U.S. oil industry wants help from farmers to fight Biden's EV agenda
By: Reuters Jan 30th 2021 at 2:00PM (Autoblog)
U.S. oil industry is looking to get support from corn and biofuel organizations to lobby against electric vehicle agendas set by Biden administration
Big Oil will still be trying to kill us when the Sun goes dim...
... and demanding subsidies for their effort!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The effort marks an unusual attempt by the petroleum industry to cozy up to its long-time rivals, reflecting the scale of its concern over President Joe Biden's sweeping measures to combat climate change and tamp down fossil fuel use.
While the oil industry and biofuels producers are natural competitors for space in America's gas tanks, they share a desire to ensure a future for internal combustion engines.
The effort also reflects the rapidly shifting political landscape in Washington: the oil industry's once-mighty influence has waned since Biden replaced Donald Trump as president, but the farm belt remains a vital and powerful political constituency.
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers oil refining trade group confirmed it has been contacting state and national representatives of the corn and biofuel industries in recent weeks to seek support for a policy that would reduce the carbon-intensity of transport fuels and block efforts to provide federal subsidies for electric vehicles.
That proposal would be an alternative to Biden's stated goal of electrifying the nation's vehicle fleet and would ensure a continuing market for liquid fuels like gasoline and corn-based ethanol.
AFPM met in mid-January with some corn and biofuel industry lobbyists and some member refiners are hoping to host another meeting in February to discuss the future of liquid fuels.
"This whole idea was going to have to take a whole lot of time to gel, but we have made some progress," said Derrick Morgan, senior vice president at AFPM.
The industry's push to change the course of electric vehicle policy faces big headwinds: California has announced a ban on internal combustion engines by 2035, other states are considering similar measures, and General Motors on Thursday announced it will produce only electric vehicles by then.
Geoff Cooper, head of the Renewable Fuels Association, a leading biofuel industry trade group, confirmed RFA representatives were invited to participate in the February meeting, but said his organization had not yet decided whether to attend.
"We weren't born yesterday and we're not going to let the oil industry play us like a fiddle," he said. "They have a long history of pushing surrogates and proxies to the microphone to do their dirty work and we're not interested in that."
The National Corn Growers Association is also considering whether to send staff the February discussion, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
NCGA CEO Jon Doggett told Reuters no such meeting had been scheduled, and distanced his group from the idea of an oil-corn alliance. "I have nothing to do with any refining groups. We haven't talked," he said.
Asked if any of its state-level member organizations were considering attending, Doggett replied, "We have dozens of groups. I can't know what all of them are planning."
Sources said the biofuel and corn industry is reluctant to join with the oil industry on this issue not just because of its longstanding rivalry with refiners, but also because it does not want to publicly oppose the energy policies of the new president.
Whiplash in Washington
The refining sector enjoyed a seat at the table under former President Donald Trump, who was keen to bolster the oil and gas industry.
Biden marks a complete reversal. He entered the White House promising measures to restrain the oil industry, from pausing new drilling leases on public lands to contemplating tougher limits on emissions.
Biden this week pledged to buy 645,000 electric cars for the government vehicle fleet as part of a broader plan to advance EVs through vehicle procurement, infrastructure development and subsidies, threatening the multi-billion dollar gasoline market.
AFPM's Morgan said refiners are not scared of electric vehicles but dislike rigid government mandates. "What we have a problem with are heavy-handed mandates that take away consumer choice, either altogether or in large part. We don't think that's the right way forward," Morgan said.
The oil industry believes carbon emissions from fuel can be reduced by requiring increased octane content, which makes gasoline burn cleaner. Ethanol is a popular octane booster.
The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard currently requires refiners to blend biofuels like ethanol into fuels. As a result, most gasoline sold in the United States has about 10 percent ethanol in it. The biofuel industry has been pushing hard to ensure those mandates continue.
"It's no surprise the oil industry all of a sudden wants to give us a bear hug. We produce lower carbon fuels. They don't," said Emily Skor, head of the biofuel group Growth Energy.
Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Dan Grebler
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Good for them. I support their efforts.
Why?
NEVER ask that!
You know the reasoning is going to be hilarious.
That's true...
So now its "Bi Coastal Elites BAD!!!
But Texas Elites GOOD?
God, FUCK YOU GUYS. Here is a CRAZY idea, produce a better product! Oh, fossil fuels are inherently dirty and inefficient and trying to make them cleaner and more efficient is like polishing a turd you say? The start to expand into a different industry/market dumbasses. Seriously, they have known for DECADES that their industry is dying, but instead of adapting to changing times they are trying to actively sabotage the rest of our species for no other reason that they are lazy and shortsighted.
So I say again, FUCK YOU GUYS.
The Industry isn't dying it's doing well that's why Biden feels he has to murder it. Let the free market decide, when electric car makers produce a better product at a reasonable price they will win over customers. I just don't want to spend more for less, 35k for a cheesy subcompact is a joke. As far as sabotage goes it's Biden who is try to kill our economy and it will cause a backlash. When energy prices spike because of Biden's policies everyone will know why.
They are having a harder and harder time, it will only get worse, and they sure as hell know it. Globally public opinion on climate change has meant that their business is fucked, especially as more and more governments start taking more and more aggressive steps towards renewable fuels. And electric cars are doing great, Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world and every single auto manufacturer is coming out with their own line of electric vehicles. The change is happening and is only going to accelerate. They are trying to stop the inevitable. Everyone knows what is going to happen, these assholes are the only ones actively trying to stop it.
They will only get cheaper as time goes on. The transition won't be stopped.
Yes, because Joe Biden hates America and shit and wants to tank the economy for the fuck of it. For real? When you say dumb shit like that I am not going to take you seriously. Is he also eating babies and worshipping satan while he oversees the targeting of his jew space lasers?
Energy prices won't spike, at all.
Big Oil is the most subsidized industry ever. Without those subsidies, gas would be ten or fifteen dollars at the pump.
So... Yes!
Let's get rid of all government intervention. No more monster pickups clogging traffic! Wonderful!
Soooooooo true! No industry in the history of the planet has been helped more by big government than the fossil fuel industry. IF big government pulled its support every fossil fuel company would file chapter 11 the same day.
The words "vested interest" always make me picture this...
My memory is not so sharp as it was, but I think I remember a story from many decades ago that someone came up wiht a way to create an engine that cut down drastically on the amount of gasoline it needed to run, and big business bought up the patent and the concept disappeared. Of couirse there is the Tucker Torpedo story, where the major car manufacturers put it out of business because the Tucker Torpedo was way advanced over their own products, and that story is definietely true. Vested Interests will do whatever they can to block that which is advanced beyond their own interests - and so, the anchor, preventing to surging ahead of benefits to mankind.
I think those are urban legends, Buzz.
Companies produce prototype engines all the time. The fact is that modern internal combustion engines are very efficient. (Which doesn't preclude the manufacturers from cheating on tests,of course.) If the prototype was revolutionary (in a good way), venture capitalists would be all over it.
The most valuable American automobile company did not exist twenty years ago.
Tucker was a special case. He had big ideas...and no capital. Obviously, the existing companies didn't help.
Elon Musk was already a zillionaire. That's the difference. Do you remember the very difficult launch? Being a zillionaire can get you through a rough patch or two.