Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw told the 2019 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit last week that 2018 was his toughest year yet working for the biofuels industry.
“With forces inside of EPA and the West Wing trying to convince President Trump to gut the RFS, there were months when I went to sleep wondering if a tweet the next day would undo the last 19 years of our work,” he said. “The other side never stopped trying to push President Trump into a so-called deal on the RFS. But our champions never wavered. Yes, we wanted year-round E15, but not at the cost of gutting the RFS.”
Shaw emphasized that despite the policy challenges, the biofuels industry fought hard and victory was won when President Donald Trump announced on October 9th in Council Bluffs, Iowa that he had ordered the EPA to begin a rulemaking process for year-round E15.
“While the White House announced year-round E15 would be coupled with some RIN transparency reforms, those reforms will not impact RFS volumes,” Shaw said. “No point of obligation. No 10-cent RIN price cap. No RIN export scheme. Just year-round E15. In the midst of a very tough year, we really should take a moment to savor that victory.”
As 2019 ramps up, Shaw said the state of the biofuels industry is “hurting but hopeful.”
Listen to Shaw’s full speech on Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.