WASHINGTON, D.C. — An open letter to President Trump in Monday’s editions of the New York Times, New York Post, and Wall Street Journal urges the president to “unleash rural growth by cutting the red tape holding back homegrown energy.” It also condemns Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt’s actions that are “destroying demand for biofuels and crops during the worst farm crisis since the 1980s.” The full-page ads were placed by Growth Energy ahead of an expected meeting with farm-state champions and petroleum backers at the White House this week. The letter was signed by Growth Energy’s member plants from 18 states.
“Major petroleum refiners have received handout after handout at the expense of rural workers and farm families,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We want the president to know that we are counting on him to end the attacks on U.S. biofuels and press ahead on solutions that will expand markets for homegrown energy and revitalize rural communities. The biofuel sector is a vital pillar of strength for struggling farm families. We need the president to act quickly on his pledge to lift outdated regulations on E15 and send a clear and final signal that that this White House will no longer tolerate schemes to derail the rural recovery.”
The open letter coincides with a new digital and radio ad campaign launched by Growth Energy on May 2, which urges Midwest voters to contact the White House in support of E15. Each year from June 1 to September 15, outdated rules governing Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) limit the sale of E15, dramatically reducing demand for biofuels. By providing regulatory relief to American fuel retailers, Growth Energy says the administration can hold down fuel costs, keep the air clean, and provide a vital market for more than two billion bushels of surplus grain.
“When you announced your support for a fix to allow year-round sales of E15, a fuel blend with 15 percent ethanol, it inspired hope among rural workers and hard-working farmers,” notes the letter to President Trump. “We ask you to keep that promise without imposing additional burdens that would threaten jobs and family farms across the heartland.”
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