White House Weighs Biofuel Quota Boost Amid Appeals From Iowa

  • Trump officials honing plan to benefit ethanol, biodiesel
  • Latest initiative would spike 2020 quotas by 1 billion gallons

Traffic moves near the White House in Washington, D.C.

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
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Top administration officials have developed plans to give a 5% boost to U.S. renewable fuel-blending quotas in 2020, as President Donald Trump seeks to temper farm-state criticism he has undermined U.S. mandates compelling the use of corn-based ethanol and soybean-based biodiesel.

Representatives of the White House, Agriculture Department and Environmental Protection Agency have been honing final details of an initiative to encourage U.S. biofuel demand for weeks, since developing a broad framework for action on Aug. 22. Details of the drafted initiative were described in a document obtained by Bloomberg News and people familiar with the deliberations who asked not to be named before a formal announcement.