The 2026 National Ethanol Conference takes place in Orlando, FL, February 24-26.
The National Ethanol Conference (NEC) is the most widely attended executive-level conference for the ethanol industry. Past events have welcomed industry leaders from across the United States and 20 countries. Since 1996, the Renewable Fuels Association’s NEC has been recognized as the ethanol conference for the latest, timely information on marketing, legislative, and regulatory issues facing the industry.
This virtual ag newsroom includes links to photos and audio content available free of charge for digital or print publication or broadcast.
Press Releases
SAF Pioneer LanzaJet Honored with RFA Industry Award
RFA’s Cooper Calls for Year-Round E15, Highlights Record Ethanol Production at 31st Annual National Ethanol Conference
RFA Releases 2026 Ethanol Industry Outlook and Pocket Guide
RFA Analysis: Ethanol Industry Supported 317,000 Jobs, Generated $50 Billion in GDP in 2025
Ten Awarded Scholarships to Attend National Ethanol Conference
Key USDA, EPA Officials to Speak at National Ethanol Conference
Photos
2026 National Ethanol Conference highlights photo album
Audio
Interviews
RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper – press conference
NEC26 press - Geoff Cooper, RFA CEO (33:35)
RFA Chairman Derek Peine, Western Plains Energy, Kansas
NEC26 interview - Derek Peine, RFA Chairman (3:54)
RFA Senior VP, Industry Relations & Market Development, Robert White
NEC26 interview - Robert White, RFA Industry Relations (5:25)
RFA Senior VP, Government & Public Affairs, Troy Bredenkamp
NEC26 interview - Troy Bredenkamp, RFA Government & Public Affairs (7:14)
RFA General Counsel and VP, Government Affairs, Ed Hubbard
NEC26 interview - Ed Hubbard, RFA General Counsel (7:09)
RFA Policy Counsel and Director, Government Affairs, Jared Mullendore
NEC26 interview - Jared Mullendore, RFA Policy Counsel (3:48)
RFA VP, Strategy and Innovation, Tad Hepner
NEC26 interview - Tad Hepner, RFA Strategy and Innovation (4:18)
RFA Chief Economist Scott Richman
NEC26 interview - Scott Richman, RFA Chief Economist (6:53)
RFA Marketing & Membership Manager Kendra Coulson
NEC26 interview - Kendra Coulson, RFA Marketing & Membership (3:30)
RFA President/CEO Geoff Cooper – conference wrap up
NEC26 interview - Geoff Cooper closing interview (4:43)
2026 RFA Industry Award: LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis
NEC26 interview - Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet (3:04)
NEC26 remarks - Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet (5:06)
Marc Nickel, Senior Vice President – M&A and Transaction Solutions, Aon
NEC26 interview - Marc Nickel, Aon (3:50)
NEC Scholarship Award Winners
Samantha Cookson, University of Ottawa
NEC26 interview - Samantha Cookson, scholarship winner (2:10)
Shalom Iboh, University of Florida
NEC26 interview - Shalom Iboh, scholarship winner (2:21)
Kayla McCaslin, Valero Energy, YPN scholarship winner
NEC26 interview - Kayla McCaslin, YPN scholarship winner (1:26)
Verena Hopkins, sales representative at IFF, YPN scholarship winner
NEC26 interview - Verena Hopkins, YPN scholarship winner (3:01)
Presentations and Panels
State of the Ethanol Industry address – RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper
NEC26 State of the Industry (37:37)
Unleashing E15 panel:
Alessandra Magnasco, Senior Director, Government Affairs, California Fuels & Convenience Alliance
Jake Olson, Executive Director of Public Policy, RaceTrac, Inc.
Neil Koehler, President, KBE LLC
Moderator: Robert White, Senior VP, Industry Relations & Market Development, Renewable Fuels Association
NEC26 Unleashing E15 panel (45:02)
U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Aaron Szabo
NEC26 Aaron Szabo, EPA (28:48)
Policy, Progress, and the Pursuit of New Markets panel:
Doug Kantor, General Counsel, NACS
Will Hupman, VP, Downstream Policy, American Petroleum Institute
Jordan Dux, Senior Director of National Affairs, Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation
Anne Steckel, Senior Advisor, National Farmers Union
Moderator: Troy Bredenkamp, Senior VP, Government & Public Affairs, Renewable Fuels Association
NEC26 Policy panel (55:35)
AI, Energy Security and the Future of Global Competition – Sarah Kreps, Professor, Government and Law at Cornell University
NEC26 AI, Energy Security (37:04)
Going Global: Expanding Worldwide Demand for Ethanol:
Fred Ghatala, President, Advanced Biofuels Canada Association
Alberto Carmona, CEO and Founder, NixAl Commodities
Federico Salcedo, Regional Ethanol Consultant for Latin America, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council
Paulo Macedo, Global Managing Director, International Relations, Policy & Advocacy, Raizen
Moderator: Ed Hubbard, General Counsel and VP, Government Affairs, Renewable Fuels Association
NEC26 Global demand panel (56:13)
Taking the Tide: Ethanol on the High Seas:
Lucas Correa, General Manager, Decarbonization Co-Creation, Wärtsilä
Volkmar Galke, Executive Director Sales, WinGD Ltd.
Ernst Wilche, Regional Sales Director – Americas, Everllence
Clarence Woo, Managing Director, Global Centre for Green Fuels
Moderator: Zoltán Szabó, Secretary General, Climate Ethanol Alliance
NEC26 Maritime fuel panel (59:59)
45Z: Unlocking Opportunities, Navigating Uncertainty:
Rebecca Johnson, Tax Manager, Christianson PLLP
Faith Larson, Vice President Business Development & Legal Counsel, Mickelson & Company
Marc Nickel, Senior Vice President – M&A and Transaction Solutions, Aon
Moderator: Jared Mullendore, Policy Counsel and Director, Government Affairs, Renewable Fuels Association
NEC26 45Z Panel (59:15)
Women’s Leadership Breakfast: A conversation with the founder of Girls Auto Clinic
Patrice Banks, Founder, Girls Auto Clinic
Kendra Coulson, Marketing & Membership Manager, RFA
NEC26 Women's Leadership (45:34)
Daniel Whitley, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator
NEC26 remarks - Daniel Whitley, USDA (22:34)
Cultivating a New Crop of Ethanol Advocates: Patrice Banks, Founder, Girls Auto Clinic
NEC26 remarks - Patrice Banks, Girls Auto Clinic (16:42)
Ethanol at the Ballot Box: A Decade of Voter Insights: Eli Yokley, U.S. Politics Analyst, Morning Consult
NEC26 remarks - Eli Yokley, Morning Consult (16:00)
Energy Markets in Flux: Kevin Book, Managing Director, ClearView Energy Partners
NEC26 remarks - Kevin Book, ClearView Energy Partners (32:47)
Rail Transportation Outlook: Tom Williams, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, BNSF Railway
NEC26 remarks - Tom Williams, BNSF Railway (29:41)