It was the “Bill and Tom Show” at the 2010 Farm Progress Show on Wednesday as Growth Energy hosted a discussion about ethanol between CEO Tom Buis and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey held a panel discussion to talk about Growth Energy’s Fueling Freedom Plan, the upcoming energy bill and EPA’s pending decision on the E15 waiver.

Both Buis and Northey said there is a critical need for the EPA to approve E15 and open the market for ethanol in order to revitalize our rural economies, clean our skies and support the continued innovation in the ethanol industry.

“We don’t have a production problem, we have an access to the market problem,” Buis said. “By moving to E15 and eliminating the artificial barriers to the fuel market we can create a market for all ethanol to reduce our dependence on oil, strengthen our economy and improve our environment.”

“It is vital that Congress and the EPA move forward and approve these needed long-term policy proposals,” Northey said. “It is important that we send a signal to the industry and investors that support structures that will remain in place and allow the industry to continue to advance and adopt new technologies including eventually cellulosic ethanol.”

We’ll have audio from the panel to be posted along with commentary from Joanna Schroeder who was at the event.