POET executive appointed to California Air Resources Board expert panel

Senior VP Mark Stowers to help improve Indirect Land Use Change theory

POET Senior Vice President of Science and Technology Mark Stowers has been appointed to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) expert workgroup to help better assess the true carbon footprint of all fuel sources under the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard.

Stowers is one of 30 experts from around the world appointed to the group, which will “assist the Board in refining and improving the land use and indirect effect analysis of transportation fuels,” according to the CARB resolution. The group will come up with recommendations to present to CARB by Jan. 1, 2011.

“The Low Carbon Fuel Standard is an important piece of energy policy, too important to rely on theories or unproven models,” Stowers said. “As the lone representative for ethanol producers in the workgroup, I want to make sure than all carbon accounting is based on the wealth of facts and accumulated data regarding agriculture, energy and deforestation. I also want to ensure that all fuels, including oil and electricity, are held to the same accounting standards as biofuels so that the rule truly can lower carbon emissions.”

Stowers has led efforts at POET to create new, efficient processes for producing grain-based ethanol that save energy, limit water use and improve ethanol yields. He also leads POET’s cellulosic ethanol effort, known as Project LIBERTY, which produces ethanol from corn cobs.

“I am honored to be a part of this diverse group of academic, government and industry experts,” Stowers said. “There will no doubt be some significant points for debate during our meetings, but I am confident in saying that we all pursue a common goal: to make our environment clean and safe.”

The group’s first meeting will be Feb. 26 in Sacramento.

About POET
POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, is a leader in biorefining through its efficient, vertically integrated approach to production. The 22-year-old company produces more than 1.54 billion gallons of ethanol annually from 26 production facilities nationwide. POET recently started up a pilot-scale cellulosic ethanol plant, which uses corn cobs as feedstock, and will commercialize the process in Emmetsburg, Iowa. For more information, visit http://www.poet.com.