Commentary by Chris Novak, Chief Executive Officer, National Corn Growers Association
Growth Energy and its members met last week in Miami, Florida for their annual leadership conference. Next week, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) will gather in San Diego, California for their National Ethanol Conference – and in less than a month, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) will host its annual Fly-In in Washington D.C. Three different ethanol associations, holding three different meetings – each vital to our collective success. In the midst of these meetings, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on corn and ethanol’s shared history – and to consider what opportunities and challenges lie ahead.
For more than twenty years, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and its state affiliates have worked side by side with the ethanol industry to bring ethanol-blended fuels to the marketplace. In so doing, the production of fuel ethanol has contributed significantly to our nation’s economy in terms of job creation, tax revenues and energy independence. At last check, 214 biorefineries in 29 states supported nearly 360,000 jobs and displaced 527 million barrels of foreign oil keeping $26 billion in the U.S. economy. That’s something to celebrate.