Republican platform calls for end to ethanol mandates

Feedstuff
(9/3/2008)
Sally Schuff Jacqui Fatka

The GOP stunned corn growers and the corn-based ethanol industry after adopting new official Republican platform language calling for free market utilization of ethanol rather than the federally mandated Renewable Fuels Standard supported by Bush administration and crop producers in the rural heartland.

Specifically on ethanol, the policy states, "The U.S. government should end mandates for ethanol and let the free market work." The GOP platform also stated, "We must continue to develop alternative fuels, such as biofuels, especially cellulosic ethanol, and hasten their technological advances to next-generation production." The position marks a major change from the 2004 platform, which supported expanding the use of ethanol as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and increase revenues for farmers.

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