Ethanol Rule Pits Gephardt Against Lott In Lobbying Fight

While renewable fuels have so far failed to reach production levels envisioned by supporters, they’re an undisputed hit with one group: Washington lobbyists.

Dozens of companies and trade groups have ramped up their lobbying ahead of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision on scaling back requirements for the use of gasoline alternatives. Many were represented at an EPA hearing today on the matter.

In the quarter ended Sept. 30, about 200 companies and other entities reported hiring lobbying firms for the issue, including those led by former lawmakers Richard Gephardt and Trent Lott, almost double from two years ago, Senate records show. The companies include chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc. (SAFM), refiner Valero Corp. and hamburger-seller Wendy’s Co. (WEN)

“It would be positively irrational for these companies not to lobby as hard as they can on this issue,” Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University who studies lobbying, said in an interview. “The amount of money they will spend on lobbying is a small percentage” of what’s at stake.

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