RFA: Final RVO Rule Fails to Deliver on Promise of Original Proposal Public Comment DEADLINE July 5, 2023

July 11, 2023

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(Renewable Fuels Association) The 2023-2025 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes finalized today by the Environmental Protection Agency mark an unfortunate step backward from the volumes that were originally proposed, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.

EPA’s final rule includes conventional renewable fuel requirements of 15 billion gallons for both 2024 and 2025, down from the proposed volumes of 15.25 billion for both years. RFA called the reductions “inexplicable and unwarranted.”

“The RFS was intended to drive continual growth in all categories of renewable fuels well beyond 2022; instead, today’s final rule flatlines conventional renewable fuels at 15 billion gallons and misses a valuable opportunity to accelerate the energy sector’s transition to low- and zero-carbon fuels,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “By removing half a billion gallons of lower-carbon, lower-cost fuel, today’s rule needlessly forfeits an opportunity to further enhance U.S. energy security and provide more affordable options at the pump for American drivers.”

Despite the rule’s failure to finalize the strong proposed conventional renewable fuel volumes, the action “includes solid volumes for other renewable fuel categories and brings some stability and predictability to the marketplace for the next two and a half years,” Cooper said. “Despite the disappointing reduction in conventional renewable fuel numbers, we appreciate the fact that President Biden and EPA Administrator Michael Regan have continued to prioritize renewable fuels in our nation’s energy and climate strategy.”

EPA’s final rule includes a total volume obligation of 20.94 billion gallons for 2023, of which 15 billion gallons will come from conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol. The rule also includes a supplemental volume requirement for 250 million gallons in 2023 to make up for illegally waived volumes in 2016. EPA finalized total volumes of 21.54 billion and 22.33 billion gallons in 2024 and 2025, respectively, with conventional renewable fuel requirements of 15 billion gallons for each of those two years.

RFA also welcomed EPA’s announcement that it would not implement RINs for electricity (eRINs) as part of today’s final rule. As the organization noted in oral testimony and written comments to EPA, the agency’s initial proposal for incorporating eRINs into the RFS was overly complex and inconsistent with RIN generation provisions for all other renewable fuels. RFA joined several other stakeholder groups in encouraging EPA to reconsider its eRIN proposal and take more time to get it right.

“We appreciate that EPA was responsive to the many questions and concerns raised by numerous stakeholders regarding eRINs, and we believe the agency did the right thing by calling a timeout on implementation of those provisions,” Cooper said. “We look forward to continuing to engage with EPA on the best methods for bringing renewable electricity into the RFS program.”

RFA provided substantive written comments on EPA’s proposal and offered oral testimony during a public hearing in January. READ MORE

Final Renewable Fuels Standards Rule for 2023, 2024, and 2025 (Environmental Protection Agency)

EPA Finalizes New Renewable Fuel Standards to Strengthen U.S. Energy Security, Support U.S. Rural Economy, and Expand Production of Low-Carbon Fuels: Final rule sets balanced biofuels growth from 2023 to 2025, reducing reliance on up to 140,000 barrels of foreign oil imports per day (Environmental Protection Agency)

Clean Fuels Slams EPA's Final RFS Biomass-based Diesel Volumes (Clean Fuels Alliance America)

US to boost biofuel mandates over next 3 years, but not for ethanol (Reuters)

US boosts biofuel mandates over next 3 years, but biofuel groups feel shortchanged (Reuters)

US Boosts Biodiesel Quotas Only Modestly Despite Lobbying Frenzy (Bloomberg)

Automakers, Biogas Producers Brace For Disappointment In RFS ‘Set’ Rule (Inside EPA)

Biden Biodiesel Quotas Scorned by Makers of Plant-Based Fuel (Bloomberg)

The cold shower: EPA finalizes US Renewable Fuel Standard volumes for 2023-25 (Biofuels Digest)

EPA finalizes 2023-2025 RVOs, delays implementation of eRINs (Biodiesel Magazine)

Ethanol Report 6-21-23: RFA Reacts to Final EPA RFS Volumes (Energy.AgWired.com; includes AUDIO)

EPA Undermines Climate Progress in New Renewable Biodiesel Fuel Volume Policy for 2023-2025 Despite growing demand and production investment for renewable biomass-based diesel fuels (Diesel Technology Forum)

EPA boosts use of biofuels but holds steady for corn-based ethanol production (Associated Press)

Biden EPA's renewable fuel rule disappoints biodiesel makers -- The volumes set by the EPA under the new rule through 2025 were quickly panned by farm state lawmakers and biofuel makers as failing to take into account the rising output of biodiesel. (Politico Pro)

EPA tables plan to include electric vehicles in ethanol blending program (The Hill)

EPA Finalizes Multi-Year RFS Volumes -- EPA Lowers Corn Ethanol, Advanced Biofuels RFS Volumes From Proposed Numbers (DTN Progressive Farmer)

Renewable Fuels Association disappointed with EPA’s final RVO rule (Iowa AgriBusiness Radio Network; includes AUDIO)

EPA boosts biofuels mandate over next three years but spurns corn ethanol (Washington Examiner)

EPA drops eRINs, scales back biofuel blending increases in RFS ‘set’ (Inside EPA)

Biden admin’s new biofuel rule gets blasted by industry (Daily Caller)

