Governors' Biofuels Coalition

“We’re optimistic we’re going to see some change” in the EPA recommendation, the governor told the Iowa Partnership on Economic Progress Tuesday morning.

As much as Branstad would like to see the EPA recommend a continuance of the “original, robust” ethanol volume obligation, he’s not certain the agency will go that far.

He’s met with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and testified in Washington at a hearing on recommended changes that he said would be detrimental to the ethanol industry in Iowa and across the Midwest.

THE CURRENT STANDARD has “helped us reduce our dependency on foreign oil and been a good thing for economic development in Iowa,” Branstad said.

The agency’s RFS proposal would lower the mandate to 15.2 billion gallons of renewable fuels, with 13.01 billion gallons from conventional ethanol and 2.2 billion gallons from advanced biofuels. Previous RFS requirements passed by Congress called for 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuels next year, with 14.4 billion gallons of conventional ethanol and 3.75 billion gallons of advanced biofuels.

At a hearing in Des Moines, which he hosted in January, Branstad said the EPA proposal to scale back renewable fuel volume obligations would have a direct impact on Iowa’s 41 ethanol plants, Iowa’s 13 biodiesel plants, and the scores of facilities across the Midwest. He estimated the EPA change would cost nearly 45,000 jobs nationally and pose undue financial hardship and stress for thousands of families.

Getting the EPA to reconsider its recommendation won’t be easy, the Republican governor said.

“We know we are up against Big Oil and all their money and all their money and all the misinformation and a lot of ill-informed people from the coasts,” Branstad said.

Based on meetings and feedback from others, he believes the EPA “realizes they were basing their recommendation on outdated and inaccurate information,” Branstad said.

“Now, how much progress we’ll see, I don’t know,” he said. “I am somewhat optimistic.”

His optimism is buoyed by the bipartisan effort to get the EPA to reconsider. Not only has the Republican Branstad worked with Democrats, including Sen. Tom Harkin, and other members of the Iowa congressional delegation, but he has collaborated with Democratic governors and senators across the Midwest.

He’s even received encouragement from an unexpected source, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. She brought up the topic when they met at the unveiling of the Norman Borlaug statue at the U.S. Capitol last month.

“Nancy Pelosi, of all people, says ‘Thanks for bringing up ethanol and biodiesel,” Branstad aid. “So if Nancy Pelosi from California where Big Oil is king, when I got that kind of feedback from her, that tells me that something could happen that’s better than what’s been recommended by the EPA.”