed up but fired up.”
Iowa Governor Addresses the Summit
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds joined Summit attendees to discuss her Biofuels Access Bill she had just introduced into the Iowa Legislature. She also went over why biofuels are vital to Iowa. Summit attendees had the opportunity to sign a letter at the IRFA trade show booth thanking Governor Reynolds for her support of year-round E15.
Lowering Biofuels’ Carbon Footprint Roundtable
Following the Governor was a roundtable on what is being done at the farm and biofuel plant level to reduce carbon emissions. The discussion also covered why this is important and the role biofuels can play in reducing U.S. carbon emissions today.
- Moderator: Chris Boshart, CEO, Corn LP
- Jessica Hoffman, Regulatory and Compliance Manager, RPMG
- Steffen Muller, Principal Economist, University of Illinois Chicago
- Dave Slade, Executive Director of Biofuels Technology & Services, Renewable Energy Group
- Marshall McDaniel, Assistant Professor, Agronomy Department at Iowa State University
Summit Keynote Speaker: Jim Kennedy on China’s Monopoly of Rare Earth Metals
Jim Kennedy, President of ThREE Consulting, discussed how China has come to control a majority of the world’s rare earth metals supply chain, which are used to make batteries used in electric vehicles among other technology. He went over why this poses a national security risk for the U.S. and what needs to be done to nullify the risk.
Biofuels Policy Roundtable
Joined by four biofuel policy experts, IRFA Executive Director Monte Shaw moderated a discussion on the future of biofuels policy. Panelists covered a variety of topics including the future of the RFS, a path forward for E15, and the biodiesel tax credit.
- Moderator: Monte Shaw, Executive Director, Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit
- Donnell Rehagen, Chief Executive Officer, Clean Fuels Alliance America (Formerly National Biodiesel Board)
- Devin Mogler, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Green Plains
- Lindsay Fitzgerald, Vice President of Government Relations, Gevo, Inc
- Jessica Bennett, Partner, AJW, Inc.
Economic Outlook Roundtable
After lunch the Summit afternoon session kicked off with a roundtable discussion between two renowned economists. They covered emerging trends in the ag and biofuel markets on a global, national, and even local/state level.
Industry Keynote
Donnell Rehagen, Clean Fuels Alliance America (Formerly National Biodiesel Board)
Rehagen discussed the association’s recent name change and how that connects to their vision for the future of advanced biofuels.
Emerging Markets Roundtable
The last roundtable of the day covered the up and coming markets that biofuel producers are keeping a close eye on. Discussion included sustainable aviation fuel, home heating oil, rail and marine vessels, high protein distillers grains, and more.
