Live in New Orleans, it's the National Ethanol Conference!

One of my absolute favorite conferences that I attend every year is the National Ethanol Conference put on by the Renewable Fuels Association, this year running from Feb. 15-17.

They’re always loaded with fiery speaker sessions and passionate speeches on issues both benefiting and plaguing the US ethanol industry.

This year, in my fourth National Ethanol Conference to attend, I’ll be speaking as part of a panel on “High Octane Fuels: Economic & Environmental Benefits,” on Wednesday morning from 8:45-10 a.m. So if you’re at the conference, please be sure to stop by and say hi.

My presentation will focus on ethanol’s bare-knuckled fight against competing octane boosters in this upside-down oil price climate. I’ve already had one guy tell me that session will be “too early” for him, given that we’re in one of America’s most notorious party cities.

To that, I told him, “Come on, man, Fat Tuesday was last week. New Orleans is back to being on its best behavior now.”

Take that how you will, but being from nearby Houston, New Orleans is a city that’s very near and dear to me, and I’m thrilled to be here along with the industry’s best and brightest.

The networking that goes on at the NEC is always fascinating to me, with traders, brokers, producers and analysts all converging to share insight and strategy. If you’ve never been, I strongly, strongly endorse it.

If you are here,  please be sure to seek out your friends from Platts. I think we have more than a dozen representatives here, a far cry from the two of us who attended my first NEC in Las Vegas back in 2013.