EPA Administrator Gives Update on Retroactive SREs

Cindy Zimmerman

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said Wednesday that the agency will not be making an announcement on proposed 2021 Renewable Volume Obligations this week.

“There’s nothing coming out tomorrow on that,” Wheeler said during a press call to talk about environmental provisions under the USMCA. Since Friday is a federal holiday, that would mean it would be at least next week before the proposal might be released. Last year it was announced on July 5.

Wheeler also gave an update on the status of the 52 requests for retroactive waivers from blending obligations in previous years. “We have sent those applications over to the Department of Energy for their review, which is the first step in the process,” said Wheeler. “We’ve not gotten the recommendations back yet.”

Wheeler says there are a “number of issues” when it comes to considering the retroactive year waivers. “Some of these petitions go back to 2012, RINS from that year are no longer active…so there’s questions about whether they can show economic harm and what the remedy would be.”

EPA Admin Wheeler comments (:51)

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