The Clean Fuels Alliance Foundation, led by Executive Director Tom Verry, hosted a comprehensive educational tour in California in September for participants to learn about biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel markets. Ten Congressional staffers working in one or more of the following areas: energy and commerce, transportation & infrastructure, ways & means, and agriculture, attended the one-day tour.
One staffer summarized the impact of the CA tour, saying that it had offered a view of “a different part of the biofuel supply chain that so few think of and [can] actually see the biofuels put to use in equipment and transportation.”
The morning started with Paul Winters giving an overview of the biodiesel, renewable diesel, and SAF industry and the federal policies that support its growth, such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and recent tax credit changes. Cory-Ann Wind, Director of State Regulatory Affairs, Clean Fuels Alliance America helped participants understand how state clean fuel programs operate on the West Coast – including California, Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico. Cory-Ann discussed the results from the Trinity Consultants’ study prepared for Clean Fuels Alliance America on the public health benefits of replacing petroleum diesel with 100% biodiesel.
Participants found the introductory sessions helpful, as one staffer noted, “I don’t know as much about the RVO/RFS and the non-USDA side of things.”
The tour’s first stop was Pacific Harbor Line (PHL). Otis Cliatt II, PHL President and Diana Turubanova, Director of Customer Service, led the group on a rail tour of the Port of Los Angeles and discussed the company’s operations, their commitment to net zero emissions, and how renewable diesel (RD) helps them to meet company and state emissions goals. PHL operates 25 locomotives running on 96 miles of track between the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Paul Winters moderated a panel discussion on the importance of federal and state policies. Participants learned how the industry has grown since the implementation of key federal policies and what happens to businesses when the policies are unstable. Panelists included representatives from biodiesel, renewable diesel, and SAF producer companies (Allison Willis, Ag Processing Inc; Fabian Urbina, Chevron; Kent Hartwig, GEVO; Pete Probst, Indiana Soybean Alliance; Jeramie Weller, Minnesota Soybean Processors; and Joe Gershen, Western Iowa Energy).
Kevin Lattner, Commercial Manager, Vopak discussed the logistics of delivering biodiesel, RD and SAF blends – provided by refiners like Chevron and imported by out of state refiners – to the California fuel market and the potential for meeting the carbon reduction goals of airlines, ocean freight shipping and rail transport. Based at the Port of Long Beach, Vopak receives fuel supplies via rail and ship, stores different fuels, and distributes them via truck or pipeline to customers across the Los Angeles area.
Joel Perler, Manager of Economic Development, Business Development Division, Port of Long Beach provided a boat tour of the port. Together, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles move nearly 40 percent of the nation’s containerized import cargo. Cargo through the ports reaches every congressional district in the United States. Tour guests received a first-hand look at the “Green Port” and learned about the Port’s Clean Air Action Plan, its goals to achieve ZE cargo-handling equipment by 2030 and ZE drayage trucks by 2035, and its latest proposed project, Pier Wind – the nation’s largest staging and integration facility for floating offshore wind. One staffer found the “tour and discussion of the port very helpful to see and understand how wide reaching the port is, serving every state in the US in some capacity.” Another staffer was impressed to learn, “how the port functions in our national supply chain and how biofuels have been [used] in the port meeting environmental goals and keeping our supply chain moving.” The tour concluded with closing remarks and an open discussion led by Tom Verry, providing participants with opportunities for questions and further engagement on clean fuel and
policy issues.
The Foundation tours are an invaluable way of bringing together those working on behalf of cleaner fuels. Perhaps best stated by a staffer, “I got some insight with how others are thinking about the CA LCFS traceability regulations, and it’s great to collaborate with others who share the same challenges. We may differ in how we believe policy should be but at the end of the day, we really do all want the same thing…for our clean fuels to have a solid strong market for the long term.”
Speakers included:
Tom Verry, Executive Director, Clean Fuels Foundation
Paul Winters, Director of Public Affairs, Clean Fuels Alliance America
Cory-Ann Wind, Director of State Regulatory Affairs, Clean Fuels Alliance America,
Joel Perler, Manager of Economic Development, Business Development Division, Port of Long Beach
Kevin Lattner, Commercial Manager, Vopak
Diana Turubanova, Director of Customer Service at Pacific Harbor Line, Inc (PHL)
Panelists:
Allison Willis, Ag Processing Inc
Fabian Urbina, Chevron
Kent Hartwig, GEVO
Pete Probst, Indiana Soybean Alliance
Jeramie Weller, Minnesota Soybean Processors
Joe Gershen, Western Iowa Energy
A special thank you to our California tour sponsors:
ADM, Clean Fuels Alliance America, GEVO, Chevron, AGP, Minnesota Soybean Processors, Innovative Ag Services, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Clean Fuels Alliance Foundation and Western Iowa Energy
Contact: Tom Verry, tverry@cleanfuels.org