Agenda Day 1
Monday, March 17, 2008

8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast/Registration

Alberto Guimeraes8:30 – 9:15 a.m.
Keynote: Discovering the Refining
and Biofuels Equilibrium
Alberto Guimaraes, President, Petrobras America Inc.
Here’s your chance to find out firsthand the viewpoint of one the world’s largest oil companies with a long history of ethanol blending and marketing. Petrobras America Inc. owns 50% of the 100,000 b/d Pasadena, Texas, indicating its strong commitment to U.S. downstream supply. In this exciting kick-off session, learn from its president how Petrobras America intends to use biofuels to supplement supply of refined products derived from heavy oil refining.

Bonus: Discover Petrobras America’s vision of ethanol imports in 2008 and beyond.

9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Focus on Ethanol Demand, Production and Imports
Amit Bhandari, BioUrja Trading; Tancred Lidderdale, EIA
In this special dual-speaker session, seasoned trader Amit Bhandari and EIA’s Tancred Lidderdale give you the numbers and statistics to indicate possible future supply and demand scenarios. You’ll learn if there’s likely to be further cutbacks in ethanol production due to oversupply, or if new discretionary blending markets will drive up demand. With demand remaining strong, E10 volumes stand at the brink of all-time highs. The impact on splash-blend economics are explored as are the prospects for imports from Brazil and the Caribbean.

Bonus: Learn how the development of a critical mass ethanol spot market affects the long-term viability of the wet and paper markets.

10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Refreshment Break

11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
View from Capitol Hill:
Forecast of U.S. Biofuels in 2008 Election Year
Neil Brown, Office of Senator Dick Lugar
The future of ethanol and biodiesel use in the U.S. in large part rests in the hands of federal lawmakers who view alt-fuels policy as a defining issue of national security, environmental protection and farm support. In the upcoming presidential election year, all roads to the White House go through Iowa and the Corn Belt and may determine how much biofuel ends up in the tanks of America’s motor fleet. Mandates, incentives and research grants are all in play. Don’t miss this chance to hear the outlook for biofuel legislative changes directly from a leader in the heart of the energy and farm bill debates.

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
A Refiner’s View of the Renewable Fuels Market
Red Cavaney, President, American Petroleum Institute
As the market for ethanol blended with gasoline grows, refiners are faced with numerous challenges and opportunities. The nation’s leading refining association is in a unique position to lead refiners in taking advantage of favorable blending economics. Learn how API plans to tackle issues of infrastructure investment, price volatility, transportation costs and logistics, shifting biofuels policy and emerging technologies.

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Networking Lunch

1:30 – 5:15 p.m.
Breakout Sessions Track A and Track B

Breakout Session Track A

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
The Renewable Fuels Standard – An Evolving Market Force
John Weihrauch, EPA; Jim Redding, Aventine; Jim Damask, Biofuels Connect
This year marks the first full year of the RFS’ credit trading system and the first chance the industry, policy makers and the public get to see how the government’s push for more biofuels will translate into reality. Hear from the EPA, the federal agency charged with implementing the RFS, on how the effort is progressing and how the systems set in place to track Renewable Identification Numbers are faring amid the pressures of the commercial market.

Nathan Greene3:00 – 3:45 p.m.
Cellulosic Ethanol: When and How Much?
Nathanael Greene, Natural Resources Defense Council
 To meet renewable fuel blending targets now being pursued by the federal government, the nation must turn to cellulosic ethanol, an alt-fuel that promises to broaden feedstock options for ethanol producers while minimizing the impact on the nation’s food supply. Each week, more technologies and development projects are announced, but which are real, when will they produce fuel and how much will they produce? Our expert speaker approaches cellulosic ethanol supply, demand and policy issues from an objective standpoint giving his view of the role this fuel will play in U.S. energy markets.

3:45 – 4:15 p.m.
Refreshment Break

4:15 – 5:15 p.m.
Food vs. Fuel – The Biofuels Industry’s Achilles’ Heel?
Tom Elam, Farm Economics; Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board
Ethanol policy discussions have taken on a new dimension as farm and rancher groups raise the specter of higher feedstock costs ostensibly due to increased ethanol producer demand. Is there a link between biofuel production growth and hikes in the price of meat and dairy production? The state of Texas recently cut back on biofuel production incentives, citing concerns over the “food vs. fuel” debate. And there are indications that other governments are struggling with the same concerns. In this special dual-speaker session, you’ll hear from the author of a study widely touted by the oil industry as well as a veteran of the biofuels production industry for two very different views of this issue.

Breakout Session Track B

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Ethanol Storage and Transportation
Infrastructure and Limiting Bottlenecks
Moderator: Jacob Golbitz, SoyaTech
Speakers: Barry Schaps, VeraSun; Bruce Heine, Magellan; Bill Rhodes, Iowa Northern Railway; David Kunz, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Chief Counsel

  • Overview of Existing Infrastructure
  • Negotiating a Rail Agreement
  • Securing Large Storage Capacity
  • Moving Ethanol by Pipeline
  • Exploring Waterborne Shipments
  • Equipping Retail to Offer Blends

Transportation and storage logistics are exerting real pressure on biofuels’ growth potential. With ethanol blending economics swinging back and forth depending on weather conditions, crop forecasts and feedstock costs, some fuel suppliers and marketers are reluctant to commit to the capital outlays required for adopting an alt-fuels strategy. Our expert panel explores what it takes to break the Gordian knot holding back further use of ethanol and biodiesel.

2:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Refreshment Break

3:15 – 5:15 p.m.
Biodiesel Supply, Storage, Transportation
and Blending Challenges
Moderator: Steven Levy, Sprague Energy
Speakers: Graham Noyes, Imperium Renewables; Angel Fontenot-Staley, Intertek Caleb Brett; Bruce Heine, Magellan; Manning Feraci, National Biodiesel Board (NBB)

  • Measuring Policy Impacts on Supply
  • Moving Biodiesel by Pipeline
  • Securing Quality Biodiesel Supply
  • Exploring Biodiesel’s Storage Options.

Biodiesel’s future as an alternative to petroleum distillate will be largely determined by several key factors. In this can’t-miss session, our expert panelists fully explore:

  • How federal and state incentives are likely to shift and how that will affect plant economics.
  • The status of trial runs of shipping biodiesel blends by pipeline.
  • How to ensure and secure quality biodiesel product.
  • How to price biodiesel to attract non-mandate customers.
  • New solutions for tricky and expensive biodiesel storage challenges.

5:15 p.m.
Adjourn for Day

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Networking Cocktail Reception