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cropsey, il 61731 | Think about it - we are 0.4% of the population and maybe less so our vote isn't super important even if what we do is really important. Also, there is only the mandate, no subsidies in ethanol except what we grain farmers get anyway as a tag along with food assistance. The mandate is a clean air deal and except for some logistics issues when it was starting up has been integrated into fuels pretty smoothly (or at least as smooth as something like this can be - tell distributors to use a product or else).
While I'm for backing up on all kinds of epa rules, that's not a quicky - lots of bureaucrats to fire. Our first mission needs to be the WOTUS anyway. Clean air regulation is a little more complex and doesn't quite represent the power grab the wotus does. It also has a history of being pretty effective and it's had some side benefits - we wouldn't have longer lasting fuel injected engines without it. So the mandate isn't one of those slam dunk, get rid of type things. Besides doesn't big oil own lots of ethanol production?
So, Ted could get elected suggest 'mission accomplished' and do nothing. Maybe there is some 'harumphing' but little more. I tend to think most politicians pick issues just like this. Find something politically charged that most really don't understand and that may have already be going away and stand against it. Once in office just get out in front of the news that the issue is going away and points scored. I think Obo thought the Gitmo deal would be just such a deal - war winding down, the prison may not be necessary and all he'd have to do is say he did it regardless of existing plans. However, that didn't work out.
Ethanol is not going away and we could argue forever about how the 'pump was primed' but the infrastructure is here and once the subsidy went away it meant it had to pretty much be competitive in the market. Yield per bushel has increased and the ddgs market is now well established. Politicians can say just about anything and it will pretty much go on. We complain about distribution, but I'm guessing the ethanol folks are working towards their own distribution (if they are not already owned by oil companies). The next step butanol would be game changer and it would be a fuel much more btu competitive with gasoline. I don't think Ray J. will be taking naps in the afternoon, but I don't think he'll be asking if I need any help with the hogs soon either. | |
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Mark Levin
