Trump White House Delays Biofuel Policy Shifts

Amid mounting criticism from biofuel-backing lawmakers, a White House announcement of a plan to alter U.S. biofuels policy has been pulled back indefinitely even before it was announced.The expectation this week was the White House would announce a plan that included making sales of E15 year-round, allowing renewable identification numbers (RINs) from exported biofuels to count toward Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requirements and reallocating RFS obligations that had been waived for small refiners.But pushback from lawmakers like Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Iowa Republicans, stopped the potential announcement. Both lawmakers talked this week of President Donald Trump or his EPA having broken a promise to biofuel-supporting lawmakers, with Ernst citing an October letter in which EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt pledged not to pursue allowing RINs from exported biofuels to count toward RFS targets."@realDonaldTrump has said he loooovves the farmers! #Iowa is feeling that love today, as the President just assured me he 'won't sign a deal that's bad for farmers!' Thank you Mr. President," Ernst said on Twitter.Similar sentiments were delivered by Grassley via social media, "Pres Trump helped farmers by rejecting bad ethanol deal. I appreciate. GREAT NEWS," he said.However, those seeking a shift in biofuel policy will now focus on Congress where some lawmakers have been developing legislation to make changes. While the eventual outcome is murky, the push for biofuel policy reform will continue.