Branstad-backed effort will promote renewable fuels

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Terry Branstad has announced a coalition aimed at convincing presidential candidates visiting Iowa to support the use of renewable fuels like ethanol.

The Republican governor said Thursday the multimillion-dollar effort will educate Iowa voters and 2016 presidential hopefuls about the Renewable Fuel Standard. The 2007 federal law requires oil companies to blend renewables into gasoline as part of an effort to reduce dependence on imported oil.

The effort, which will be privately funded, will be spent on advertising, field organizing, social media outreach and other tasks.

In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed reducing the amount of biofuels required to be blended into gasoline.

Iowa leads the U.S. in ethanol production.

The bipartisan group will be led in part by Branstad's son, Eric, and Democratic campaign strategist Derek Eadon.