The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) has confirmed Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, Geoff Cooper, President and CEO of Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Dr. Ernest Moniz, former Department of Energy undersecretary as keynote speakers for Global Ethanol Summit (GES), held Oct. 19-22 in Washington, D.C.
GES seeks to elevate bioethanol’s international visibility and ongoing successful initiatives as a viable decarbonization solution within the transportation sector. More than 450 ministerial-level officials and industry leaders, ethanol producers and refiners from more than 40 countries have been invited to attend with the goal of engaging a diverse group of international ethanol leaders about the benefits of expanding global use.
Skor is the CEO of Growth Energy, a biofuel trade association that represents most of the nation’s ethanol producers. She has been a leading voice on growing the bioeconomy and was named one of “Washington’s Most Influential People” of 2024 and 2025 by Washingtonian magazine. Skor will present on global leadership in the ethanol space.
Cooper is the President and CEO of Renewable Fuels Association, the nation’s oldest trade association for ethanol, driving growth for sustainable renewable fuels and bioproducts. He has discussed ethanol, energy and agricultural issues in major national and international news media and received the ethanol industry’s prestigious “High Octane Award” in 2017 and has twice been selected as one of “Top 100 People in the Bioeconomy” by the readers of Biofuels Digest. Cooper will present on ethanol’s future in the growing market.
GES will begin with four general sessions on Oct. 20 and continue with breakout sessions and a panel focused on opportunities facing the biofuels industry today.
Oct. 20 general sessions include:
• Global Policy and Trade Overview
• Trade Flows and International Opportunities
• Global Leadership
• Ethanol’s Future
Former Department of Energy undersecretary Dr. Moniz will be the keynote speaker on Oct. 21 presenting ethanol as a strategic decarbonization tool in the energy transition. Prior to serving as Undersecretary, Dr. Moniz was the founding director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and director of the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. Dr. Moniz served as a professor of physics at MIT from 1973-2013 where his primary research focus was energy technology and policy, including addressing pathways to a low-carbon world.
Registration for GES is now open and hotel rooms with special event rates are available until Sept. 12. More information and a complete agenda are available on the conference website here.