EPA Misses Statutory Deadline to Release Renewable Volume Obligations under RFS

December 01, 2021

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by Mark Dorenkamp (1430WCMY) The EPA will miss its statutory deadline of November 30th to release Renewable Volume Obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa says not meeting the RVO compliance deadline for 2019 or 2020, as well as failing to release a proposal for 2021, is bad news for biofuels producers and farmers.

“Because they’re facing uncertainty at the volume levels that have not even been proposed.”

Earlier this month EPA did propose an extension to the RVO deadline. READ MORE

EPA MISSES STATUTORY DEADLINE TO RELEASE RENEWABLE VOLUME OBLIGATIONS UNDER RFS (Brownfield Ag News; includes AUDIO)

Grassley puts blame on Biden for missed RVO deadline (KIWA Radio/Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network)

EPA Misses Deadline for Setting RVOs in the Renewable Fuels Standard (WNAX)

Sen. Grassley Sounds Off on RFS Deadline (Energy.AgWired.com)

Ethanol Blog: Nov. 30 Has Arrived, EPA Proposal for 2022 RFS Volumes on the Shelf (DTN Progressive Farmer)

EPA plan to Delay RFS Requirements Pt 1 (Washington State Farm Bureau Report; includes AUDIO)

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: “While the delays hurt, even worse are the reports that EPA is planning to lower these RFS requirements, which would very much weaken the incentive to produce and blend biofuels.”

Grassley tells Brownfield President Biden is going back on campaign promises to support the RFS.

“All he has to do is pick up the phone and call (EPA administrator Michael Regan) and say ‘get these volumes out.”

Grassley made these comments during his weekly call with ag reporters. READ MORE

Excerpt from KIWA Radio/Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network: “There’s a certain amount of certainty that comes from RVOs that states how much biofuels has to be mixed with petroleum products,” Grassley said. “The fact that this deadline is being missed is very unfortunate for farmers and biofuel producers because they are facing uncertainty at the volume levels that have not even been proposed.”

Several farm groups have expressed disappointment with the EPA for missing Tuesday’s deadline. Growth Energy tweeted that failing to issue RVOs on time is a missed opportunity to address the ongoing climate challenge.

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“I think I would go where the buck stops at the Oval Office,” Grassley said. “The president campaigned on the support for biofuels when he was campaigning in Iowa, maybe other states as well. He’s a green energy guy and biofuels are much more environmentally positive than petroleum products. He should put his actions as president where his mouth was during the campaign.”

All members of Iowa’s Congressional Delegation took to Twitter Tuesday in criticizing the EPA for missing the RVO statutory deadline. READ MORE

Excerpt from Washington State Farm Bureau Report: I’m Bob Larson. Some oil refiners are simply walking away from their Renewable Fuel obligations after the EPA announced plans to delay this years’ and last years’ biofuel blending requirements.
The ethanol industry says no one knows from one day to the next what the national requirement is to blend renewable fuel …

COOPER … “What we’re seeing on the East Coast is you’ve got a couple of refiners out there who have just said, ‘look, we’re not taking any action to comply with the RFS.”

Renewable Fuels Association chief Geoff Cooper talks about the refiners’ stance after the EPA’s latest indefinite delays …

COOPER … “We’re not buying any more RINS. We’re not blending physical volumes of renewable fuels; we’re just throwing our hands up and walking away from renewable fuels because there is no predictability. There’s no certainty with the EPA’s enforcement of the RFS.”

Cooper’s disappointed that President Biden decided to release 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is just a three-day national supply …

COOPER … “We have been arguing for weeks now, as gas prices have been rising at the pump, that the fastest and most efficient way to reduce gas prices for consumers is to allow more ethanol into the blend.”

Cooper says the White House should rely on the nation’s biofuels reserve rather than its petroleum reserve. READ MORE