On Nov. 8, the U.S. elected republican nominee Donald Trump to serve as its 45^th president. Representatives of the biofuel industry said they are confident Trump will continue to support the renewable fuels standard (RFS) and corn ethanol.

Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, noted Trump repeatedly expressed support for the RFS and ethanol on the campaign trail and said he understands the importance of clean, domestic energy resources and the economic power of value-added agriculture.

“We are confident Mr. Trump will continue to support the expanded production and use of fuel ethanol,” Dinneen continued. “Moreover, the president-elect is committed to removing regulatory barriers that impede growth. We look forward to working with a Trump administration to remove unnecessary volatility restrictions that have discouraged market acceptance of higher level ethanol blends like E15 and created unreasonable administrative burdens on gasoline marketers willing to offer these fuels to consumers. Finally, a core principle of the Trump campaign has been putting America first and more aggressively pursuing fair trade agreements that recognize the value of American products. We are eager to work with the new administration on myriad trade challenges currently facing the U.S. ethanol industry.”

Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, also noted Trump publically supported the RFS throughout his campaign. “In fact, the RFS was one issue where both candidates found common ground, and we applaud their recognition of the importance that biofuels, like ethanol, play in fueling our country,” she said. “Growth Energy looks forward to working with the new administration to ensure the RFS, our nation’s most successful energy policy, continues to progress. Furthermore, we will work to continue expanding market access for biofuels, like E15, which are better for our energy security, environment, consumers’ wallets and rural America’s economic prosperity. Finally, we welcome back our returning champions who have tirelessly fought for a strong biofuels industry and look forward to building relationships and working to educate new members of congress on the many ways Americans benefit from biofuels every day.”