It’s been a tough year for the biodiesel industry with ten biodiesel plants that have closed or cut back production, impacting jobs across the country, and ultimately the agricultural producers.
“It’s just one more hit to soybean farmers too, right now,” said National Biodiesel Board (NBB) Director of Communications Kaleb Little during an interview at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk last week in Kansas City.
Last week, 140 companies and organizations from the biomass-based diesel industry, sent a letter to House and Senate leaders, telling them “an immediate extension of the biodiesel tax incentive is needed to prevent a severe economic disruption of the U.S. biodiesel industry.” This week, nearly 100 NBB members are in the nation’s capital to meet with 88 Congressional offices and discuss the status of the biodiesel tax incentive.
Little says the industry remains hopeful that they will receive better news from EPA yet this year to help them grow volumes of biomass-based diesel under the RFS, and make up for gallons lost under small refinery exemptions. “There’s still time for EPA to do the right thing,” said Little. “We have to be successful in this otherwise we’ll see more biodiesel producers shut their doors.”
Listen to Jamie Johansen’s interview with Little from NAFB:
NAFB19 Kaleb Little, National Biodiesel Board - policy (4:46)