After feuding for decades, the leader of the American Petroleum Institute says the oil and gas industry has a shared mission with biofuels producers.
Mike Sommers (like “summers”) is president and C-E-O of the American Petroleum Institute.
“There’s kind of been this longstanding ‘cold war’ between ethanol and corn and oil and gas, but at this point I think we have two industries that are uniting — united to fight for liquid fuels in this country,” American Petroleum Institute president and CEO Mike Sommers said during an interview with Radio Iowa.
Regulations that promote the sale and use of electric vehicles are now the common foe. And the American Petroleum Institute has ended its opposition to nationwide, year round sales of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol. “We recognize the growing role for E15 in the marketplace and ensuring American consumers have access to the fuels that they depend on every single day,” Sommers said.
The petroleum industry supports carbon capture technology and liquid carbon storage underground, although more pipeline infrastructure is needed, according to Sommers. “I think every American agrees that we should be reducing emissions,” he said, “not just in the oil and gas industry, but in all manufacturing.”
Backers of the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions project in Iowa say it will make ethanol a low-carbon or carbon-free fuel — spurring sales in places in California. Sommers’ organization is lobbying for retention of federal tax credits for carbon pipelines, while eminent domain authority to seize land from unwilling property owners should be “the last resort” for pipeline developers.
“Our first priority is engaging property owners at the beginning of the process so they understand the importance of developing these pipelines,” Sommers said, “and that they see financial benefit from it.”
Sommers hopes to visit Iowa during the State Fair. He was unable to make it to in-person meetings in Iowa yesterday due to flight delays and cancellations.
