May 11, 2010
(Wallaces Farmer) Governor Culver Meets with White House Officials about Biofuels
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver met with senior White House officials last week to discuss Iowa and the nation's biofuels industry. This meeting was scheduled after Culver urged President Obama to move forward E15 blended gasoline during the President's Iowa visit the previous week. Culver is chairman of the National Governor's Biofuels Commission.
"I look forward to continuing our conversation and developing new and innovative strategies that will help our farmers, our biofuels producers, and all Americans," Culver said. In addition, White House staff reiterated the President's agreement with the Governor regarding his encouragement of the availability of more flex-fuel vehicles and the installation of retail blender pumps, which is crucial to the development of the next generation of biofuels.
Iowa is the largest U.S producer of ethanol and the industry is vitally important as a corn market, in the creation of thousands of jobs, contributes to the national energy supply, and contributes to the Iowa and U.S. economy.
Culver discussed the E15 waiver decision, pending by EPA
Culver also discussed with White House officials the federal governments pending decision regarding whether or not to allow higher ethanol blends to be sold nationwide for use in non-flex fuel vehicles. Sometime this summer the federal Environmental Protection Agency is to decide whether or not to allow the E15 ethanol blend to be sold nationwide. Currently, EPA only allows a 10% ethanol blend, or E10, to be used in non-flex fuel vehicles.
The automobile industry is concerned that the 15% blend with gasoline will cause problems with older model cars. EPA is ...
