Clean Fuels Alliance America and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have agreed to pause on a lawsuit challenging new recordkeeping requirements for biodiesel and renewable diesel producers who use separated food waste, such as used cooking oil, as a feedstock. The parties agreed to put the case in abeyance through November 30, 2022, while Clean Fuels and its members continue …
EPA Ag Advisor Updates ACE Conference
Rod Snyder, Senior Advisor for Agriculture at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was a keynote speaker for the 35th American Coalition for Ethanol annual conference Friday in Omaha to provide an update on the role of biofuels in forthcoming EPA actions. Regarding year-round sales of E15 (15% ethanol), Snyder says EPA recognizes the importance of higher level ethanol blends and …
EPA Finalizes RFS Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a package of actions Friday setting biofuel volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for years 2020, 2021, and 2022, and introducing regulatory changes intended to enhance the program’s objectives. EPA also established a 250-million-gallon “supplemental obligation” to the volumes finalized for 2022 and stated its intent to add another 250 million gallons in …
RFA Concerned With EPA Candidates for RFS Review
At least three of the 20 candidates the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to review the environmental impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for Congress have a serious bias against ethanol, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, and should not be considered. In comments submitted this week, RFA urged EPA to exclude these candidates from consideration to serve on …
EPA Administrator Regan on Agri-Pulse Newsmakers
The latest episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is out and the featured interview is with EPA Administrator Michael Regan. EPA sent its proposed biofuel blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review this week in an effort to get those finalized by June 3. Agri-Pulse host Spencer Chase asked Regan …
EPA Issues Emergency Fuel Waiver for E15 Sales
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline—gasoline that uses a 15 percent ethanol blend—to be sold during the summer driving season. EPA’s emergency fuel waiver will go into effect on May 1 when terminal operators would otherwise no longer be able to sell E15 in the effected regions of the country …
White House Lifting E15 Summer Restrictions
The Biden administration is taking action to ensure American consumers have uninterrupted access this summer to gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15). To make E15 available in the summer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to issue a national, emergency waiver. Without this action, E15 cannot be used in most of the country from June 1st to September 15th, …
EPA Denies Waivers But Still Gives Refiners a Break
The Environmental Protection Agency Thursday announced the denial of 36 small refinery exemptions (SRE) for the 2018 compliance year. The petitions were remanded to EPA by the U.S. Court of Appeals. At the same time, EPA announced an “alternate compliance approach” that allows 31 of those small refineries to meet their new 2018 compliance obligations “without purchasing or redeeming additional …
Senators Press EPA Administrator on E15
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan appeared before the Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday to talk about the agency’s budget request, but some senators wanted to know what he was going to do and when he was going to do it to make E15 (15% ethanol fuel) available in the summer months this year. Both Sens. Joni Ernst …
Groups Urge EPA to Use GREET Model
Ethanol organizations submitting feedback to the the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) request for comment on the current scientific understanding of greenhouse gas (GHG) are asking for an update. Both the Renewable Fuels Association and the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) recommend the agency adopt the Argonne National Laboratory GREET model, calling it the “gold standard” of lifecycle models. “The Agency’s …