NEWS » CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE There is a sense of angst in the industry regarding the president’s evident disdain for multilateral trade pacts, especially because trade is crucial to agriculture and ethanol, Dinneen said. However, he believes the president will support the interests of the industry. “Trump’s a businessman, who most certainly appreciates the importance of trade,” Dinneen said. “Frankly, it’s going to be refreshing to have a leader who is willing to stand up for America in trade disputes.” Scott Pruitt, who was recently appointed administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, sued the EPA more than 10 times while attorney general of Oklahoma. During his time in that position, he fought the Renewable Fuel Standard, a program run by the EPA that dictates the amount of plant-based fuels to be blended into gasoline.
Boosting domestic energy production is in America’s national security interest. President Trump is committed to achieving energy independence from the OPEC cartel and any nations hostile to our interests. AMERICA FIRST ENERGY PLAN
Trump also named Rick Perry, former governor of Texas, to be energy secretary, despite having previously said the Department of Energy should be shut down. Dinneen said industry participants have been anxious about the appointment of Pruitt and Perry because those decisions may signal weakness in the president’s support for RFS. “ Their anxiety was relieved throughout the confirmation process when Mr. Pruitt repeatedly affir med his commitment to uphold the law as Congress had written it,” Dinneen said. “Trump, Pruitt and Perry understand that their perspective has changed and that they now represent the nation.” Trump’s America First Energy Plan, released on inauguration day Jan. 20, made it clear the president intends to overhaul the regulatory codes to which the energy sector adheres. “President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan,” the online document on the White House website said. “The president’s commitment to regulatory reform provides a perfect opportunity to finally bring fuel regulations into the 21st century,” Dinneen said. However, the energy plan made no mention of ethanol or other biofuels. “We are seeking to change that,” said Jeff Oestmann, president and CEO of East Kansas Agri-Energy. Oestmann is also a member of the RFA board of directors and a v e t e ra n o f t h e U n i t e d St at e s Marine Corps. He drafted a letter to Trump on behalf of U.S. military veterans who work in the ethanol industry. The letter said thousands of veterans choose to work in the renewable fuels industry because they
believe it contributes to national security, Oestmann said. T hat ’s d i re c t l y i n l i n e w i t h Trump’s America First Energy Plan, he said. “Boosting domestic energy production is in America’s national security interest,” the plan said. “President Trump is committed to achieving energy independence from the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) cartel and any nations hostile to our interests.” It a l s o n o t e d t h e p re s i d e nt intends to work with allies in the Persian Gulf to develop a positive energy relationship as an anti-terrorism strategy. “Personally, I would rather buy my oil, my fuel, from the Midwest than the Middle East,” said Oestmann. Despite not mentioning renewable fuels in his energy plan, Trump stated his commitment to the industry in a letter read aloud
THE WESTERN PRODUCER | WWW.PRODUCER.COM | MARCH 9, 2017
The U.S. ethanol industry hopes it will benefit from the policies of new President Donald Trump. | REUTERS/JIM YOUNG PHOTO by Dinneen. In the letter, Trump said that renewable fuels are important to America’s economy and energy independence. He also called regulations on the industry “job-killing.” Dinneen believe the Trump ad-
ministration will stand up for American trade and ethanol. In 2016, the renewable fuels industry exported 1.05 billion gallons to nearly 60 countries across the globe, which is the secondhighest export volume on record,
RFA data says. The top markets for U.S. ethanol are Brazil, Canada and China, with the latter being the fastest growing export market by volume. However, China’s implementation of tariffs has significantly slowed those imports, driving prices for ethanol lower, Dinneen said. He added that the RFA, among other industry groups, have asked Trump to put China’s recent trade actions near the top of the administration’s China trade agenda. Trump had campaigned on a promise to be tough on trade with China. In the coming months it will become clear where the line is between spurring demand and protectionism. The RFA is fixated on growing demand, Dinneen said. “But we have much more to do. We must expand existing markets, and open new markets for ethanol here, and abroad.”
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