“The President very clearly understands that the path forward is to allow sales of E15 year-round, promote growth and put more RINs on the market,” says Growth Energy spokesperson.
President Trump met with lawmakers and industry leaders at the White House on Thursday, March 1 to discuss the RFS (renewable fuel standard).
“We are grateful to the President for giving Growth Energy’s board members an opportunity to set the record straight about the importance of biofuels to our economy and the livelihood of America’s hard-working farmers,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “The President very clearly understands that the path forward is to allow sales of E15 year-round, promote growth and put more RINs on the market. The RFS gives homegrown biofuels a chance to compete at the pump, helping to protect consumers from price manipulation and support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the heartland.”
Altoona, Pa.-based c-store chain Sheetz, the American Coalition for Ethanol and the Advanced Biofuels Business Council also reacted to the meeting.
“Retailers want to offer our customers options, including lower-cost, higher-octane ethanol blends,” said Sheetz Executive Vice President Mike Lorenz. “An RVP waiver lifts needless regulations on retailers, generates growth opportunities for American farmers, and makes more RINs available to refiners. The President is looking for a solution that is a win for everyone – farmers, refiners, and consumers – and I think being able to sell E15 year-round meets that goal.”
Advanced Biofuels Business Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman, also weighed in. “It’s clear that refineries are trying to drive a wedge between President Trump and farm families. And they plan to keep pushing a RIN cap that would throw the RFS into chaos and destroy any hope of revitalizing farm income under the Trump administration. That’s not going to happen, but the President seemed to fully appreciate how easily lifting regulations on E15 sales could pour RINs into the market, which promotes growth on all sides. That is what rural America wants to see, and the president is going to keep hearing it in every conversation with those who care about farm families and workers at over 200 biorefineries coast-to-coast.”
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board member Rick Schwarck, president and CEO of Absolute Energy, and Iowa retailer Charlie Good, featured in ACE’s Flex Fuel Forward campaign, were among those who took part in the White House meeting about the RFS today.
ACE CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement after the meeting: “We are grateful Rick and Charlie were invited by Senators Grassley and Ernst to help explain the importance of the RFS to rural America and U.S. motorists in today’s White House meeting. They explained how RVP relief for E15 would immediately reduce RIN prices but also conveyed that capping RINs would destroy demand for renewable fuels and raise pump prices for consumers. We thank Rick and Charlie for their grassroots leadership and Senators Grassley and Ernst for their strong support.”
Earlier this week, ACE endorsed a letter sent to President Trump from six farm groups, including the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Association of Wheat Growers, and National Sorghum Producers, calling on the President to maintain the integrity of the RFS.
