WASHINGTON — The Renewable Fuels Association is pleased to announce the addition of Western Plains Energy LLC to its membership. Western Plains Energy LLC operates a 50 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Oakley, Kansas. The company was formed in July 2001 and the plant, which utilizes both corn and grain sorghum, began operations in January 2004. The facility, which employs 48 people, also produces more than 400,000 tons per year of wet distillers' grains, feeding livestock throughout Western Kansas. "We are thrilled to announce that Western Plains Energy has joined our organization," said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen. "The hardworking farmer-owners of the company are not just providing consumers with ethanol, the lowest cost, cleanest-burning and highest octane source in the world, they're producing distillers' grains, a high-value byproduct that adds income and boosts the local economy. The U.S. ethanol industry is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower food and fuel costs and provide greater energy security for our nation. We welcome Western Plains Energy to the RFA Board of Directors and look forward to their input towards the association's policy and marketplace agenda. " "The Western Plains Energy team is pleased to join the Renewable Fuels Association," said Western Plains Energy CEO Derek Peine. "We look forward to RFA's advocacy efforts and technical expertise to ensure the U.S. ethanol industry continues to grow, and to Western Plains Energy's continued contribution in supporting Kansas agriculture and in making the U.S. more energy independent."
