Ethanol advocates receive East River's Eminent Service Award

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and two dedicated ethanol advocates were recipients today of the Eminent Service Award from East River Electric Power Cooperative. This prestigious award was presented by East River Board President Wayne Wright, during the power supplier's annual meeting in Sioux Falls.

East River delivers wholesale power to 21 local electric distribution systems in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. East River presents its Eminent Service Award annually to recipients for their contributions to rural electrification and rural America. This year, Wright presented East River's highest honor to ACE for its advocacy, education and marketing efforts that have helped develop the burgeoning ethanol industry in the region and in the nation. Accepting the award on behalf of ACE was its Board President, Bob Scott of Sioux Falls. Also, founding ACE board member Orie Swayze of Wilmot and longtime ACE board member/treasurer Owen Jones of Britton were recognized for their many years of dedicated efforts to promote this renewable fuel.

"Founded in December of 1987, ACE has become an effective grassroots voice for the U.S. ethanol industry," Wright said. "For 20 years, the ACE Board of Directors, members and staff have been at the forefront of advocacy, education and marketing efforts for this clean-burning, homegrown fuel that benefits the local economy."

Sioux Falls-headquartered ACE has nearly 2,000 members throughout the nation and dozens of foreign countries. ACE has united ag-related organizations, commodity groups, ethanol producers, electric cooperatives and other rural interests who share the passion for promoting the benefits of ethanol.

"Your prestigious achievements include Congress's passage of the Renewable Fuels Standard in 2005," Wright said. "The standard calls for American plants to produce 7.5 billion gallon of renewable fuel per year by 2012, reducing our dependence upon foreign oil."

ACE marketing successes include developing relationships with gasoline stations to promote ethanol as a clean-burning gasoline additive to reduce air pollution and E-85 as a practical alternative fuel. In March of this year, the Indy Racing League began using 100 percent American-made ethanol as a racing fuel for Indy Car Series races.

Swayze and Jones operate family farms and livestock operations near Wilmot and Britton, respectively. Both have worked passionately to develop ethanol as a value-added product, which resulted in ethanol plants being constructed in their areas. They were also recognized for helping to get the first blender pumps, which dispense a variety of ethanol blends, installed in the state -- at gas stations in their communities.

"Thanks to your leadership, the ethanol industry has grown from a few experimental homemade stills to nearly 200 ethanol plants in operation or under construction in the U.S. today," Wright said. "On average, two new ethanol plants are going on line each month, while no oil refineries have opened during the last 30 years. These ethanol plants create good-paying jobs, boost farm revenues, increase the local tax base and purchase local feedstock, goods and services."

East River Electric's member systems have contracts for serving nine ethanol plants in South Dakota, which have the potential to produce enough E-85 to fuel all of the passenger vehicles and light trucks in the Dakotas.