AGRICULTURE/ELECTION/ENERGY[ALTERNATIVE]/EPA/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to expand sales of corn ethanol on Tuesday [10-9-18], delivering a gift to farm state Republicans a month before the midterm elections. The move ends months of bitter behind-the-scenes fighting between corn backers and the oil industry over Trump’s calls to increase ethanol sales, and it could benefit Iowa’s Republican governor, who is trailing her Democratic challenger in the polls, as well as at least two Iowa House incumbents who are also vulnerable. But the oil industry’s most powerful trade group immediately said it will fight to block the action…EPA expects to finish a rule by the beginning of June to allow year-round sales of gasoline with 15 percent ethanol content, an increase over the 10 percent blends that are sold at most gas stations around the nation. The sale of the blends, known as ‘E15,’ is currently prohibited during the summer months in several states because of Clean Air Act restrictions, and corn growers have long sought to expand sales of the higher concentrations.”
–Eric Wolff, “Trump’s ethanol move delivers gift to corn country,” Politico, October 8, 2018 5:10 pm