Today we head to Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District where incumbent candidate, Rep. Angie Craig, is up against Tyler Kistner. Here are their views on the issues surrounding Minnesota's ethanol industry.
Angie Craig (D)
Q. What is your position concerning the current state of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)? Should the EPA follow the 10th Circuit Federal Court's decision regarding Small Refinery Exemption (SRE) waivers and reject current, future and gap year SRE applications from the oil industry?
A. Over the last four years, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has been under attack. This Administration’s decision to stack the EPA with Big Oil executives has cost Minnesota farmers and ethanol producers millions of dollars. I have repeatedly called on the EPA to follow the 10th Circuit decision regarding SRE waivers. These so called “small refinery” waivers continue to pad the pockets of Big Oil executives while ripping away Minnesota jobs and millions of dollars for Minnesota family farmers. I emphatically reject any proposals to grant additional current, future, or retroactive SRE applications from oil companies.
Q. Given the large number of spark ignition-powered vehicles on the road and the need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, what is your position concerning a possible Low Carbon High Octane Fuel Standard to replace more petroleum with greater amounts of renewable ethanol?
A. While many of these proposals are in the early stages, I would support a Low Carbon High Octane Fuel Standard. I have long said that biofuels are a critical answer to lowering carbon emissions and reducing harmful greenhouse gases. Earlier this year, I led a letter to the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis asking the Committee to include biofuels as part of a solution to reducing carbon emissions. I was proud to see that the Committee then included the concept of a low carbon fuel standard in its proposal.
Q. The Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected Minnesota's ethanol industry. At one point, plants were shutdown while others had to significantly reduce production. While production has begun to approach pre-pandemic levels, Minnesota’s ethanol producers are still facing severe financial distress. Would you support financial aid to Minnesota’s ethanol producers?
A. I strongly support financial aid to Minnesota’s ethanol producers. I was proud to lead the efforts in the House to include assistance for the biofuels industry in COVID-19 relief legislation. My colleagues and I sent a letter to House leadership, warning that a struggling biofuel industry could have cascading effects on the entire agriculture sector. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for biofuel production has fallen to record lows, with nearly 150 biofuel plants falling idle or cutting production, leaving many producers unable to make ends meet. Because of our advocacy, the HEROES Act included direct assistance for the biofuels industry. It would provide biofuels producers with $0.45/gallon for all biofuels (including corn starch ethanol) produced between Jan 1, 2020 and May 1, 2020, and if production was halted for any time in that window, half of that rate (22.5 c/gallon) for the amount produced during that same time period in 2019. This equates to $2.25B in direct assistance for biofuels producers. The Senate has failed to pass any similar legislation to get direct assistance to the industry.
Q. Do you support making higher ethanol blends, such as E15, available across Minnesota and the United States through infrastructure funding?
A. Absolutely. I have been a leader in increasing blends of biofuels through infrastructure legislation. I introduced HR 6671, the Clean Fuels Deployment Act of 2020 with Rep. Abby Finekenauer of Iowa. This bipartisan bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a program to award grants to states to aid in the deployment of fueling infrastructure to increase the use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel. I strongly supported the President’s decision to allow the year-round sale of E-15, and will continue to advocate for distribution of higher blends.
Tyler Kistner (R)
Q. What is your position concerning the current state of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)? Should the EPA follow the 10th Circuit Federal Court's decision regarding Small Refinery Exemption (SRE) waivers and reject current, future and gap year SRE applications from the oil industry?
A. The Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and its guarantee of biofuels demand over a specified period of time has reduced the risk of investing in renewable biofuels and moved significant investment capital into the marketplace. The ethanol sector is not immune to the ongoing headwinds facing our economy and can ill-afford to lose more ethanol demand. It’s my understanding that should the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant the 98 pending small refinery waivers, it would more than double the RFS demand loss the ethanol industry has already experienced from the previous waivers granted over the past three years.
The decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit was clear and should be adhered to by the EPA without further delay.
Q. Given the large number of spark ignition-powered vehicles on the road and the need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, what is your position concerning a possible Low Carbon High Octane Fuel Standard to replace more petroleum with greater amounts of renewable ethanol?
A. The role ethanol plays as an octane enhancer in lowering carbon emissions should not be overlooked.Higher ethanol blends can assist the auto industry in meeting the strict mileage and carbon standards placed on it by policymakers. A Low Carbon Octane Fuel Standard is an important part of the equation but there are numerous EPA regulatory roadblocks that make it difficult for higher ethanol blends to enter the market.The failure by the EPA to consider octane and ethanol in order to meet mileage and carbon reduction rules is puzzling.
There’s the potential for substantial gains in mileage through higher ethanol blends while reducing carbon. I believe the EPA should make that part of the discussion as part of a practical solution lower carbon emissions.
Q. The Covid-19 pandemic has severely affected Minnesota's ethanol industry. At one point, plants were shutdown while others had to significantly reduce production. While production has begun to approach pre-pandemic levels, Minnesota’s ethanol producers are still facing severe financial distress. Would you support financial aid to Minnesota’s ethanol producers?
A. Our economy has taken hits over the past few months, including the ethanol sector.Although we witnessed the “Spirit of Innovation” during the early stages of the pandemic that has helped the industry grow, a strong case can be made for financial assistance to ethanol producers that will provide a bridge over these troubled times. The most recent COVID-19 relief packages passed by the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives vary in their approach to providing relief to biofuel producers. Whereas the House version includes the Renewable Fuel Reimbursement Program, the Senate version does not provide dedicated relief for ethanol producers. There is a provision for $20 billion of additional funding to the USDA to support agricultural producers, growers and processors impacted by COVID-19. Although biofuels producers would be considered eligible entities under the program, I believe specific language confirming aid for ethanol producers and employees is warranted. I would like to see greater clarity and certainty regarding biofuel industry relief as part of any final agreement between the Senate and the House.
Q. Do you support making higher ethanol blends, such as E15, available across Minnesota and the United States through infrastructure funding?
A. The announcement by the Trump Administration in early 2019 to allow gasoline stations to sell blends containing up to 15 percent corn-based ethanol year-round was an important step in the right direction. The decision ended a misguided summertime ban implemented by the previous administration. The delivery infrastructure for E15 is a critical piece of the equation if we are to build upon this opportunity.I believe programs, such as the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) that provides federal grants to transportation fueling facilities to expand the availability and sale of higher blends of ethanol, are good examples of the private and public sectors working together.
Taxpayer investments and public-private partnerships in renewable energy such as HBIIP drive our economy help our Nation remain competitive.
Election 2020 Archives:
US House Candidates:
MN Senate Candidates:
District 49: Melisa Lopez Franzen
MN House Candidates:
District 01A: Connie Lindstrom
District 09B : Ron Kresha, Laura Wright