Kansas Biofuels Week Opens Summer Driving Season

Governor Laura Kelly Proclaims the Week of May 26 Biofuels Week

KCGA Board Member Ken McCauley (center) accepts the Biofuels Week Proclamation from Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam, along with representatives from Renew Kansas, Kansas Grain Sorghum, Kansas Soybeans, and PMCA of Kansas.

5-22-19 — At a time of distress in rural Kansas, renewable fuel remains an important asset to drive feed-grain demand and improve prospects for profitability on the farm. Recognizing the many benefits biofuels provide to the Kansas economy, agricultural industry, energy consumers and environment, Governor Laura Kelly has proclaimed the week of May 26, 2019 as “Biofuels Week.”

In celebration of the proclamation, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Beam, hosted a recognition ceremony with the effort’s organizing groups at the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s headquarters in Manhattan.

“Biofuels add value to the Kansas economy and are an important contributor to the Kansas agriculture industry,” Beam said. “They offer a clean-burning, affordable fuel choice to consumers as well as provide valuable by-products for our livestock industry, in the form of DDGS and soybean meal. Biofuels play a key role in the long-term, sustainable agricultural prosperity of Kansas.”

Kansas Corn CEO Greg Krissek thanked Governor Kelly and Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam for their support of Kansas biofuels. Krissek said biofuels benefit Kansas.

“Biofuels like ethanol don’t just benefit farmers,” said Kansas Corn CEO Greg Krissek. “Fuels like E15, which contains 15 percent ethanol, provide drivers with more choices at the pump. E15 is a higher quality, lower cost, cleaner air option for vehicles 2001 and newer. Biofuels benefit consumers, farmers, fuel retailers, rural communities and our environment,”

Currently in Kansas, 10 ethanol plants annually produce 550 million gallons of clean burning renewable ethanol, worth nearly $900 million. These Kansas ethanol plants utilize 44 percent of all corn, and 30 percent of all grain sorghum, grown in our state.

Similarly, biodiesel adds 63 cents per bushel to the value of Kansas soybeans. Kansas has one renewable diesel plant, and a state-of-the-art biodiesel plant is under construction in Wichita which will annually produce 60 million gallons of clean burning biodiesel from locally grown soybeans.

Kansas Corn, Kansas Grain Sorghum, Kansas Petroleum Marketers Association, Kansas Soybeans and Renew Kansas all partnered to form the coalition for Governor Kelly to announce a statewide recognition of biofuels. These organizations will promote Biofuels Week through social media channels using the hashtag, #KSBiofuels, as well as disperse industry facts and statistics to media and stakeholders across the state.

——————————————————————————————————-

Ron Seeber, Renew Kansas Biofuels Association President and CEO: “Renew Kansas is thankful for the Governor’s recognition of the Kansas biofuels industry which provides Kansans with a steady supply of renewable, affordable and environmentally-sound fuel with every fill up.”

Tom Palace Executive Director Kansas Petroleum Marketers Association: “Renewable fuels play an important role offering a clean-burning product that is available to all Kansans. The governor’s recognition of the biofuels industry with the May 26 proclamation of Biofuel Week provides added support for the industry at the executive level. The petroleum industry is a proud supporter and partner with the renewable fuel industry.”

Jesse McCurry Executive Director of Kansas Grain Sorghum: “All the groups involved in supplying critical inputs to biofuel plants in Kansas appreciate the State of Kansas administration keying in on development and support of ethanol.”

Dennis Gruenbacher Kansas Soybean Commission National Biodiesel Board Member, Andale, Kan.: “America’s first and only energy source to earn the title of ‘advanced biofuel’ from the Environmental Protection Agency, biodiesel can be used in almost any diesel engine without modifications in blends of up to 20%. Last year, biodiesel production used the oil from 660 million bushels of soybeans, which was 35% of the U.S. soybean-oil supply. That kind of domestic demand is vitally important to soybean farmers right now.”