The American Coalition for Ethanol concluded its 37th annual conference on Friday after a fast-paced day and a half of information and networking for the ethanol industry.

“I think folks were energized to hear from the Secretary of Agriculture,” said ACE CEO Brian Jennings at the end of the event. “His unwavering commitment to getting some of these details right that we need in tax credits and getting farmers some credit for activities that right now they’re not getting credit for. And so the time that he spent with us, I think was critical.”

In addition to Vilsack, many of the panels and breakouts were focused on climate smart agriculture and lowering the carbon intensity score of the industry and the work ACE has already been doing since 2021 with the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) across ten states. “We’re going to have rock solid carbon intensity scores for what every single climate smart ag practice you can imagine does in different soil types and different climates,” said Jennings.

The conference included updates from ACE leadership, including Board President Dave Sovereign, Golden Grain Energy, and ACE Chief Marketing Officer Ron Lamberty, and a keynote address from Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions. Awards recognized John Christianson, Christianson PLLP; Jeff Carpenter, USDA HBIIP manager; and Randy Gard, Bosselman Enterprises.

Photos and audio from the conference can be found in the 2024 ACE Annual Conference Virtual Newsroom