Ethanol

Bloomberg writers Jennifer A Dlouhy, Mario Parker, and Jennifer Jacobs reported yesterday that, “The Trump administration has agreed to a new plan for boosting renewable fuels and offsetting waivers exempting oil refineries from mandates to use them, according to three people familiar with the matter who asked for anonymity before a formal announcement.”

Last week, Reuters writers Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly reported that, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency granted some refineries full waivers from biofuels regulation for the 2018 compliance year, even though the Department of Energy had recommended partial exemptions, according to an EPA memo seen by Reuters.”

Bloomberg writers Jennifer A Dlouhy, Jennifer Jacobs, and Josh Wingrove reported last week that, “Global disputes over trade and nuclear weapons have consumed plenty of President Donald Trump’s time and attention — but a narrow, domestic clash over U.S. biofuel policy may be giving those issues competition.”

Reuters writers Stephanie Kelly and Jarrett Renshaw reported last week that, “White House officials on Wednesday urged U.S. biofuel producers and oil refiners to accept a deal to lift biofuel blending mandates in 2020, saying overlong negotiations could make it hard to enact the change in time for next year, sources familiar with the discussions said.”

Reuters writers Chris Prentice and Stephanie Kelly reported late last week that, “U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency officials late Thursday to consider a plan that would include boosting biofuels requirements for 2020 by 1 billion gallons, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.”

Late last month, Des Moines Register writer Stephen Gruber-Miller reported that, “Gov. Kim Reynolds called President Donald Trump ‘an advocate for farmers’ on [August 27th], but said he may not have understood the damage caused by the ethanol waivers his administration granted.”

Late last week, Bloomberg writers Jennifer A Dlouhy and Mario Parker reported that, “Top Trump administration officials met Thursday to consider options for quelling a backlash in politically important farm states over recent biofuel policy moves, including revoking waivers given to some oil refineries from requirements they use renewable fuel such as corn-based ethanol.”

Reuters writers Jarrett Renshaw and Humeyra Pamuk reported this week that, “President Donald Trump’s administration has been scrambling to stem the tide of rising anger in Farm Belt states after its decision this month to allow numerous oil refiners to mix less ethanol into their gasoline, sources told Reuters on Tuesday.”

Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted 31 small refinery biofuel waivers for 2018, an action relating to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that has caused concern among farmers and some Midwestern lawmakers that demand for ethanol and other biofuels could be curtailed.  The RFS has been a source of conflict between the executive branch and legislative branch, and news that President Trump intervened in this month’s waiver decision has all but assured that clashes will continue.

Last week, DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton reported that, “Biofuel supporters largely keep pointing to President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign statements on ethanol, but the stack of nominations coming from Trump with far closer ties to oil than ethanol is quickly starting to raise some red flags.