Ag Policy Blog

Trump Choice of Perry for Energy Raises Questions Over RFS

Jerry Hagstrom
By  Jerry Hagstrom , DTN Political Correspondent

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen former Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry as his Energy secretary, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

The choice also means Perry won’t be nominated for Agriculture secretary.

http://www.nytimes.com/…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/…

UPDATE: The Trump transition team issued a statement early Wednesday announcing Perry's nomination.

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Iowa renewable fuels industry leaders are uneasy about the selection of Perry, an RFS critic, and of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as Environmental Protection Agency administrator, but still have faith in Trump, the Quad City Times reported today. They noted that Trump’s campaign manager in Iowa, Eric Branstad, also led efforts to inform Republican candidates about the RFS during the primary season. Branstad’s father is Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who is Trump’s nominee as ambassador to China.

"Iowa renewable fuels leaders uneasy, but keep faith in Trump" http://qctimes.com/…

Perry pushed EPA multiple times during years of higher grain prices for waivers to the Renewable Fuels Standard that EPA repeatedly rejected.

A Renewable Fuels Association spokeswoman declined to comment on the Perry selection because it has not been made official. RFA has also declined to comment on the selection of Pruitt.

But earlier this week, RFA distributed a letter to Trump, written by the governors of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota on behalf of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, thanking him for his support of biofuels and the RFS during the campaign and saying they are looking “forward to a robust and healthy relationship between your administration, America’s farm families and our nation’s renewable fuels industry.”

Governors' Biofuels Coalition letter: http://ethanolrfa.org/…

RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen thanked the governors – Pete Ricketts (Nebraska), Terry Branstad (Iowa) and Dennis Daugaard (South Dakota) – and said, “The president-elect understands the importance of clean, domestic energy resources and the economic power of value-added agriculture. We are confident he will continue to support the RFS and expanded production and use of fuel ethanol during his administration.”

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton contributed to this report.

Follow me on Twitter @Hagstromreport

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Comments

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RSimpkins1489533924
12/17/2016 | 7:58 AM CST
Jay, Last year when you argued with Craig Moore about your stupid little electric car. You claimed your whole farm was solar powered. So how can you live on a farm and not be rural? I said it then and I'll say it now Jay your not a farmer. Your just full of crap so why would anyone care what you think?
Clark Reimer
12/16/2016 | 7:29 AM CST
BDukowitz all I am saying is that the people put in those all important cabinet posts that will influence the presidents decisions would have been a lot more willing to fight for the RFS and corn based ethanol then the ones slated to take those key post now. The democratic party over time has been more friendly to the working class then the republican party has been with their tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations. Neither party is perfect.
BDukowitz1375121425
12/15/2016 | 4:07 PM CST
With your train of thought, Clark, do you imply, Hillary would be any different, better or worse?
Clark Reimer
12/15/2016 | 12:36 PM CST
The whole cabinet is nothing but rich people with ties to big oil companies and corporate America. Looks like we middle class Americans AGAIN will work longer and harder for less and pay the bulk of the taxes so the 1% can have more. But that is what the people that voted for Trump are going to get whether they like it or not.
BDukowitz1375121425
12/15/2016 | 7:17 AM CST
We have used 10% ethanol in our car(s) over 30 years and have nothing against other energy. However, in the upper Mid-West, why do the Co-ops, and power companies need to pay about 3 or 4 times per kilo watt, what it cost from a coal power plant. The cost to the consumer is getting a bit high. Then the coal is exported as cheap energy across the pond so they can dump steel and other products below our cost of production. This is a vicious circle with unclear results as the world only has one atmosphere. The USA might be doing more harm than good. .
MPETERSON1261855553
12/15/2016 | 6:16 AM CST
I hope Midwest senators stand up to these oil guys I think we should push Eric bra stand as energy sec. we need to push green energy ethanol,wind an biofuels