President Donald Trump, looking to shore up support in the U.S. Farm Belt during a tight race for re-election, is taking steps to help producers of corn-based ethanol using a list of policy goals that a group of Midwest senators discussed with him a year ago, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
A year later, Trump and his administration have begun chipping away at the industry's wishlist, using the meeting as a blueprint to court his crucial Farm Belt constituency in what is expected to be a tight contest with Democratic rival Joe Biden, according to the sources. The White House and the EPA, which regulates compliance with biofuel requirements, did not comment for this story.
Then on Sept. 12, exactly one year after the meeting with senators, Trump tweeted he would allow states to permit fuel retailers to use their current pumps to sell E15 gasoline instead of installing new equipment, a move that could help lift ethanol sales quickly. "The meeting was highly influential," another source familiar with the matter said."It was the administration getting a chance to hear from states firsthand."
Even so, several items on the ethanol industry wishlist remain, along with new uncertainties creating angst in the Farm Belt. Biofuel interests want assurances, for example, that 2020 blending requirements will be enforced despite the fact the coronavirus pandemic has slashed fuel demand.