Biofuels Groups Hopeful EPA Keeps RFS Strong

Cindy Zimmerman

Biofuels organizations are anxiously awaiting the release of the final Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) under the 2018 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as they remind the White House and EPA of the promises they’ve made to rural America.

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) placed a full page ad in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call this week featuring South Dakota farmer Marietta Lakness, with the message “Mr. President, tell EPA to stand with rural America and keep the promise to protect the RFS.”

Meanwhile, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) sent a letter to President Trump this week thanking him for his leadership and support of the RFS program and explaining the industry’s capacity to produce biodiesel as an advanced biofuel.

“The base numbers contained in EPA’s original, July proposal—4.24 billion gallons for advanced biofuels and 2.1 billion gallons for biomass-based diesel—are themselves so low that, if finalized, they will halt the growth of the biomass-based diesel industry. The 4.24-billion-gallon number is a reduction from the previous year’s 4.28 billion gallons, which sends a starkly negative signal to the industry as a whole.”

The NBB reiterated its request for at least 4.75 billion gallons for advanced biofuels for 2018 and at least 2.5 billion gallons for biomass-based diesel for 2019 in the upcoming RVO.

EPA is scheduled to release the final RVOs by the end of this month.

ACE, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFS