Now that the farm bill is a done deal, National Corn Growers Association Public Policy Vice President Jon Doggett says his organization has three main priorities for this year in Washington – protect the RFS, and protect the RFS, and protect the RFS.

That may seem redundant, but that’s just how important the Renewable Fuel Standard is for corn growers.

Doggett sat on the annual Washington Insiders panel at the National Ethanol Conference this week with Aaron Whitesel of DuPont, Kris Kiser with the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, and Shane Karr from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, and Bob Greco of the American Petroleum Institute. Listen to the whole conversation between them, moderated by Renewable Fuels Association president Bob Dinneen: NEC Washington Insiders Panel

One of the questions directed to the panel was if they thought Congress would take any action on the RFS this year, and most said no but API’s Greco said they would continue to push for a permanent fix to the RFS, and NCGA’s Doggett warned the ethanol industry to be vigilant. “These folks are spending millions and millions of dollars to take away the RFS, the thing that has built your industry,” said Doggett. “Frankly I think everybody in this room ought to embrace a little paranoia on this one.”

During an interview with Domestic Fuel, Doggett was asked if the industry could continue to grow without the RFS. “I really don’t want to find out if that’s true or not … I don’t want to take that risk,” he said. Interview with Jon Doggett, NCGA

2014 National Ethanol Conference Photo Album