- South Dakota-based POET announced it will supply NASCAR with what it calls the nation’s first commercially available zero-carbon ethanol, positioning ultra-low carbon fuels as central to the industry’s future growth. The company says capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide during production significantly reduces ethanol’s footprint and could open larger markets such as sustainable aviation fuel, boosting long-term demand for corn and rural investment.
- However, POET’s ability to scale zero-carbon ethanol depends heavily on expanded carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure, including proposed pipelines that remain politically contentious in the Midwest. The announcement underscores how ethanol’s next chapter is tied not just to performance at the pump or on the track, but to regulatory policy, carbon markets, and the buildout of carbon transport and storage systems.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.