Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
This is the show where we bring you fresh ideas, smart perspectives and forward-thinking leaders from across the grain handling and processing industry. Today’s episode brings energy, literally and figuratively. We’re joined by one of the most influential voices in agriculture and energy policy today, Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. We’re talking E15, ethanol and the future of agriculture. What’s next, why it matters and how you and Congress can help. You’ll want to share this episode with your colleagues in greater grain industry network. Stay tuned.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Hello and welcome to the show. Welcome to the Whole Grain Podcast. My name is Jim Lenz, your host and producer of the show and the director of global education and training at GEAPS where the mission of the Grain Elevator and Processing Society is to champion, connect and serve the global grain industry and our members. At GEAPS, we work to be the global community and thought leader for the grain industry, which feeds and fuels the world. Thanks for listening today and for joining the network of thousands of other grain handling and processing professionals from across the globe taking strategic steps to grow professionally. The Whole Grain Show will give you the competitive advantage to win at work so you can make more of an impact.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
We’ve got a powerhouse guest joining us Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy. Skor has dramatically expanded Growth Energy’s influence, footprint and membership, which includes the majority of US bio refineries. She has secured legislation and regulatory victories during both the Trump and Biden administrations. Under her leadership, Growth Energy has helped open new doors for the ethanol industry, expanded access to cleaner burning fuel and championed year-round sales of E15, a move with powerful implications for the grain industry and corn producers alike. Emily Skor was recently named one of Washington’s most influential people shaping policy in 2025 by Washington Magazine. We’re going to explore what’s next for E15, why it matters to grain industry professionals, and how policy and innovation are reshaping our role in fueling America’s future. Let’s dive into the conversation. All right, we have Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, on the show. Emily, thank you for joining us on the Whole Grain Podcast.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Thank you for having me. I’m so excited to be with you.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
As are we on behalf of the GEAPS organization and the board, we thank you so much for joining us here today. This is an exciting time and we’ll get into why that is, and the future, I think, looks really bright. But there are some big happenings that have just occurred now and so I’d love to start there. But I think, just from a large perspective, for those who may be unfamiliar with the work of Growth Energy, can you share a bit about Growth Energy and the mission behind your work?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Absolutely so. We are an advocacy organization, no-transcript membership, from 16 different states in the country. It’s all US manufacturers and the size of my member it ranges from a company that is a single plant that is owned by Farmer Co-op and maybe they produce 40 million gallons of ethanol a year. My biggest member is a privately held company, POET. They’re based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. They have 34 biorefineries that produce 3 billion gallons of bioethanol a year and everybody in between Our members collectively purchase 20% of corn grown in this country and a little bit of the sorghum as well. So that’s them on the manufacturing side. But we really also represent everybody in the value chain. So over 130 companies that range from enzyme producers to carbon capture technology providers to one of our most recent member additions equipment manufacturers like John Deere. John Deere recently joined Growth Energy and I’m really proud of that because of course, that’s an American iconic brand and it’s a testament to their belief in the importance of what ethanol will do for US agriculture.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Great summary. You met recently with Secretary Rollins and you’re busy working and having great conversations out there. I would love for you to carry some of those conversations over to our Whole Grain listeners representing the grain handling and grain processing industry. Can you tell them a little bit more about some of the other facts that are related to the ethanol industry, the growth we’re seeing from production to transportation or anything else you think would be high level impact? That’s going on.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
So let me start with something that we’ve been talking to the administration a lot about. The ethanol industry is a uniquely American industry. Our value chain starts and stops on US soil, and so we don’t need to import a lot to be able to manufacture our product. We use power and we use American crops, and those are the primary inputs. So we’re very proud of that, and that’s particularly relevant in today’s conversation when we’re focused on American energy dominance and US manufacturing, jobs and so forth. The origin of the industry was about building markets for US farmers, finding markets for US grain, and we consume about a third of the corn grown in this country, so it’s a very important marketplace for corn growers and, of course, grain handlers and processors. Therefore, therefore, as well, 70% of what we produce is shipped via rail around the country. It’s very impressive in terms of the logistics. We barge, we ship, we truck. We export about 12% of the ethanol that we produce. The biggest trading partner is our neighbor to the north, canada. They have been our biggest partner, and we’re going to talk about E15 today. Well, canada is very keen on E15 as well, and you know what I love our partner to the north, but I don’t want them to beat us to the punch.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
