The new COVID-19 relief package allows the agriculture secretary to make payments to biofuels producers, but there is no guarantee it will happen. American Coalition for Ethanol CEO Brian Jennings says ultimately, it will be up to the next agriculture secretary to help the biofuels industry with additional COVID assistance. Jennings is hopeful. “We’re sort of in, but we have more work to do. That will require us to work with a new agriculture secretary. The nominee, Tom Vilsack, has used USDA funding to help the biofuels industry in the past. He created the original biofuels infrastructure program to provide money to retailers to help them install pumps for E15 and higher blends. We think we have the ability to work with him and free up some funds.” Jennings says it’s been challenging to cope with the impacts of COVID, but the biofuels industry is surviving.
