Robert Renkes, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), co-hosted a webinar on July 26, 2007, entitled "Biofuels Infrastructure." The purpose of the webinar was to provide an overview of the current state of the biofuels infrastructure to the commercial trade service executives at the Department of Commerce and Office of Energy and Environmental Industries within the United States government. In addition to the overview, Renkes, along with fellow co-host Jeff Hazle of the National Petroleum Refiners Association (NPRA), educated attendees on the implications and outlook the biofuels infrastructure will have on global trade for fueling-station and dispensing equipment.

The “Biofuels Infrastructure” webinar was well-attended and included representatives from several countries, including the United States, Chile, Columbia, Germany, France and Brazil. Renkes was invited to co-host the discussion by the International Trade Administration within the Department of Commerce as a result of a presentation he gave on June 19, 2007, in Washington, D.C., at the Department of Commerce’s Biofuels Conference. Renkes’ presentation from the June 19 conference can be downloaded by going to http://www.ita.doc.gov/td/energy/pei_renkes.pdf.

“The growth in ethanol and biodiesel has had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on PEI members,” noted Renkes. “It’s very important for PEI to keep up-to-date on the changes occurring so they can capitalize on potential business opportunities moving forward. Our involvement with webinars and conferences such as the ones recently hosted by the Department of Commerce will continue to keep PEI at the forefront of this growing industry.”

For additional information on PEI or its membership, please contact Tena Wooldridge or visit www.pei.org. The PEI logo is a registered trademark of the Petroleum Equipment Institute.

PEI is the international trade association for distributors, manufacturers and installers of equipment used in petroleum marketing and liquid-handling operations. Users of the equipment include service station and convenience-store owners, terminals, bulk plants and airport refueling operations. PEI is comprised of more than 1,661 companies engaged in the manufacture and distribution of equipment used in petroleum marketing operations. Members are located in 50 states and 81 countries. The Institute's headquarters are located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.