The Environmental Protection Agency today announced its decisions on 34 individual small refinery exemption petitions for the 2025 compliance year, granting full (100 percent) exemptions to 18 petitions, partial (50 percent) exemptions to 11 petitions, denying three petitions, and determining two petitions to be ineligible. Based on that analysis, EPA is exempting 1.76 billion RFS compliance credits, known as Renewable …
EPA Extension for Refiners Causes Uncertainty
Reports that the Environmental Protection Agency could extend the September 1 deadline for refiners to demonstrate compliance with their 2025 Renewable Fuel Standard obligations, and potentially grant many more Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) than expected, are sending shockwaves through the industry and causing chaos in the biofuels markets as prices for Renewable Identification Numbers (D6 RINs) dropped significantly. Rumors are …
EPA Extends Waiver for E15 Through September 15
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week issued a temporary emergency fuel waiver that will increase the nation’s gasoline supply and help lower prices for American families, ending the summertime fuel blend requirement and extending the existing waiver to allow lower-cost E15 fuel blends in the summer months through September 15. Beginning on September 1, 2026, EPA’s waivers will …
RFA Disappointed with EPA SRE Approvals
The Environmental Protection Agency this week announced its decisions on six individual small refinery exemption petitions from four refineries seeking an exemption from their Renewable Fuel Standard obligations for the 2023 and 2024 compliance years, granting full (100 percent) exemptions to one petition, partial (50 percent) exemptions to two petitions, and determining three petitions to be ineligible. According to the …
Ethanol Report on EPA Announcements
The Trump administration hit two home runs for the ethanol industry during the last week of March amidst National Agriculture Month celebrations – announcing waivers to allow sales of E15 through the summer, in lieu of Congressional action to make it permanent, and finalizing the long-delayed renewable volume obligations for 2026 and 2027. In this edition of The Ethanol Report …
Industry Reacts to Final RFS Volumes
Ethanol industry stakeholders are pleased with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) ‘Set 2’ Rule overall, but still take issue with the 70% partial reallocation of the 2023–2025 granted small refinery exemptions (SREs). Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says they …
RFS Set 2 Announced at White House Farmer Event
Hundreds of farmers and ranchers representing various regions and commodities joined President Donald Trump on the south lawn of the White House Friday to hear him make several announcements related to agriculture, including addressing Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system complaints, and finalizing historically high Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations. “I’m also announcing a dramatic update to the Renewable fuel standards …
EPA Announces Waiver to Allow Summer Sales of E15
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin today issued a temporary emergency fuel waiver to allow nationwide sales of E15 and to remove all federal impediments to selling E10. Beginning on May 1, 2026, EPA’s waivers will work to prevent disruption in America’s fuel supply by keeping E15 on the market and giving Americans more fuel options. EPA is issuing …
Zeldin Promises RFS Set 2 Release by End of March
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin confirmed today that the agency will finalize Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Set 2 regulations before the end of the month, providing much-needed certainty to the biofuels industry. Speaking at the Agri-Pulse Ag and Food Policy Summit with founder Sara Wyant, Zeldin said the agency is in the “very final stages” of releasing the rule, which was …
EPA Official at NEC Delivers RFS News
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation had some breaking news at the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando Wednesday – the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Set 2 final rule has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). EPA’s Aaron Szabo said during his address that he expects the rule will be finalized before the …