ARLINGTON, VA (Dec. 5, 2013) – The cellulosic biofuels industry needs stable policy and a firm base of grain ethanol production in order to reach its potential, POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels Business Development Manager Kevin Potas will say today at the Environmental Protection Agency’s hearing on the Renewable Fuel Volume Obligation numbers for 2014.

Potas’s prepared statement highlights the importance of building cellulosic biofuels capacity through the established network of ethanol producers in the U.S.

“The low-hanging fruit of cellulosic biofuel production is the existing network of corn ethanol producers and their access to plentiful crop residue. When you weaken that industry, you weaken the opportunity for cellulosic ethanol expansion.”

It also highlights the importance of stable government policy:

“When the Renewable Fuel Standard was created, the government made a contract with the private sector. Congress said, ‘If you can produce domestic, renewable fuel, we will ensure there is a market for this important product.’ … If the government cannot be counted on to fulfill its side of the bargain, how can anyone expect the private sector to invest in these sorts of endeavors?”

Potas’s full comments are available at poetdsm.com/testimony (PDF).

About POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC

POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels, LLC, is a 50/50 joint venture between Royal DSM and POET, LLC. Based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the company is a cooperative effort of two innovators that provides a key to unlocking the opportunity of converting corn crop residue into cellulosic bio-ethanol. Built on the strengths of both companies, the joint venture has a critical mission: to make cellulosic bio-ethanol competitive with corn bio-ethanol, the most competitive renewable liquid transportation fuel on the US market today. Drawing on the deep expertise and experience of POET and DSM in different areas of converting cellulosic biomass into bio-ethanol, POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels will have its first commercial-scale plant co-located with POET Biorefining – Emmetsburg in Emmetsburg, Iowa. Based on this plant, the JV plans to globally license an integrated technology package for the conversion of corn crop residue to cellulosic bio-ethanol. More information: www.poetdsm.com