We’re the biggest producer of bioethanol in the globe. We should also be the biggest consumer. We should be very proud of that. You know one other thing that I think people may or may not know, but we employ more veterans than any other sector within energy. It’s something we’re very proud of, and if you go back to kind of some of the laws and regulations passed in the early 2000s, very specific to blending more US bioethanol, it’s because we don’t want to rely on foreign entities for our liquid fuels. We want to have homegrown energy, and so we’re very proud of that. So if you talk about something like energy security, that means that hits home for us. We’re very proud that we are an American industry, american manufacturing American feedstocks, and we want that to be consumed in the US as well.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Very good points to be made. I think that might be some refreshing for some of the listeners out there. Now let’s talk about this big win that just happened. Let’s provide some context about the recent waiver and what it means for agriculture. Emily, for those in the grain industry who may not be so closely tracking ethanol policy, can you briefly explain what the recent E15 summertime waiver means and why is it such a significant milestone?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
So let’s start with why we should care about E15, why it’s fantastic and every driver should want to be putting E15 in their gas tank. Our cars and trucks they fuel with a gasoline blend that’s 10% ethanol. Today, most people don’t even know that we would like everybody to be using a 15% ethanol blend. That is increasingly available across the country. In 33 states it’s typically sold as unleaded 88. And here’s why a 15% ethanol blend is great. First and foremost, if you’re using more ethanol, you’re grinding and processing more US corn, so we love it for that reason. But here’s why the American driver should like it. You will save 10 to 15 cents per gallon. In some instances 30 cents a gallon when you have spikes in gas prices up to a dollar per gallon. A dollar per gallon. And this is a fuel that actually cleans better and cleaner in your engine. So it’s better for the engine. It’s an 88 octane instead of an 87. It’s less expensive. It’s better for the environment because it’s cleaner burning. It’s good for the engine. It’s like the trifecta. It’s this great value fuel. It probably wouldn’t shock you to know that the only state in the country that doesn’t allow it to be sold right now is California. We’re working on it, but you know it is California, so that’s the upside of E15.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
So what are we talking about this waiver? Well, 35 years ago, congress passed a law in 1990. And in that law they were talking about clean air and fuel emissions. And this is before E15 even existed, so we hadn’t contemplated a 15% ethanol blend. Because of the way the law was written 35 years ago, the regulations are more stringent on E15 in the summer than a 10% blend, even though E15 is better for the environment and better savings.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
So it’s one of those situations where gee Washington thanks for screwing up the marketplace, this bureaucratic red tape. So because of that, epa since 2022, has been issuing a summertime waiver and every spring they have to come out and say we’re going to waive the regulations, we’re going to allow the sales of E15. And they’ve done that year over year, and that’s a good thing. But this is kind of a Band-Aid approach. So we’ll talk about what the ultimate solution is. But the good news for 2025 is that, as everybody is hitting the road for the summer family road trip that I’m going to do with my family, we’re going to be able to fuel up with E15.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
That’s fantastic. It’s a big win. You call this a win not just actually for biofuels, but you also call this a win for all of agriculture. Can you unpack that a bit? How does this decision ripple out to the farmers of agriculture? Can you unpack that a bit? How does this decision ripple out to the farmers, to the grain?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
handlers and beyond. Well, if this is about driving demand for US agriculture, the more ethanol that you blend, the more corn we will consume. That we will have to process and handle and grind. If every car in this country there are 270 million cars on the road if we all drove on E15, that would be 2 billion bushels of additional demand for US corn. That’s a pretty phenomenal demand driver. Right there, that’s 7 billion gallons of ethanol. And, by the way, I should have said this before. E15 is approved by EPA. For every car made 2001 and newer, that’s 96% of the cars on the road. So we can use this. We just need access to it. That’s why we need to change the regulations, so we can access this and not worry about it 12 months of the year.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
So this is exciting time, something else I’d love to see if you could address. We are talking about emergence of this processing industry, and let’s talk about the workforce. What would this mean? Having E15 go well beyond what we’re talking about, temporary? What does this mean long-term in terms of the workforce?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Well, let’s talk about jobs creation. If we drove on 15% ethanol in all the cars and trucks and that’s very doable that would be an additional 188,000 jobs that we would be creating, and these are well-paying jobs. Say that one more time, please 188,000 new jobs, and these are American jobs, well-paying jobs throughout rural communities, urban and rural, because we’ve got to do logistics and transport and all kinds of things. But that’s what’s at stake, that’s the opportunity, that’s what we can achieve here.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
That is big. That’s got to be part of the conversations as well.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Yeah, it is, and in particular, with this administration, because we have to tie every policy ask back to what does this do for US jobs creation, for US energy, for US fuel prices? Now, the good news for us is we have great answers for all of those concerns, and so we just have to shout it from the rooftops and we have to make sure our own industry understands the potential so that they can get motivated and excited and galvanized.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
