Conestoga Energy Celebrates a Three Billion Gallon Milestone and 20 Years of Innovation

Two Decades of Low-Carbon Leadership in America's Heartland

LIBERAL, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Conestoga Energy Holdings, LLC (“Conestoga” or the “company”) today announced a pair of milestones that mark a defining chapter in the company's history: its 20th anniversary as a company and the cumulative production of three billion gallons of low-carbon biofuel. Founded in 2006 in Liberal, Kansas, Conestoga has grown from a single vision into one of the nation's leading producers of renewable bioethanol — a company that today manages more than 175 million gallons of annual production capacity while pioneering the next generation of sustainable aviation fuel and carbon capture technology.

“When we started Conestoga twenty years ago, our goals were simple: first, help American farmers turn their crops into cleaner energy and second, help American obtain energy independence,” said Tom Willis, CEO of Conestoga and Chairman of Growth Energy. “Reaching three billion gallons is a testament to the dedication of our team, our farmer-partners across Kansas, and the communities that have believed in this mission from day one. We are just getting started.”

A Twenty-Year Journey from Ethanol Production to a Fully Integrated Clean Energy Provider

Conestoga's story began in 2006 with a commitment to producing low-carbon renewable energy from farm-based products. Within a year, the company opened its ethanol facilities — Bonanza BioEnergy in Garden City, Kansas, and Arkalon Energy in Liberal, Kansas — together adding 175 million gallons of annual capacity to America's renewable fuel supply.

Throughout its history, Conestoga has consistently looked beyond the horizon. The company has been capturing CO₂ for over 15 years, primarily for Enhanced Oil Recovery — a practice that now forms the backbone of a fully integrated carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) strategy. In 2025, the company completed drilling of its first Class VI carbon sequestration well positioning Conestoga to permanently store more than 1,000,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually once fully operational.

Conestoga’s innovation expands beyond the borders of its plants and extends all the way to the farm gate. Cultivated over decades of experience, Conestoga has partnered with its farmers to develop traceability and sustainability programs enabling and unlocking incremental value from both domestic and international markets that can be shared with local farmers.

Local, National and Global Impact of Three Billion Gallons

• At the heart of every gallon Conestoga has ever produced is a Kansas farmer. Over the past 20 years, Conestoga has sourced and processed more than one billion bushels of locally grown grain — transforming the harvests of countless family farms and agricultural cooperatives into three billion gallons of clean, homegrown fuel that powers American drivers, reduces carbon emissions, and returns value to the rural communities that made it possible.
• Over its 20-year history, Conestoga has delivered more than 23 million metric tons of distillers’ grain to livestock producers across the region — roughly 1.3 million metric tons annually — cementing the company's role as a cornerstone supplier to American agriculture beyond the fuel pump.
• Conestoga's commitment to zero-waste production extends beyond fuel and feed. Over its 20-year history, the company has extracted more than 756 million pounds of distillers’ corn oil — approximately 42 million pounds annually — a renewable feedstock increasingly valued by the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel industries as demand for ultra-low carbon inputs accelerates.
• Perhaps no milestone better reflects Conestoga's evolution from ethanol producer to fully integrated clean energy company than its carbon capture record. Since beginning CO₂ capture operations more than 15 years ago, Conestoga has sequestered over 6.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide — equivalent to removing nearly 1.8 million cars from American roads for an entire year.

Pioneering the Next Generation of Clean Fuels

Conestoga's twentieth year has been among its most dynamic. In August 2025, the company acquired SAFFiRE Renewables, LLC (“SAFFiRE”) from Southwest Airlines Renewable Ventures, securing exclusive, perpetual access to breakthrough Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining (DMR) pretreatment technology developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This technology converts widely available agricultural by-products into bioethanol with a carbon intensity score of below negative 100 and serves as the foundation for producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Looking Ahead

As Conestoga enters its third decade, the company's strategy spans three pillars: continued reduction of carbon intensity across its existing ethanol operations, advancement of cellulosic biofuel and SAF production through the SAFFiRE technology platform, and expansion of its CCUS infrastructure to capture, store, and monetize carbon across its facilities and for third-party partners. With a strong track record behind it, a bold but prudent strategy and the support of key industry partners, Conestoga is well-positioned to lead the industry's transition to the lowest-carbon fuels in the world.

About Conestoga Energy

Headquartered in Liberal, Kansas, Conestoga Energy Holdings, LLC is a renewable energy company focused on providing ultra-low carbon renewable biofuels used in on-road transportation, sustainable aviation fuel (SAFFiRE), marine and related bio-alcohol and ingredient solutions. Founded in 2006, Conestoga owns and manages two ethanol plants with over 175 million gallons per year of production capacity in southwest Kansas. The company generates both Corn and Sorghum-Based Ethanol (D6) and Cellulosic Biofuel (D3) RINs, has captured CO₂ for over 15 years, and is one of the largest traders in obligated carbon markets, including RINs, LCFS, RGGI, and CCA. For more information, visit www.conestogaenergy.com.