Stories

Speaking in Spencer earlier  this week, Democratic congressional candidate Rob Hubler argued that the Republican Party is letting down ethanol producers. Hubler faces U.S. Rep. Steve King in the general election for Iowa’s Fifth District.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Republicans unanimously passed a platform on Monday that calls for the federal government to end a mandate that gasoline contain a set amount of ethanol, but Iowa Republicans say they oppose the proposal.

Voters concerned about federal agriculture policies will gravitate toward Barack Obama, said Nebraska senator Ben Nelson at the Iowa State Fair Thursday.

As Republicans and Democrats debate whether the Texas oil man in the White House or the San Francisco liberal with the gavel in the U.S. House of Representatives is to blame for high gas prices, one senator is rejecting the premise of the dispute.

“I want to tell you, we will disagree from time to time,” said McCain. “I believe in renewable fuels. I don’t believe in ethanol subsidies. But I believe in renewable fuels.”

Reuters is reporting that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will deny a request to slash the federal renewable fuels standard Thursday.

The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University released a report this week recognizing the value and potential of liquid biofuels, but also urging a cautious approach to further biofuel development.

In a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson, Gov. Chet Culver is urging the agency to deny the request of Texas Gov. Rick Perry to waive the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standard, which helps to subsidize ethanol.

Opponents of ethanol are seeking to exploit an opportunity to relax the federal renewable fuels standard, but drew a strong reaction from Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley on Tuesday. A request for a waiver from the renewable fuels standard (RFS) is gaining support, just as Midwest farmers struggle to pick up the pieces following months [...]

Renewable fuels advocates are fighting back against a multimillion-dollar campaign funded by the Grocery Manufacturers Association to criticize and discredit ethanol.