So we’ve got this great opportunity right now happening. There’s more work to do, but I want to know what role did Growth Energy play in making this happen?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Well, you know, our job is to make our members’ voices heard. At the end of the day, that’s our job. I’m going to give credit to our lawmakers and regulators and to the administration and bipartisan support in Congress. You know their understanding of the importance of A15, that’s what helped encourage this. So I will give them credit because we couldn’t do it without them. But really our job is to educate, to advocate, to make sure that lawmakers and regulators continue to have us top of mind.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
They get very busy, they get very distracted, rightly so. So we are constantly in their offices, building relationships, sharing information with them on things like market impact. What does this do for the American farmer? So that, as they are looking for opportunities and policies that will help US manufacturing, that will help US jobs creation, that will help rural economies, they understand E15 is what we need and we can point them to the exact policy changes that they need to make to be able to do that. So that’s our job. But here’s what’s great about this particular policy conversation we have really broad bipartisan support for the reasons that I talked about. It’s hard to be opposed to giving drivers and consumers the choice for a fuel where they’re going to save money, it’s going to be better for the engine and you’re driving growth in the rural economy. Tell me who would possibly not be supportive of that? So we’re proud and I will.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
And I will say you know, one of the things that we did that’s really important with with this administration is the president has a history on E15. He we know how much he supports American farmers and his fondness for American farmers. So we worked with a team as they came into office in the transition, reminding them of the president’s commitments. He talked about E15 specifically on the campaign trail, reminding them of how our industry helps this administration advance their agenda and their goals. And what did we see? Day one, among the executive orders, the president included biofuels in his call for energy dominance. He included E15 specifically and he forecasted I’m going to be giving you guys a waiver this summer. That’s never happened before. We’ve never had an administration day one that recognized this industry and the importance to the American economy. So that’s a good start.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Absolutely so. This isn’t just about fuel, it’s about rural prosperity. Big impact there, consumer choice, american innovation as well.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Absolutely. That’s the trifecta. You said it right there rural prosperity, consumer choice and absolutely American innovation.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
So let’s talk about the fight for year-round E15. Clarify the policy path ahead and mobilize awareness. This waiver is temporary, so what needs to happen to make year-round E15 permanent?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
We need a change in the law, and only Congress can do that. So EPA has done its job. Thank you, president Trump, thank you, administrator Zeldin. You issued the waiver for 2025. But this is a Band-Aid approach, and the problem with that is you have market uncertainty for consumers, for fuel retailers and for farmers. And, yes, there’s a history of getting the waiver, but we always have to wait and advocate are we going to get it? When are they going to announce it? Well, that’s not good for building investments in infrastructure, and so we need Congress to pass the law. We’ve got really good momentum, but that’s ultimately what we have to do. So now our attention has gone from EPA directly to the halls of Congress.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
And where do we stand with Congress today? What are the key hurdles and opportunities?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
here. We have good opportunities and we have some hurdles too. Now the good news is we have broad bipartisan support, Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate. They recognize this is a pretty easy fix. It’s a bit of a no-brainer. We should do this. So we have bills have been introduced. Our sponsors in the Senate, Senator Deb Fisher from Nebraska and Tammy Duckworth from Illinois, a Republican and a Democrat working together. We have Representative Adrian Smith from Nebraska and Angie Craig from Minnesota, another Republican and Democrat. You know the Republicans and the Democrats on biofuels policy actually work together pretty well. They’ve introduced legislation.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
And here’s the interesting thing. I know this is a long time ago, the end of December, as Congress was trying to pass a continuing resolution and a budget bill, a funding bill. This E15 legislation was in the first compromise. So we had gotten the political will, we had gotten the political compromise, the parties and the leadership to agree. Ultimately they passed something that was a little skinnier and they were kicking some stuff out, including us. So we know there’s an appetite. We know there’s a political will. What we need this year is, as Congress is contemplating these really big bills like budget and tax code, that they find an opportunity to just insert E-15 into that, and that’s what we’re actively talking about here in Washington.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
It is such a big deal and work needs to continue, so let’s bring this down to those who work in. I mean, the impact on the value chain of the grain industry is immense. It’s all in the line right now. How can members in the grain industry who may not think of themselves as policy advocates show support for this effort?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Well, I would say you are the most important voice. What members of Congress, what lawmakers? They want to hear from their constituents. They want to hear from the men and women in their districts and in their states. They hear from us and we talk to them. But I would say, you know you can go to my website, growthenergyorg backslash E15 now. That’s a portal where we allow you to engage. So I would encourage people to go there and you can send a message to your member of Congress, to your senator, about why this is important for you, for your industry, for your business. You want to be able to grow your business. E15 is how we’re able to do that for the economy. So make your voice heard, because this administration is responsive when it hears directly from US agriculture and the rural economy and the men and women who support those industries, like grain processing and handling, and talk to both sides. We need Republicans and Democrats, so it doesn’t matter who your elected official is. They need to hear from you.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
