The Trump administration is considering possibly giving at least $300 million in cash aid to U.S. oil refiners who were denied small refiner exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association’s Executive Director Monte Shaw says the proposal doesn’t make sense because the law clearly said those exemptions are illegal.
Some sources believe the financial help for the refiners could come from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation. Shaw says to take funding from the CCC for oil companies isn’t right, especially when part of that has been used for pandemic aid for farmers.
Shaw doesn’t think the plan for aid to the refiners will happen.
A spokesman for the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturer’s Association says they don’t support the idea of the aid but want the RFS to be made less expensive so it’s not a threat to good manufacturing jobs.
