45ZCF-GREET June 2026 Update

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June 12, 2026

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(U.S. Department of Energy) DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation sent this bulletin at 06/12/2026 02:02 PM EDT --

45ZCF-GREET June 2026 Update

There has been a revision/update made to the 45ZCF-GREET model and user manual. Visit the 45ZCF-GREET webpage to access the latest update. READ MORE

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45ZCF-GREET – 2026 Change Log (U.S. Department of Energy)
U.S. Department of Energy updates 45Z GREET model, biofuel groups call it ‘major win’ (Brownfield Ag News)
Biofuel groups laud changes in 45Z GREET update (Agri-Pulse)
DOE Releases Updated 45Z CF-GREET Model, Ethanol and Biofuel Industry Celebrates (Agriculture of America)
Clean Fuels Welcomes DOE’s Release of Up-to-date 45ZCF-GREET Model (Clean Fuels Alliance America)
Ethanol Blog: Department of Energy Releases Updated GREET Model for 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit (DTN Progressive Farmer)
DOE releases updated 45ZCF-GREET model (Ethanol Producer Magazine)
DOE releases revised 45ZCF-GREET model used in computing clean fuel production credit under section 45Z (KPMG)
US DOE update to 45ZCF-GREET model strengthens path for American biofuels (Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Biobased Diesel Daily)
45Z Update Advances Biofuel Market Certainty for Farmers (RFD TV; includes VIDEO)
Growth Energy: 45Z CF-GREET Model Update Sets American Ethanol Up for Success (Growth Energy)
DOE Cuts ILUC, Foreign Feedstocks in GREET Model Update (OPIS)
Updated 45Z GREET model narrows feedstock hierarchy as supply constraints move into focus (Fastmarkets)
DOE Updates 45Z Tax Credit Rules to Support Biofuel Feedstocks (AgNet West Radio Network; includes AUDIO)
US biofuel demand reshapes global waste feedstock trade (World Bio Market Insights)

Excerpt from U.S. Department of Energy: 45ZCF-GREET (Rev. June 2026) The 45ZCF-GREET (Rev. June 2026) model and associated User Manual implements the following changes relative to 45ZCF-GREET (Rev. May 2025, Amendment):

For all pathways:

• The dependency file, which is used to run backend calculations, has been updated to use R&D GREET 2025 Rev. 1 to utilize the most recent available data and assumptions.

• Behind-the-meter electricity has been separated into two different user inputs: “Onsite Behind-the-meter Electricity: Integrated” and “Onsite Behind-the-meter Electricity: EAC”.

• Results for all pathways are presented for fuels produced in 2025 and for fuels produced after December 31, 2025, to reflect policy changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

• 45V modeled Hydrogen inputs have been changed to 45Z modeled Hydrogen inputs. Users must use the Hydrogen Production pathway in 45ZCF-GREET to model Hydrogen as a process fuel before inputting consumed Hydrogen data in other pathways.

• Changed “Pipeline CMM” to two new fields: “45Z Modeled CMM” and “45Z Modeled CMM CI”.

For Coal Mine Methane (CMM) Capture and Upgrading:

• Change in flaring efficiency in background counterfactual calculations from 99.85% to 98%

• Addition of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) parameter

• Addition of multiple CMM upgrading technology options

• Renamed ‘Final CMM Pressure’ field to ‘CMM Pressure Exiting Upgrader’

For Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) pathways:

• Addition of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) parameter

• Renamed ‘Final RNG Pressure’ field to ‘RNG Pressure Exiting Upgrader’

• Addressed numerical instability in the RNG pressure field

For Hydrogen Production:

• A toggle has been included to model Hydrogen as a process fuel or transportation fuel.

For RD/SAF from Corn Stover via Gasification and FT:

• Added corn stover moisture content as a user input

For Ethanol from Corn Stover via Fermentation:

• Added two selectable pretreatment methods: Dilute Acid (DA) and Deacetylation and Mechanical Refining (DMA)

For Ethanol from Wet Mill Corn via Fermentation:

• Changed name of “Corn Hydrozylate Production” to “Hydrolyzed Corn Protein”

The following policy changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are reflected in the model outputs and clarified in the User Manual for fuels produced after December 31, 2025:

• Deduction of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) contributions

• The pathway for RNG from [Generic] Animal Manures via Anaerobic Digestion may no longer be used; pathways for specific species must be established

• Ineligibility of feedstocks sourced from outside of the United States, Mexico and Canada

• A comment has been added to total LCA results for fuels produced after December 31, 2025: “After Dec. 31, 2025, certain feedstocks and pathways may not be used, and negative values may no longer be claimed for some fuels. Refer to the user manual for more information.”

