AMES, I.A.(Press Release) – Summit Carbon Solutions announced Thursday the hiring of Dana Siefkes-Lewis as the company’s Director of Public Affairs in South Dakota. Lewis is a lifelong resident of the state and a longtime leader in the ethanol industry.

“Summit Carbon Solutions was formed to open new economic opportunities for ethanol producers and strengthen the agricultural marketplace for farmers,” said Jake Ketzner, Summit Carbon Solutions’ Vice President of Government and Public Affairs. “Dana’s work in the ethanol industry and with corn growers across South Dakota make her uniquely suited to help the company achieve these goals and build on the already strong partnerships we have formed in the state.”

For nearly two decades, Lewis has been the Chief Administrative Officer for Redfield Energy in Redfield, South Dakota where she oversaw the company’s business development and corporate operations. A graduate of the University of South Dakota, she has also served as President of the South Dakota Ethanol Producers Association and Executive Committee Member of the Renewable Fuels Association.

Summit Carbon Solutions is partnering with 32 ethanol plants across the Midwest, including Redfield Energy and six other facilities in South Dakota. Through a nearly $800 million investment in South Dakota alone, these ethanol plants will be able to access the growing number of markets that pay a premium for low carbon fuels. California, the largest ethanol consuming state, and Canada, the largest U.S. ethanol export partner, have both adopted low carbon fuel standards.

“I am incredibly excited to join Summit Carbon Solutions and help the company advance its transformative carbon capture, transportation, and storage project,” Lewis said. “Having worked in the ethanol industry for the past two decades, I have seen firsthand how important it is for the South Dakota economy – contributing $600 million to our state’s GDP, employing more than 5,000 people, and purchasing half of all the corn grown in the state. Summit Carbon Solutions will ensure this industry remains strong in the decades to come.”

Recently, global accounting leader Ernst & Young conducted a study on the economic impact of the Summit Carbon Solutions project. Key highlights include:

South Dakota Findings (Construction Phase)                      

 South Dakota Findings (Operations Phase):

 South Dakota County-by-County Breakdown