Growth Energy, Renewable Fuels Association rivalry prompts NGCA “make love, not war” ultimatum

In Washington, a storm has broken out in the ethanol lobby after the leak of a detailed memo from Darrin Ihnen, president of the National Corn Growers Association, criticizing the rivalry between Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association.

“The ethanol and corn industries face many challenges today that could significantly impact our ability to help provide a renewable domestic alternative to foreign oil, and it is imperative that all parties in the ethanol industry work together cooperatively toward this end,” Ihnen said in a statement released following the leak.

In the memo, he demanded that the RFA and GE agree to binding arbitration to settle their grievances or the NCGA would “consider it a hostile action for either GE or RFA to continue to solicit funding from NCGA member states, corn growers or agribusiness supporters of NCGA.”

Growth Energy was founded last year by POET, Hawkeye Renewables and ICM among other companies to respond more aggressively to food-vs-fuel issues, the E10 blend wall and indirect land use change; the RFA has been long dominated, according to industry observers, by Archer Daniels Midland.

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