The mantra of the U.S. ethanol industry should be “Don’t Mess with the RFS,” according to Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen.

Addressing 1,100 participants in the National Ethanol Conference in Las Vegas today, Dinneen said, “The state of the ethanol industry can be summed up in five words: under siege and fighting back.”

“American ethanol is engaged in a Battle for the Barrel,” said Dinneen. “The stakes are high; our adversaries are well-funded; and our challenges are legion.”

Expressing optimism for the future of American biofuels, Dinneen said, “The nay-sayers keep writing obituaries for cellulosic ethanol. But the real news is that, in 2012, the first commercial cellulose plant was completed and several others began construction. Ineos in Florida is producing cellulosic ethanol today. From Abengoa in Kansas to ZeaChem in Oregon, the future of the ethanol industry can now be seen.”

“The real story of 2012 isn’t that, sometimes, we got knocked down. The real story is that we kept on bouncing back,” said Dinneen.

Read his speech here, listen to or download below.
RFA CEO Bob Dinneen at NEC 2013

2013 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album

2013 NEC Golf Tournament Photo Album