Ethanol leader anticipates industry will use more corn & stalks


February 22, 2022 By Filed Under: 2022 Events, 2022 National Ethanol Conference, Corn Refiners, crops, Energy, Ethanol, News, Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy, Renewable Fuels, Sustainability

As more focus is put on lowering carbon footprints, the Renewable Fuels Association sees demand for corn going up…and not just the grain.

Kelly Davis with the Renewable Fuels Association says the RFA has a low carbon pledge, and just released a research report that outlines the pathway to their low-carbon future. “Corn farming is a part of that. Corn farmers certainly know how to be more sustainable and once they get the ability to claim sustainability credits, I believe it will be undertaken and so therefore we can add those credits to the ethanol and therefore sell more.”

And Davis says she also looks forward to cost-effectively using more of the corn plant. “Second-generation ethanol is certainly possible. We certainly take the top half of the corn stover and make it into ethanol but the costs outweigh what we can do with that beautiful corn grain, so when those costs get more even and when there are more incentives the second generation, I think it will come on, too.”

Brownfield interviewed Davis during the National Ethanol Conference in New Orleans.