AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. – Today, Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, welcomed over 400 industry leaders and innovators to Amelia Island, Florida, for the organization’s 16th annual Executive Leadership Conference (ELC). ELC gathers Growth Energy members from across the country to engage in executive-level educational programming, strategic planning, and networking within the biofuels industry.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor kicked off the conference with a keynote speech exploring the current political landscape, highlighting policy priorities, and outlining an industry game plan for 2025. “We have the roadmap to a stronger America,” said Skor. “Biofuels deliver for the American people no matter who’s in power.”
One of the industry’s top policy priorities, according to Skor, is securing year-round access to E15, a more affordable fuel blend made with 15% American ethanol that can be used in 96% of cars on the road today. In her keynote, Skor was optimistic in her assessment of the industry’s chances for securing a permanent, legislative fix that allows E15 to be sold all year long, without interruption. “We have a President whose base includes rural America, and permanent, national E15 will raise paychecks and farm incomes,” she said. “We have a Congress that campaigned on the cost of living, and higher blends lead to lower fuel costs. We have a coalition that is bigger and broader than it’s ever been, and we are closer to victory than we’ve ever been.”
Skor also highlighted the importance of a strong Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), reliable access to foreign markets, and updates to the tax code—three policy areas that empower renewable fuel producers to directly support growth in the farm economy.
Aside from the keynote address, the program for this year’s ELC also features more than 20 executive-level educational panels and sessions featuring top-tier speakers from throughout the renewable fuels, retail, public, and agricultural sectors. The event is ongoing in Amelia Island, Fla. Follow along on social using the hashtag #ELC2025.
