Is Joni Ernst right on ethanol?

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, questioned former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack at a Feb. 2 hearing on his nomination to be U.S. agriculture secretary.

The committee confirmed Vilsack, setting him up for approval by the full Senate. Vilsack also served as ag secretary during President Barack Obama’s administration.

Ernst wanted to know whether Vilsack will “stand firm” on the Renewable Fuel Standard, which mandates U.S. transportation fuels contain a minimum value of biofuel, which could be corn-based ethanol or cellulosic ethanol.

There is concern among Republicans, including Ernst, that Democratic President Joe Biden’s plan to convert the federal vehicle fleet to electricity will leave ethanol in the dust.

“As you know — you know this intimately — Iowa is a top producer of our biofuels, both ethanol and biodiesel,” Ernst said. “A new report released just last week found greenhouse gas emissions from corn ethanol are 46 percent lower than gasoline.”

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