The American Carbon Alliance formed in July to act as a unified voice for carbon capture pipelines, ethanol producers, landowners, farmers, construction trade workers and citizens that embrace a new energy future for America. To lead the effort, the ACA tapped a proven voice, one long connected to America’s energy story, to be the association’s head. Tom Buis, the one-time Indiana farmer turned aid to former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle before leading the Farmers Union and then one of the big three ethanol groups—Growth Energy—is now spearheading the work of the ACA. Buis, who still owns farmland in Indiana, was, in his own words, &nbsp;semi-retired before the formation of the new group. “People started calling me and asking if I was aware of what was going on in the Midwest with capturing carbon,” Buis says. “The more I looked into it, the more I wanted to get back in the game.”We spoke with Buis about his new role with the ACA, what his team hopes to accomplish soon and why he believes getting the carbon capture story right, across the country and throughout the ethanol industry, has transformative potential. &nbsp;Getting the Story Straight&nbsp; Just a few months since its formation, the ACA is busy working to transform the way people affected by carbon capture—which is potentially everyone—think and talk about it. Along with Buis, Collin Peterson, a former Minnesota congressman and an instrumental shaper and steward of the Farm Bill during his tenure, has joined the team as a senior advisor. Nick Ryan, an Iowa business owner and the CEO of Concordia Group, is also an ACA senior advisor.&nbsp; The team has created policy maps, fact sheets and data sets, white papers and more. The ACA is not competing with other groups, Buis says, noting that the American Coalition for Ethanol, Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association are now members. The team has issued press releases on the GREET model, sustainable aviation fuel policy and, of course, data related to carbon capture. Buis now spends much of his time talking to producers, or on the Hill informing lawmakers about carbon capture.&nbsp;“I just spent a week out in D.C. walking the halls of Congress. I think most people there understand the benefits of carbon capture,” he says. “I think we’ve started to raise awareness, but we have a long way to go.”A big part of the education gap occurring with carbon capture stems from its age. Buis beleives the &nbsp;topic—not the practice or technology linked to capture—is still new to most people, which brings natural challenges. In addition to that newness factor, Buis believes there is misinformation on the negative, and a lack of fact-based information on the positive.He points to new polling and survey work on carbon capture pipelines as anecdotal evidence. While the perception of carbon pipelines might be negative, a silent majority of those impacted by such pipelines would show a different story. One recently conducted poll cited by the ACA shows that of those surveyed about their support or disapproval of a carbon pipeline, only 18 percent of respondents voiced disapproval.“I often tell people that carbon capture in rural America is the first player at bat and everyone is watching, including those who don’t want us to succeed. It’s really the first big effort to capture carbon,” he says.A big goal of the ACA is to ensure that the first swing at the carbon capture story is a home run, Buis says. To do that, the team is trying to highlight the benefits of carbon capture and dispel the negatives fueled by misinformation. Those who want internal combustion engines to disappear will reject CO2 pipelines—and generally oppose ethanol production itself—no matter where a project happens, he adds.The process of telling the best story with accurate information is one Buis has experience with. In fact, he likens the process of clarifying the carbon capture story to a similar process he had to deal with while leading Growth Energy: food vs. fuel. In his Growth Energy days, Buis says that working to set the narrative straight on the food vs. fuel debate was one of his primary battles. Now, with the ACA, his aim is similar. This time, the battle is about explaining the positive economic impact of carbon capture and the transformational role it should or could have for rural America, the ethanol industry, and potentially the entire U.S. energy sector. &nbsp;Sharing Carbon Capture Benefits&nbsp; For ethanol to continue to be a major demand driver for U.S. corn and, more broadly, American agriculture, it has to become a highly qualified low-carbon fuel or feedstock, Buis says. Any participation in a carbon capture market will help make that scenario a reality for ethanol and its downstream takers. At one time, ethanol reshaped the rural landscape by creating a greater demand for corn, Buis explains as he details days gone past in Indiana when there was more supply than demand for corn and farmers were sometimes spending more to produce corn then they were getting in return. Part of the carbon capture story is linked to continuing the development of a rural scenario that benefits from the production of a commodity, but this time its carbon, Buis says. And to take that stance one step further, carbon can be a commodity in a greater market.That is part of the ACA’s role, Buis says. People need to understand that carbon is going to be part of a worldwide market. “Either we get the market, or some other country gets the market,” he says.The ACA team believes the carbon market has presented the ethanol industry and rural America with a market opportunity not seen since the creation of the Renewable Fuel Standard. Although Buis is happy to talk about hard numbers, data and policy that back up the opportunity for producers and consumers alike in rural America, he’s more of a messaging guy. It’s partly why he was asked to lead the ACA. He’s been in situations like this before, he says, when an industry needed a voice to champion the upside of an industry’s &nbsp;story in the face of what Buis says is misinformation.“We need vision down the road, not just the end of our nose,” he says.Peterson echoed the sentiment of Buis in a statement issued early on through the ACA. “The ability for biofuels to now help lead the way as America decarbonizes the energy sector is not only exciting but brings with it all sorts of opportunities to revitalize rural America while also helping the nation become more energy independent.”For those that really need to see the numbers, the ACA and others have plenty, Buis says. The 45Z and 45Q tax credits related to carbon capture have a net value of $1.56 billion to South Dakota’s ethanol producers, alone, from 2025 through 2034, according to a comprehensive study completed by the Dakota Institute. Over ten years, state GDP for South Dakota would increase by $956 million, the study also says. Those numbers are only for one ethanol-producing state. North Dakota, Iowa and others could also see a heavy presence of carbon capture additions that bring massive economic benefits, Buis says.In the weeks ahead, Buis and his team will be busy focusing on delivering the key message related to numbers like those of the Dakota Institute study. “People need to know how important this is and what carbon capture will do for rural America,” he says.To the business owners, ethanol producers and others across the Midwest that may have stayed silent to this point on carbon capture, the time to voice support is now, at least according to Buis, the former Indiana farmer who admits retirement from fighting for farmers, ethanol producers and rural America might never be a part of any game he plays.Author: Luke Geiver&nbsp;&nbsp; Contact: writer@bbiinternational.com&nbsp;

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Tom Buis, a longtime voice for ethanol producers, is now at the helm of the American Carbon Alliance, a strong new advocate for carbon capture.

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