Growth Energy sees policy wins fueling ethanol industry growth

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor on June 3 used the 42nd annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo to argue that policy wins were opening new demand channels for U.S. ethanol, with the 2026 program drawing more than 200 speakers and nearly 250 presentations at America’s Center in St. Louis. Organizers said the June 2 to 4 gathering was the largest program in the event’s history, a scale that underscored how closely the industry is tracking policy, retail access and export growth.

FEW, now in its 42nd year, is described as the largest and longest-running ethanol conference in the world and typically brings in more than 2,300 people from over 31 countries. Growth Energy said Skor’s keynote highlighted recent victories for the industry and a path to growth at home, overseas and across new transportation markets, a message aimed at a sector looking beyond the gasoline blend wall and toward a broader market mix. Her prepared remarks also pointed to 2026 as America’s 250th birthday, using the anniversary as a backdrop for a case that ethanol supports energy dominance, lower gas prices, affordability, a stronger farm economy and rural jobs.

The near-term market data gave that pitch some backing. On June 3, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported U.S. fuel ethanol production up 2% for the week ending May 29, weekly ending stocks down by more than 1%, and exports up by more than 32%. For producers watching crush margin, those numbers offered a short-term sign that domestic output and overseas pull were moving in the right direction at the same time.

Retail access is also improving. Growth Energy said on May 8 that E15 was available at more than 5,000 retail locations nationwide, up from its earlier milestone of 4,700-plus locations across 34 states. That expansion matters for an industry that has spent years pushing for year-round E15 access and for broader federal biofuel stability, two priorities Skor has worked on since 2019.

The keynote fit a wider industry argument that ethanol’s next phase will not come from one market alone. Instead, Growth Energy is pressing a case that policy certainty can translate into pump sales, export volumes and new transportation uses, with the June 3 EIA data and the expanding E15 footprint giving the sector concrete numbers to point to.