• A note has been added to CI input cells: “Negative CIs are not valid for process fuels produced from non-manure sources that are consumed in the production of transportation fuels produced after December 31, 2025. Please refer to the user’s manual for additional information.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: Biofuel groups are responding positively to the U.S. Department of Energy’s update to the 45ZCF-GREET model, released on Friday.

Emily Skor with Growth Energy says she views this as a major win for the ethanol industry. She recently told Brownfield ethanol producers were waiting on the details.

“So they have certainty about what exactly they can take credit for with the tax credit for this year.”

Skor says this is one of three major pieces needed for full 45Z implementation. The other two include USDA finalizing a farming practices calculator, currently in interagency review, and the U.S. Department of Treasury issuing final guidance explaining how producers claim the credit.

The 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit is a federal tax incentive rewarding producers for blending ethanol and other biofuels, like biodiesel, renewable diesel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law last year, made updates to the 45Z tax credit by excluding indirect land-use change from emissions calculations, extending the credit through 2029 and limiting eligible feedstocks to North America. Those updates went into effect earlier this year.

In a statement, Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association says the association is grateful for the updated model. They’ve been reviewing it and will be engaging with members across the supply chain to discuss the implications.

Kurt Kovarik with Clean Fuels Alliance America says the update provides certainty for biofuel producers, growth for the biofuels industry and supports new markets for U.S. farmers. READ MORE

Excerpt from Ethanol Producer Magazine: The Renewable Fuels Association also celebrating release of the updated 45ZCF0-GREET model. “We are grateful to see the Department of Energy has released an updated 45ZCF-GREET lifecycle analysis model to reflect changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” said Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the RFA. “This model update is critically important to the ethanol industry in its many operational and investment decisions, and especially as part of the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit implementation. We look forward to reviewing the new model thoroughly and helping our members move forward with it.”

A full list of updates to the 45ZCF-GREET model is available on the DOE website. READ MORE

Excerpt from Iowa Renewable Fuels Association/Biobased Diesel Daily: The change, however, marks the first time renewable fuel producers can input data into the model and receive results that reflect the changes Congress made.

Most importantly, this includes the removal of flawed and unscientific indirect land-use change (ILUC) penalties.

“This update better reflects the role of U.S. biofuels in reducing emissions and supporting rural economies,” said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. “It moves away from flawed, unscientific assumptions about biofuels and better recognizes their true carbon benefits. IRFA appreciates the DOE’s work on the much-needed certainty the new model provides our biofuels producers as they work to qualify for 45Z credits and to produce the ultra-low carbon biofuels increasingly demanded around the globe.” READ MORE

Excerpt from RFD TV: Biofuel groups say that the change better recognizes domestic feedstocks and gives producers more certainty for the current tax year.

The credit matters for agriculture because carbon scoring could influence demand for corn, sorghum, soybeans, canola, and other feedstocks used in ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel.

...

Farm-Level Takeaway: Clear 45Z rules could strengthen biofuel demand, but farmers still need final guidance before markets fully respond. READ MORE

Excerpt from OPIS: Namely, the update nixes all measurements of indirect land use change (ILUC) and denies eligibility for all feedstocks produced outside of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.

The refreshed model will now also prevent participants in the program from receiving negative CI scores, among other changes.

...

The credit was designed as a unified successor to several blender’s tax credits that have expired in recent years, but implementation of the wide-ranging scheme has lagged far behind congressional intent for the program and prevented significant market participation thus far.

Recent efforts from the agencies tasked with administering the program have spelled a potential end to the program’s languid path to full administration; however, the Department of the Treasury hosted a long-awaited hearing in late May on its proposed guidance for the credit.

Initially proposed back in February, the agency is expected to finalize its standards sometime this summer or fall.

