Why It Matters

POET LLC disclosed lobbying on the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S. 593/H.R. 1346), which would allow gasoline with up to 15% ethanol to be sold year-round. The filing also covers the Restoring Fuel Market Freedom Act of 2025 (H.R. 311), which would repeal the clean fuel production credit, the second-generation biofuel producer credit, the biodiesel credit, the SAF credit, and the alcohol fuel mixture credit. ​

By the Numbers

POET's combined spending across all six registrants reached $1,160,000 in the third quarter of 2026, up $30,000 from $1,130,000 in the second quarter of 2026 and up $30,000 from $1,130,000 in the third quarter of 2025.

The third-quarter in-house filing is the largest share. POET's in-house report of $800,000 matches the $800,000 it reported for the third quarter of 2025 and is $70,000 below the $870,000 peak from the first quarter of 2026.

Outside firms for the third quarter of 2026:

  • Invariant LLC: $160,000 (Jordan Bonfitto, Anne MacMillan, Landon Stropko, Tim Gannon)
  • Bockorny Group Inc.: $80,000 (Pete Lawson, Dave Bockorny)
  • Bracewell LLP: $50,000 (Tim Urban, Kimberly Pinter)
  • Venture Government Strategies LLC: $50,000 (Ryann Kinney, Jon Blum, Jake Hochberg, Claudia Rychlik, Will Brewster, Rashid Hallaway)
  • Stumptown Strategies LLC: $20,000 (Blair Larkins)

The in-house team: Matthew Ward, senior manager of government affairs; Paige Lindgren, director of public affairs, with prior service in offices of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), Rep. Ralph Lee Abraham (R-LA-5), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-6); Josh Shields, senior vice president of corporate affairs, with prior Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and Rep. Kristi L. Noem (R-SD-0) office service; and Rob Walther, director of federal affairs, with prior House Science, Space and Technology Committee service.

Broader Context

S. 593/H.R. 1346 — Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) introduced the bill Feb. 13, 2025. Fischer said the measure would end a "patchwork" of state rules and give producers and retailers more certainty. In May 2026, the World Resources Institute, Sierra Club, Earthjustice Action, Waterkeeper Alliance, Mighty Earth, Clean Wisconsin, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, and Wisconsin's Green Fire jointly opposed the bill, citing climate, habitat, and water harms and an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimate of roughly $41 billion in added fuel and food costs over three years. The Green Scissors Coalition separately urged House members to oppose the bill in May, arguing existing ethanol subsidies and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) already cost taxpayers billions and that expansion would worsen air, soil, and water quality.

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Renewable Fuel Standard

The filing lists issues related to the Renewable Fuel Standard, including RFS Set, RFS Set II, small refinery exemptions (SREs), renewable identification numbers (RINs), corn kernel fiber cellulosic petitions, and RFS carbon modeling. EPA granted SREs representing 1.76 billion renewable fuel credits for the 2025 compliance year, and on Oct. 13, 2026, EPA proposed full reallocation of those refinery biofuel exemptions.

S. 144/H.R. 1719 — Farm to Fly Act of 2025

The bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to integrate sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into its bioenergy programs, defining qualifying SAF as fuel with at least a 50 percent lifecycle greenhouse gas reduction compared with petroleum jet fuel. Groups including the SAF Coalition, Airlines for America, the American Carbon Alliance, Gevo and the Renewable Fuels Association voiced support, and supporters said USDA eligibility for sustainable aviation fuel could grow markets for farmers, rural economies and domestic energy. The Senate version, sponsored by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Jan. 16, 2025; the House companion, sponsored by Rep. Max L. Miller (R-OH-7), was referred to subcommittee on March 28, 2025.

H.R. 311 — Restoring Fuel Market Freedom Act of 2025

Sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10), the bill was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on Jan. 9, 2025.

Competitive Landscape

Other organizations lobbying the Farm to Fly Act of 2025 alongside POET:

  • Growth Energy Inc.
  • Clean Fuels Alliance America
  • Airlines for America Inc.
  • LanzaJet Inc.
  • Marquis Management LLC

The Bottom Line

The next pending decision is EPA's proposed full reallocation of small refinery exemptions, announced Oct. 13, 2026, which remains open for agency action. H.R. 1719 was referred to a House subcommittee on March 28, 2025, and S. 144 was referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Jan. 16, 2025. POET's in-house spending has held steady across complete quarters, with no outside firms added or dropped since the second quarter of 2026.

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