National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) president Kevin Skunes has probably spent more time in Washington DC over the past month or so than on his farm in North Dakota working hard to protect the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the important market of ethanol for corn growers.
Last week, Skunes joined the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) in visits to Congressional offices. "For the fly-in we go to offices that we wouldn't normally go to…states that might not be as friendly to ethanol," said Skunes during an interview at the fly-in.
NCGA this week submitted formal comments to the U.S Department of Justice opposing the proposed settlement between Philadelphia Energy Solutions and the EPA regarding the outstanding RFS compliance obligations the refiner has included in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. That situation is what originally brought the RIN price issue to the attention of the administration.
Skunes tweeted on Tuesday this week that he had a chance to visit with Vice President Pence about the RFS. "He said we are looking for a "win, win" solution, I asked him if we could meet to talk about what that solution looks like! He said let's talk!" Skunes tweeted on Tuesday.