Today’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement to require the domestic use of 800 million gallons of biodiesel in 2011 is being welcomed by the National Biodiesel Board.
The group says the number, established under the new Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2), shows that biodiesel is the only widely accepted, commercial scale Advanced Biofuel produced in the U.S. that meets the definition of Biomass-based Diesel and undifferentiated Advanced Biofuels under the RFS2 program:
“We applaud EPA for this announcement and for reaffirming the common-sense notion that we should displace petroleum diesel fuel with Advanced Biofuels like biodiesel. This notice demonstrates to all actors in the fuels marketplace that the volume goals for Biomass-based Diesel provided for by law in the RFS2 program will be met and that 800 million gallons of biodiesel must be used in 2011,” said Manning Feraci, Vice President of Federal Affairs for the National Biodiesel Board.
Under the RFS2 program, the EPA is required to determine and publish the applicable percentage standards for each compliance year prior to November 30 of the previous year. The notice published by EPA today sets in motion the process for EPA to finalize this regulatory rule and implement the RFS2 2011 renewable volume requirements.
“The U.S. biodiesel industry stands ready to provide the Advanced Biofuel that will allow this nation to meet the attainable renewable energy goals established by RFS2, reduce our dependence on petroleum and cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” concluded Feraci.
Of course, there’s the issue with the lack of the federal $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax incentive that expired at the end of 2009 and has resulted in massive biodiesel refinery layoffs and endangers the industry as a whole. As my colleague Joanna Schroeder (@jmschroeder) tweeted earlier this evening: “Not enough biodiesel today w/out tax credit – no way to meet #’s.”