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White House plans to hold RFS meeting Monday

The White House plans to hold a Monday meeting to discuss possible changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Minnesota Corn Growers president Kirby Hettver says it appears EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will present President Trump with a series of options, including a cap on RIN prices.

“It sounds like the options the President will be given range from kind of deferring this to Congress and let them work on the issue, all the way to following through with Senator Cruz’s proposal.  And various things in between.”

Brian Jennings with the American Coalition for Ethanol confirms the White House will hold an RFS meeting Monday, but says he cannot confirm who will be attending.

Hettver says if recent actions by the EPA are any indication, ethanol could be in trouble.

“That the EPA is granting waivers to large refineries that posted $1.5 or $1.6 billion in 2017 profits, I have a real hard time understanding how that’s economic hardship.”

Hettver is calling on ethanol supporters to reach out to the White House ahead of Monday’s meeting to ask the Trump Administration to leave the RFS alone.

The White House canceled a planned discussion on biofuels policy a month ago, with officials saying the President needed more time to come up with a solution.