World Energy Founder Gene Gebolys receives YPO’s 2024 Global Impact Award

YPO, the global leadership community of more than 35,000 chief executives in 150 countries, announced March 6 that Gene Gebolys, founder and CEO of World Energy, is the recipient of the organization’s 2024 Global Impact Award.

World Energy is a low-carbon solutions provider helping the world’s leading companies make their net-zero commitments a reality by accelerating the commercialization of alternatives to fossil-based motor fuels.

The YPO Global Impact Award is YPO’s highest honor to members that recognizes their impact outside of YPO, celebrating CEO impact that is both sustainable and scalable.

“Gene and World Energy are boldly tackling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a critical step in decarbonizing our world,” said Thayer Smith, CEO of YPO. “His groundbreaking work at World Energy is fueling global change and stands as a beacon of inspiration for our YPO community.”

A leader in renewable fuels and emerging sustainability technologies for the past 25 years, World Energy is the world’s first commercial-scale producer of SAF.

SAF is a replacement for fossil jet fuel comprised of renewable resources such as used cooking oil, waste animal fat and agricultural waste.

Gebolys has also positioned World Energy as an early mover in the high-integrity market for decarbonization as a service with SAF certificates (SAFc) or “insets.”

This enables companies from any economic sector to purchase the carbon savings SAF delivers by the metric ton, covering the cost premium of SAF production while getting more of it added to the supply chain.

In addition, World Energy is building the facilities to dramatically increase SAF production, including a $3 billion project to convert a legacy petroleum refinery in Los Angeles into a 100 percent renewable production facility.

The Los Angeles location serves as a model for World Energy’s Houston facility conversion.

Once complete, both will allow World Energy to produce a combined 500 million gallons of SAF annually by 2027.

In total, World Energy is investing $15 billion across North America to help leaders accelerate their efforts to make net-zero real.

To date, World Energy’s efforts have eliminated 250,000 metric tons of aviation emissions and counting.

In November, World Energy partnered with Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. on the world’s first 100 percent net-zero transatlantic flight fueled solely on SAF from Savannah, Georgia, to London, England.

“Life is a team sport,” Gebolys said of the recognition. “Nobody makes a global impact alone. I am incredibly honored to accept this award on behalf of all whose bold actions are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible toward a more sustainable future. To my partners, our teammates, suppliers, customers, host communities, government supporters and joint venturers, I offer my deepest thanks. I’m blessed and grateful for the unwavering support of my forums, friends and family, and I share this recognition fully with my wife, without whom nothing I’ve ever accomplished would have been possible.”