That’s right. So we’ve made major strides, but to make this permanent we need Congress to step up and finish the job, and those in the grain industry. There are opportunities to advocate for themselves and for the industry. So I will leave a link that you just described in the show notes of this so people can go there directly and make their voices known. Thank you for sharing that. So let’s talk about connecting the dots. We got demand corn and we got the grain industry. Let’s make a strong case for listeners out there about market impact. From your perspective, how does E15 expansion influence corn demand and long-term grain markets?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
There is a direct line between blending more American bioethanol and increasing demand for US grain 100%. The more E15 we sell, the bigger the benefits to corn growers and those throughout the value chain. And it’s critically important that we connect those dots in Washington so that lawmakers, so that Congress, understands if I do this, this will. It’s not just a ripple effect like, it’s a straight line and in particular at this moment in time when there is a lot of uncertainty, when the rural economy and the farm economy is facing some pretty strong headwinds, when we are looking at some turbulence in terms of US trade, all the more reason that we need to be looking for all right, how do we create US demand for US agriculture? And in our conversations and we have members from all throughout the bioeconomy, all throughout the value chain and the consensus is the fastest way to drive demand for US grain is going to be through more use of US ethanol. There’s a real consensus there.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
I said it before but I’ll say it again Two billion bushel of US corn. That’s what’s at stake. That’s the opportunity here. Find me any other market opportunity that has that potential. There isn’t one, not in the immediate term here, and this is something that we can contain and control within the US. We aren’t reliant on foreign governments for this one. We can do this just here within the US. We have the capacity.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Yeah, what should grain and country elevators and grain processors be watching for as demand shifts?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Well, I mean talking to your customers, talking to your partners in the value chain, so you can anticipate, so you know the ebb and the flow in terms of kind of fuel demand. But I would say the big opportunity is I won’t say if I’m going to say when when Congress makes this change, that’s when we have the opportunity to see a potential kind of hockey stick in terms of demand. And that’s what they should be watching for is when Congress makes that fix. And they can help us do that by making sure their voice is heard too.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Yeah, it’s a move and a drive for growth, stability, understanding of markets ahead. Such an important time right now. Is there a role for collaboration between biofuel producers and the grain handling sector going forward?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
Absolutely 100%, Because ultimately we’re all on the same team. We want the same things. We want more homegrown biofuels in the fuel tank, we want more income and prosperity for farmers and rural communities. And I will say we won’t say how long I’ve lived and worked in Washington DC, We’ll just say it’s been a while. Jim, you get more when you work together. Okay, we achieve policy success. That’s going to help the markets. When we are united and when there’s a united voice and a united chorus of voices, because we have to break through a lot of noise. And so when you can say I’ve got the farmers, I’ve got the grain processors and handlers, I have the equipment manufacturers, I have all of the companies that are going to be providing technology to the ethanol manufacturers, and I’ve got labor too. I’ve got rail and truck, when we are all asking for the same thing, that’s when we have the best chance of being successful. So we have to link arms together on this one hope and direction.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
You’ve done that for sure already. You’ve led growth energy through major growth and influence. What leadership lessons stand out to you from this journey?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
The importance of unity.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
We have to do this together On the big fights, the big moments where we have been successful and we’ve had good success with Republican administrations and Democratic administrations and different composition of US Congress we are successful when we are working together, when my organization is working alongside the National Corn Growers Association, when we can demonstrate that what we’re asking for does indeed have a ripple effect throughout the farm economy economy.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
So the importance of coalition work, the importance of operating with professionalism and integrity, and I would say you know success can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s really important for us to project confidence, especially when you talk about something like E15, right, Well, who’s not in favor of E15? Of course you’re going to be supportive of it. You’re going to save money, it’s better for the engine we’re driving, US American jobs. So it’s important to be optimistic and to be nimble in this town, because things aren’t going to move in a linear path. You have to be nimble. But really we have had success on the biofuel side when we work with our partners, our brothers and sisters and our stakeholder partners, like you all.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Yeah, great words of wisdom there. Appreciate that. We appreciate you being very hopeful and energized. Your whole entire organization, this industry, as you said, needs to work together and be a partner in support of each other. What message do you want to leave with those working every day in the grain industry?
