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RFA likes USDA’s “bold new vision” for ethanol

The head of the Renewable Fuels Association says they are pleased with the USDA’s new innovation initiative that rightly includes the expansion of higher blends of ethanol.

Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield they’re excited ethanol has a central role in the USDA’s vision, “This is a comprehensive plan to really put agriculture out front in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combatting climate change.”

Cooper says the USDA plan gives the RFA a good opportunity to go to the White House and the EPA.

“There are some regulatory barriers and roadblocks in the way and there’s some mismanagement of the RFS that could prevent these goals from being achieved. So, it IS important that all of the agencies and the president’s cabinet are coordinated on the approach to accomplishing these goals.”

The USDA plan calls for achieving market-driven blend rates of E15 by 2030, “And then the next step, obviously, is getting closer to that E25 or E30 level which is sort of the sweet spot for ethanol blends to begin with and allows us to really capture ethanol’s octane value and benefits.”

Cooper says the U.S. can get to E15 by the end of the decade, if not sooner, and, to E30 by 2050 which USDA’s plan also calls for. Cooper says that is also very achievable.