In Their Own Words

In Their Own Words

By Aaron Putze, aputze@iasoybeans.com

Insights shared by soybean leaders and industry officials speaking at Clean Fuels Alliance America’s annual conference.

You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger success story in the soybean industry the past 30 years than biodiesel. But let’s not overpromise and underdeliver given the projected demand for renewable fuels and available feedstocks don’t add up. It’s going to take all technologies and partnerships, including with the liquid fuels industry, to take us where we want to go. - Kirk Leeds, CEO, Iowa Soybean Association

It will take all of us to reach a lower carbon future. - Kevin Lucke, President, Ames, Iowa-based Chevron REG

The real story of success (of biofuels) is seated in the chairs at this conference. In just a short time, it’s generated 65,000 jobs and $16 Billion in economic activity. That success is quite remarkable. - Former Sen. Byron Dorgan

How much will happen in terms of significant policy action in the next two years in Washington, D.C.? LESS THAN NOT MUCH. - Former Sen. Byron Dorgan

ASA has been around now for 103 years. Partnerships and collaboration have always mattered to build the soybean industry and the same will hold true in the future to successfully drive the biofuels industry forward. - Steve Censky, CEO, American Soybean Association

All railroads have made firm commitments to reduce GHG emissions and the only option is to use biodiesel to meet those goals. One locomotive includes 50,000 gallons of fuel capacity, or 200,000 megawatts of power and takes just 15 minutes to fill. We need biodiesel and renewable diesel to make announced sustainability goals. - Theresa Romanosky, Assistant General Counsel, Association of American Railroads

Carbon reduction is here to stay. Industries from rail, to marine or over the road and now airlines, are all navigating aggressive sustainability goals. New markets for low-carbon fuels will continue to open on the land, in the air and on the sea. - Mike Rath, Chair, Clean Fuels Alliance America (Darling Ingredients)

Our fuels play a critical role in the heating sector which is a generator of GHG emissions. Yes, electrification is going to be important, but you must factor in the significant lag time of where you are now and where you want to be, which makes biofuels a real and immediate option … today. - Floyd Vergara, Director of State Government Affairs, Clean Fuels Alliance America

Diesel powers the engines that get work done. - Scott Fenwick, Technical Director, Clean Fuels Alliance America

We decided a long time ago that our biodiesel would be powered by domestically produced feedstocks. I want farmers to know that when you see our vehicles on the road after major disasters, you’re helping restore power for those in need. - Patti Earley, Fleet Fuels Operations Manager, Florida Power & Light

Biofuels are not the darling of the progressive left. But the attributes of our fuels, including reduced cancer risk and asthma cases, are all things that they care about. There’s no other alternative to achieve them than our fuels. - Kurt Kovarik, Vice President, Federal Affairs, Clean Fuels

What makes me excited is the increased demand for soybean oil. That has resulted in an increased crush capacity that, over the next 3-5 years, will supply enough soybean oil for nearly 900 million additional gallons of biodiesel. - Steve Censky, CEO, American Soybean Association