EPA plan would keep ethanol's share of gasoline market same in 2020; farm and biofuel interests say Big Oil wins

Corn ethanol’s share of the gasoline market for cars and light trucks would not increase next year, under a Trump administration proposal that has the Farm Belt howling, Successful Farming reports.

The administration's proposed Renewable Fuel Standard would increase the share of the market going to cleaner-burning cellulosic ethanol, made from grass and woody plants, by 120 million gallons," Chuck Abbott reports. "Farm groups and biofuel makers, who opened the summer with a celebration that higher-blend E15 was approved for year-round sale, said the EPA bowed to Big Oil."

The Environmental Protection Agency said in announcing the proposal at the start of the long July 4 weekend, “Today, nearly all gasoline used for transportation purposes contains 10% ethanol (E10) and, on average, diesel fuel contains nearly 5% biodiesel and/or renewable diesel.”