The Environmental Protection Agency today held a virtual public hearing on the proposed rule released last month to establish required Renewable Fuel Standard volumes and percentage standards for 2026 and 2027, as well as to partially waive the 2025 cellulosic biofuel volume requirement and revise the associated percentage standard due to a shortfall in cellulosic biofuel production. In his testimony, …
Supreme Court Rules on Small Refinery Exemptions Case
The U.S. Supreme Court today issued its opinion that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is the proper venue for legal challenges to small refinery exemption (SRE) decisions. The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy presented oral arguments to the Supreme Court regarding the case on EPA’s behalf and urging the court to reject the argument by …
Industry Welcomes New Renewable Fuel Standards
The renewable fuels industry welcomed new Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirements for 2026 and 2027 announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday. EPA proposal includes a total Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) of 24.02 billion gallons (bg) for 2026, including 15 bg for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol and 9.02 bg for advanced biofuels, with 5.61 bg of …
E15 Waivers Requested for Summer Again
With no prospects for a legislative fix to allow E15 year-round nationwide before the summer driving season, senators are now asking President Trump to once again authorize waivers to keep the blend available this year. A bipartisan group of senators led by John Thune (R-SD) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the president this week asking him to …
Supreme Court Hears Arguments in SRE Venue Case
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine where challenges to small refinery exemptions (SREs) decisions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be brought. The renewable fuels industry argued in favor of the petitioner, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the case versus Calumet Shreveport Refining, and other refineries. The Renewable Fuels Association …
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 …
EPA Takes Action to Terminate EV Mandate
In a major announcement Wednesday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency will reconsider the Model Year 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles regulation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles which amounts to a mandate for electric vehicles (EV). In addition to imposing over $700 billion in regulatory and compliance costs, these rules provided …
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 …
Ohio and South Dakota to Delay E15 Implementation
Now that the Environmental Protection Agency has finally allowed eight states the ability to sell E15 year-round by April 28, two of those states have decided they’re not ready yet. On Friday, EPA announced it would act on “requests from South Dakota and Ohio seeking a one-year extension of the current implementation date to remove the 1-psi volatility waiver for …
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 …