Ethanol thinks it will have a friend in the White House

Source: Dan Piller • Des Moines Register  • Posted: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The election cycle has barely begun but Iowa’s ethanol producers think they’ll still have a friend in the White House come next Jan. 20, regardless of who wins the Presidential election.

President Barak Obama rode support of ethanol to carry Iowa in 2008. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director Monte Shaw told the group’s state convention Tuesday that the survivors in the Republican field, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum (Shaw didn’t mention Ron Paul) are all certified as ethanol supporters.

“I can state with reasonable certainty that ethanol will continue to have a friend in the White House regardless of the outcome of the election,” Shaw said.

Iowa ethanol supporters trained heavy fire on Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the one-time candidate who come north carrying the twin burdens of his state’s oil industry opposition to the 45-cent per gallon tax credit, but also Texas cattle raisers’ opposition to the Renewable Fuel Standard that this year will mandate the use of more than 14 billion gallons of ethanol.

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