Although the Keynote Speaker Brian France, NASCAR CEO, will be a big part of the 27th annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW), he won’t be the only big name in town. The plenary session on day two of FEW includes some big names as well.
First, Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) will give attendees a legislative update, speaking about broadening the industry’s scope. Following will be a plenary panel titled “Forming a Voice for the Next Generation of Ethanol Production.” Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC), will moderate the panel that will include Wes Bolsen, chief marketing officer and vice president of government affairs, Coskata Inc.; Bill Brady, president and CEO, Mascoma Corp.; and John McCarthy, president and CEO, Qteros Inc., all founding members of the newly formed group. “The advanced and cellulosic ethanol industry has finally come together, but now is the time for the entire biofuels industry to speak with one voice,” Bolsen says. “With enduring support, advanced biofuels will create jobs, help reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil, lower greenhouse gas emissions and help reduce the federal trade deficit.”
RFA and a group of companies in the advanced ethanol arena announced formation of the AEC in February. The group, whose founding members also include Abengoa Bioenergy Corp., BlueFire Renewables, Enerkem Inc., Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc., Inbicon A/S, Iogen Corp. and Osage Bio Energy LLC, will zero in on commercializing advanced ethanol. “American ethanol production is one of the most dynamic industries anywhere in the world,” Dinneen says. “The innovative companies founding the AEC are leading the evolution of domestic ethanol production to include a vast array of feedstocks. The RFA is proud to join with the members of the AEC and continue its work building a bigger and broader American ethanol industry.”
The afternoons of June 28 and 29 will be jam-packed with useful information in four areas: production, management, cellulosic ethanol and coproducts/product diversification. Attendees can either select the track that most interests them and sit in from the first panel presentation to the last, or pick and choose among the various presentations. In all, more than 80 speakers have been selected to give presentations, with more being added to the list as the event approaches.
Matt Henry, an environmental engineer with Pinnacle Engineering Inc., points out that even though the event is only for a few days, it’s a great place to learn about many up-and-coming issues in a short period of time. He tells Ethanol Producer Magazine, “I always find FEW to be a very compact source of information.”
Find out how these topics are showcased in this year’s agenda.
Visit www.fuelethanolworkshop.com to view the agenda online
Durr Builds Green Paint Shop in China
