Instead of passing E15, Congress created the E15 Rural Energy Council.
Now, National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower says Rural America is trying to understand what the Council is and why there needs to be another group created to discuss year-round E15. He says it’s something that has already been agreed upon between the ethanol and oil industries.
“We are going to continue to push with our coalition, which again includes oil, and help this committee understand and explain, potentially, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they never took time to understand the bill that we introduced and how it was truly bipartisan, how it brought agriculture and oil together, and hopefully we’ll get some headway there.”
Even if year-round E15 had gotten through the House, Bower said there may have been another battle lurking in the Senate.
“You know, we’re hearing we had some issues potentially in the Senate and some of the members in their districts, and I respect the fact they’re looking out for their constituents, had issues with it. But oil negotiated their side of it, and we negotiated our side of it. We felt it was all in good faith. And we feel this may be an overreach by some parts of that, trying to get more, but again, we’re going to continue to push that.”
Bower said it’s clear after so many years of pushing for it, that year-round E15 is a win-win for everyone.
“We need less government regulation to allow us into the market. We want consumers to have a choice. We’re providing a cheaper fuel source. We’re helping rural America. And this bill was going to save the government money. How many times have we had conversations about the national deficit? How many congressmen and senators have we heard talk about how that’s an issue, and we’re trying to help provide solutions?”
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