Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, co-chairman for Growth Energy, said that a key part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ruling on the new Renewable Fuel Standard was Growth Energy's aggressive lobbying and public relations they've employed during the past year, according to The Hill in Washington, D.C.

"The ethanol industry really is sort of stepping up to the bar and saying we are no different than any other industry group," Clark told The Hill.

"We have got to help people understand what the industry needs because it has to be dealt with in certain ways that are conducive to its growth and development, otherwise it won't develop. It s no different than the oil industry the aviation industry, every one of these industries is the same."

EPA's rule concludes that corn-based ethanol generally meets greenhouse gas standards, after the agency agreed with many of the arguments Growth Energy and others were making in favor of ethanol.

Following the release of the proposed RFS the ethanol industry said EPA was giving too much weight to emissions from international indirect land-use change. The final regulation is more favorable to corn ethanol on ILUC.

(The Hill blog, Feb. 4, 2010)

(http://thehill.com/…)