While visiting Iowa Tuesday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced revisions to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) “Set 2” rule volumes, providing for 100 percent reallocation of the renewable fuel volume requirements to compensate for 29 small refinery exemptions announced at the end of August. The agency is proposing two options for revisions, both of which would reallocate …
EPA on Track for Exempted Refinery Volumes Proposal
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is on track to propose a plan to reallocate Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes lost due to 29 refinery exemptions granted in August. EPA reportedly sent a proposed rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review last week. The draft rule is expected to account for about 1.76 billion renewable …
EPA Grants Refinery Exemptions, Proposes Reallocation
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 …