And while many producers will be able to utilize the latest update of the 45ZCF-GREET model in their tax calculations for this year, producers still await the release of an update to the USDA’s Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator (FD-CIC) – which will be folded into the most recent version of the DOE’s model once it is issued later this summer. READ MORE

EXcerpt from Fastmarkets: The results were largely in line with market expectations. Soybean oil and canola are expected to benefit most from the removal of ILUC penalties, while DCO, UCO and tallow remain among the most attractive feedstocks. But the update also clarified relative feedstock economics and highlighted how much the gap between crop-based oils and waste-based feedstocks may narrow under the revised framework.

Under illustrative biodiesel pathways, DCO remains the highest-value feedstock with an estimated 45Z credit of approximately $0.80 per gallon. Domestic UCO is estimated at approximately $0.64 per gallon, compared with roughly $0.61 per gallon for UCO sourced from Canada and Mexico, while tallow is estimated at approximately $0.63 per gallon.

The largest changes were observed in crop-based oils. Soybean oil’s estimated biodiesel credit increased to approximately $0.60 per gallon from roughly $0.35 per gallon previously, while canola rose to approximately $0.34 per gallon from around $0.02 per gallon. Both gains reflect the removal of ILUC penalties that had historically constrained crop-based feedstocks.

“The update doesn’t really change much for DCO, UCO or tallow,” one market participant said. “The story is that soybean oil got a lot better.”

Soybean oil closer to UCO and tallow

Soybean oil now sits materially closer to UCO and tallow than under previous assumptions, narrowing a policy-driven advantage that waste-based feedstocks have held in recent years. DCO remains the highest-value pathway, but the gap between soybean oil and competing feedstocks has narrowed considerably.

That shift could compress premiums that animal fats and DCO have historically maintained over soybean oil due to their superior carbon-intensity performance.

The improved economics come as domestic demand expectations continue to strengthen. In its June World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report, the USDA increased 2025/26 soybean crush by 20 million bushels and reduced exports by the same amount, while raising forecasts for soybean oil production and use and lowering ending stocks. READ MORE

Excerpt from World Bio Market Insights:

US imports of used cooking oil fell 38 percent year on year. Chinese-origin volume dropped 67 percent, from 1,124 thousand tonnes to 368 thousand tonnes. Malaysia and Vietnam picked up some of the slack, rising 38 percent and 186 percent respectively. But total US supply still shrank.

The oil didn’t disappear. China’s total used cooking oil exports actually rose 7 percent. The destination changed instead. Shipments to the US fell 61 percent. Flows to the Netherlands more than doubled, making it China’s top destination. That displaced supply is now pressuring European and Southeast Asian markets.

Tallow tells a different story. US imports held roughly flat, up just 1 percent. But the origin mix shifted. Brazil fell 23 percent. Australia rose 24 percent. The UK and Ireland saw sharp gains from small bases. US buyers are spreading their risk without losing volume.

Brazil is hedging too. It still sends 88 percent of its tallow exports to the US. But new flows have opened to the Netherlands and Belgium, suggesting it’s building optionality amid ongoing trade talks.

Policy is reshaping the economics. Under the 45Z tax credit, waste fats earn a premium over soybean oil, though a newer law softened that edge in 2026. Waste fats still carry a low-carbon advantage under state programs like California’s.

Behind all this is soaring US soybean oil demand for biofuel. That share is projected to reach 53.7 percent of total use in 2026/27, up from 40 percent two years ago. Exports are expected to drop sharply as more oil stays home for fuel production. READ MORE

Tags

used cooking oil (UCO)/yellow grease Treasury Department tallow Sustainability soybeans soybean prices Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Renewable Diesel/Green Diesel/HVO/Paraffinic Diesel Renewable Diesel/Green Diesel price Regulations-Federal Pretreatment methane/biomethane manure Jetfuel (Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)) ILUC (Indirect/Induced Land Use Change) Hydrogen/Renewable Hydrogen GREET Greenhouse Gases Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation Model fermentation ethanol/bioethanol Department of Energy (DOE) Department of Agriculture (USDA) corn stover corn oil/distillers corn oil (DCO) corn ethanol carbon/CO2 sequestration carbon capture and utilization (CCU) carbon capture and storage (CCS) BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production biodiesel Aviation Fuel/Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit 45V Hydrogen Production Tax Credit

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