Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a bipartisan group of 16 senators this week in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “restore integrity, stability and growth to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the U.S. biofuel sector by raising Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) levels for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels.” In a letter to EPA Administrator …
Iowa Reports 45% Jump in E15 Sales, Record B20
Retail sales of E15 in Iowa jumped 45 percent last year compared to 2023, and a record number of biodiesel gallons were sold, according to the latest Iowa Department of Revenue 2024 Retailers Motor Fuel Gallons Annual Report. The report showed E15 sales hit a record 257 million gallons in the state last year with 516 million gallons of biodiesel …
Illinois Increases Biodiesel Blend Rate
Effective today, April 1, biodiesel blend requirements in Illinois are increasing from B14 to B17, marking another step toward advancing cleaner fuel options. The bipartisan B20 bill passed in 2022 raises the bar on biodiesel use by increasing the minimum biodiesel blend level eligible for tax exemption. Starting today, this means 17% of every gallon of biodiesel sold in Illinois …
Groups Provide Climate Smart Ag Comments
Biofuels groups submitted comments this week to USDA on its interim rule for climate-smart agriculture guidance to support the new 45Z tax credit for clean fuel producers. The Renewable Fuels Association emphasized the importance of policies that empower farmers while ensuring a robust and efficient renewable fuels market. RFA highlighted the benefits of a book-and-claim supply chain management system, which …
Groups Want Final 2026 Biomass-Based Diesel Volumes
Organizations supporting biomass-based diesel are urging EPA to establish robust, timely Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2026 and beyond. Members of Clean Fuels Alliance America, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Oilseed Processors Association, North American Renderers Association, and U.S. Canola Association sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin this week asking that EPA propose and finalize …
National Biodiesel Day Celebrates Industry Growth
Despite many challenges, biodiesel and renewable diesel have seen extraordinary growth in recent years, and Clean Fuels Alliance America is celebrating that progress today on National Biodiesel Day. March 18 is the birthday of Rudolf Diesel, who invented the diesel engine and was a proponent of using plant oils to fuel vehicles and one of the forefathers of the biodiesel …
Clean Fuels Foundation Awards Education Grant
The Clean Fuels Alliance Foundation has announced the recipient of this year’s Beth Calabotta Sustainable Education Grant is Courtney Videchak, a Mechanical Engineering PhD candidate at the University of Michigan. Videchak’s research inspired her to enroll in sustainability courses offered by the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and the School of Environment and Sustainability. Videchak’s dissertation is focused on creating …
EPA Extends Compliance Deadline for RFS
On Friday the Environmental Protection Agency announced a final rule to extend the March 31 deadline for Renewable Fuel Standard compliance reporting for 2024. The rule also updates the definition of “biodiesel” in the program to reference the most recent ASTM quality specifications, and Clean Fuels Alliance America expressed disappointment in response. In December, EPA proposed a partial waiver of …
California OAL Flags Concerns for Biomass-Based Diesel
Last week, the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) explained its decision to reject amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and identified a number of potentially substantive issues that could impact the success of biomass-based diesel in the state, according to Clean Fuels Alliance America. The issues include indirect land use change (ILUC) values, new fuel pathway applications, …
Liquid Fuel Stakeholders Urge EPA to Set RFS Volumes
A diverse group of stakeholders, including petroleum refiners, fuel marketers and retailers, biofuels producers, and farmers, sent a letter to urging Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin urging him to set robust, timely, and multi-year Renewable Fuel Standards for 2026 and beyond. “Since the enactment of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), our nation has benefited from increased energy security, an …