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
know. Be active in your industry association. Yours is the voice that matters most. It’s the voice that lawmakers and policymakers want to hear. But you may not know how to deliver. That that’s okay. You’re not an expert in that we are. That’s where we trade associations come in. Our job is to help organize your voice and your perspective and articulate that and effectively channel it at the right moments to the right people who are making decisions. So be active in your organization and just understand. You are such an important constituency and the littlest thing that you can do you can go to my website click, click, click. Send a message that counts when they hear from constituents, if it’s an email, a letter, a phone call, you sign on to a petition all of those things matter.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
We could leave here, Emily, by providing a place of action to learn more.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
You know, I’ll just give you. I’ll make it simple, I’ll give you one link growthenergyorg backslash E15 now, and that’s going to be the portal to be able to be active in terms of making your voice heard and through that you’ll have access to more information and statistics about how this is going to benefit American drivers, the American economy. What I want your listeners to know more than anything is that together we have a roadmap for a stronger America. I firmly believe this and I see this play out Our goals, what we need. It doesn’t change from administration to administration. How we engage with them will change. What part of our value proposition we lead with. That will change. But biofuels deliver for the American people, no matter who’s in power, and that’s what we were saying to ourselves as an industry this fall when we were waiting for the election outcomes. And that’s true because you see bipartisan support for the industry, because you’ve got bipartisan support for the rural economy and not leaving the rural economy behind. So I’m very excited about where we are and where we’re going. I really am.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
It is an exciting time. We are so grateful for you to share the recent EPA decision, what that means for the future of ethanol, why it matters to our industry and how agriculture can unite to move policy forward. Thank you so much, emily, for being a guest on the Whole Grain Show my pleasure.
Emily Skor, Growth Energy:
This was forward. Thank you so much, Emily, for being a guest on the Whole Grain Show. My pleasure, this was fun.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
Thank you. Thank you, Emily. Thank you for sharing your vision and for being a relentless advocate for agriculture, energy independence and rural prosperity. It’s clear that the work Growth Energy is doing is paving the way for a more connected and sustainable future, and we’re grateful for your leadership To our listeners. E15 is more than a fuel. It’s an opportunity for farmers, for industry, for rural America. But to keep the momentum going, it’s going to take action, policy partnerships and people who understand what’s at stake.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
I encourage you to share this episode with your teams. And here’s a reflection question what role can you or your organization play in advocating for policies that grow demand for the grain you handle every day? Let’s keep the conversation going, because the future of fuel is growing right in our fields podcast app. I encourage you to do so, as the podcast episodes will drop on your phone or your device as soon as it is released. Plus, you can easily catch up on all past episodes. Whole Grain is found on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podbean, Pandora and more.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
The Whole Grain Show connects with grain industry professionals like yourself from 88 countries from around the world. Be sure to share this episode and the news of the Whole Grain Show as an easy to access and easy to share educational resource with your network. By doing so, it really helps our industry communicate the various perspectives that are out there by our guests, and by sharing this with five other people you know, you help grow this industry. One can also find the show on the GEAPS website at www. geaps. jeepscom slash whole grain. If you would like a topic topic addressed on the show, or if you’d like to leave a comment on what you think of the show, or perhaps you’d like more information on how the grain elevator and processing society can support you with education and training needs, please reach out to me directly.
Jim Lenz, GEAPS:
I’m Jim Lenz, Director of Global Education and Training at GEAPS. My email is james@g eaps. com, J-a–m-e-s. At G-E-A-P-S dot com. We look forward to connecting with you. To learn more about being a member of the Grain Elevator and Processing Society. Please visit www. geaps. com, G-E-A-P-S dot com. Until next time, keep learning, keep innovating and keep moving the industry forward. Have yourself a great day and thanks for listening to the Whole Grain Show.
