Cars and trucks would burn nearly 19 billion gallons of renewable fuels next year under the latest proposal from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But the plan would only make a slight increase in the use of ethanol made from corn grown in the Midwest. That’s bad news for farmers hoping ethanol will help increase grain prices. But Brad Lubben (LOO-ben), an economist at the University of Nebraska, says demand for ethanol could still increase in foreign markets.
Most of the increase in renewable fuels requested by the EPA would come from advanced fuels like biodiesel which have a smaller carbon footprint than corn ethanol.
This story was produced by Harvest Public Media, which reports on agriculture issues affecting the Midwest. Learn more about farms, food and fuel at HarvestPublicMedia.org.