Most organizations weighing in on the final rule for required renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2019, and biomass-based diesel for 2020, released by EPA on Friday are disappointed. The rule maintains the 2019 conventional biofuels level at 15 billion gallons, in line with statute, while biomass-based diesel, advanced, and cellulosic categories all were increased …
EPA Finalizes RFS Renewable Fuel Volumes
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the finalized rule for required renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program for 2019, and biomass-based diesel for 2020. The key elements of the final rule include maintaining the “conventional” renewable fuel volumes, primarily met by corn ethanol, at the current 15-billion gallon level set by Congress for 2019; increasing …
Ethanol Groups Blast EPA for Chevron Waiver
A report out yesterday that EPA granted Chevron a 2017 hardship waiver earlier this year is causing some pre-Thanksgiving heartburn for ethanol producers. “While Chevron and other refiners enjoy their record profits and “economic hardship” waivers from EPA on Thanksgiving, many farmers and ethanol producers in rural America are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet,” says American …
Corn Growers Dispute Land Use Petition Claims
Environmental groups filed a petition with EPA this week claiming that “millions of acres of wildlife habitat” have been converted to corn and soybean crops to produce biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard, based on a June report to Congress, which offered no specific conclusions about land use change related to biofuels production. The petition claims that previously uncultivated land …
NBB Urges EPA to End Demand Destruction for Biodiesel
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to “fully account for small refinery exemptions in the annual Renewable Fuel Standard rules and end the demand destruction for biodiesel.” In a letter sent to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, NBB requests that EPA set the RFS biomass-based diesel volumes for 2020 at 2.8 billion gallons, consistent with …
Democrat Reps Ask EPA to Uphold RFS
Nearly 20 members of Congress are sounding the alarm about how small refinery waivers causing less ethanol to be blended into gasoline disproportionately impacts communities of color. Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Danny Davis (D-IL) and 17 of their colleagues sent a letter this week to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concern over how the widespread issuance of waivers …
Ethanol Stakeholders Welcome E15 Announcement
Christmas came very early this year for ethanol stakeholders who have been pressing for sales of E15 to be allowed year round, as President Trump announced he was instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to initiate a rulemaking process that would extend the summer Reid Vapor Pressure waiver to E15. “What it really means is that we’re helping our farmers,” …
EPA Updates RFS Website to Improve Transparency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today updated the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program website to increase transparency and include new data and information for both stakeholders and the public. The data will provide new information for renewable fuel producers, fuel refiners, importers, and marketers including: The number of small refinery exemption petitions received, approved, and denied for each compliance year; …
Bipartisan House Members Push for E15 Year Round
House Biofuels Caucus co-chairs Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) led more than 20 House members in writing a letter this week to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging the approval of year-round E15. The letter encourages the Administration to reduce federal regulations on ethanol instead of implementing policies that only work against farmers and slow the biofuels market …
Ethanol Groups File New Lawsuit Over Exemptions
Two major ethanol advocacy organizations are demanding transparency from the Environmental Protection Agency on the granting of small refinery exemptions from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy filed a joint lawsuit in federal district court, alleging that EPA and Department of Energy have “improperly denied agency records requested …. under the Freedom of …