US EPA ‘lowers ambitions’ to chagrin of biofuel producers in final RFS rule for 2023-2025 (Platts)

EPA finalizes multiyear biofuel targets, trims 2024, 2025 volumes (Agri-Pulse)

Biofuel leaders disappointed by EPA rule (Successful Farming)

Renewable Fuel Standard slammed by biofuel industry (AgWeb)

Biofuel groups slam EPA for RFS rules, say demand will be impacted (Brownfield)

EPA announces RFS 2023-25 but fuel groups dissatisfied (Fence Post)

EPA finalizes 2023-2025 RVOs, delays implementation of eRINs (Ethanol Producer)

Biofuels groups unhappy with final EPA RFS rule (Energy AgWired)

U.S. boosts biofuel mandates over next 3 years, but biofuel groups feel shortchanged -- The finalized volumes include just 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels like corn-based ethanol in all three years. (AgWeek)

Biofuel advocates call new blending volumes a missed opportunity: Producers disappointed in lower-than-expected quotas (Farm Progress)

EPA Final Biofuel Volume Rule Slammed by Ag Interests -- Groups Had Urged Agency to Raise Production Levels to Reflect Increased Growth, Demand (Transport Topics)

Biden’s Ethanol Plan Rattles an Industry Already Under Pressure: Federal blending mandates came in lower than earlier proposal; New requirements risk compressing margins for corn-based fuel (Bloomberg)

Biofuels Groups Disappointed with EPA's RFS Final Rule: Volumes Don't Match Current Production and Growth Projections (AgWeb; includes VIDEO)

Is the Renewable Diesel Industry Headed for a Cliff? (Wall Street Journal)

US EPA ‘lowers ambitions’ to chagrin of biofuel producers in final RFS rule for 2023-2025 (S&P Global)

Palm extends losses over soybean oil and lower US biofuel mandate (ReutersBusiness Recorder)

ISA & IBB not happy with RVOs for Biodiesel (Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network)

New EPA Rules Pressure Biofuel Producers: Federal requirements that fall short of industry expectations throw output plans into doubt (Wall Street Journal)

Mixed doubles on EPA final RVO rule (Bioenergy International)

Big Ethanol vs. Electric Vehicles: It’s Godzilla vs. King Kong in the battle for subsidy primacy. (Wall Street Journal)

The ocean and biofuels: 2 environmental regulatory updates you should know about: 2. Bigger quotas for biofuels (Green Biz)

EPA Undermines Climate Progress in New Renewable Biodiesel Fuel Volume Policy for 2023-2025 -- Despite growing demand and production investment for renewable biomass-based diesel fuels (Diesel Technology Forum)

EPA Finalizes New Renewable Fuel Standards - Ethanol Industry Not Happy - But Why Would Ethanol Stakeholders Expect More Positive Results? - You Reap What You Sow (The Auto Channel)

Slight volume increases for biobased diesel in 2023-’25 final RFS rule not enough, stakeholders say (Biobased Diesel Daily)

Renewable diesel boom competing with ethanol in RFS (Agri-Pulse)

New Rules Issued For Renewable Fuel Standard (Biocycle Magazine)

Auto industry seeks to soften Biden vehicle emissions proposal (Reuters)

Flash Report: EPA Finalizes RVOs for 2023, 2024, and 2025; Drops Proposed eRIN Provisions (Stillwater Associates)

RFS Power Coalition urges EPA to finalize eRINs proposal (Biomass Magazine)

Unknowns Remain After EPA Final Biofuel Volumes (American Ag Network)

RICKETTS SAYS EPA IS OUT-OF-TOUCH WITH AMERICAN AGRICULTURE OVER RFS POLICY (Brownfield Ag News)

STATEMENT: U.S. EPA Increases Crop-based Biofuels Mandate in Renewable Fuel Standard, Hampering Climate Action (World Resources Institute)

2023 Biodiesel Quotas Disappoint U.S. Producers (OilPrice.com)

US to boost biofuel mandates over next 3 years, but not for ethanol (Reuters)

New USA Biofuel Quotas Snub More Ambitious Lobbying Push (Bloomberg/Rigzone)

EPA boosts biofuels mandate over next three years but spurns corn ethanol (Washington Examiner)

Biden’s biodiesel quotas deal blow to plant-based fuel makers (The Straits Times)

EPA’s race to cut emissions with electric vehicles sparks concern in agriculture, auto industry (Agri-Pulse)

LETTER TO EPA: DON’T PICK EMISSION STANDARD WINNERS AND LOSERS (Brownfield Ag News)

Industry Groups Advocate for Balanced Approach to Vehicle Emissions Standards (Farms.com)

NACS, Other Associations Urge Fairness in EPA Tailpipe Emissions Standards -- Decarbonization should be approached in a market-oriented, technology-neutral manner. (NACS)

US state attorneys general clash over EPA emissions plan (Reuters)

Ag policy on, off Capitol Hill: Policy Report: Farmers and farm organizations need to not only to watch Congress, but also the executive and judicial branches. (Farm Progress Nebraska Farmer)

LETTER TO EPA: DON’T PICK EMISSION STANDARD WINNERS AND LOSERS (Brownfield Ag News)

Industry Groups Advocate for Balanced Approach to Vehicle Emissions Standards (Farms.com)
EIA: high agricultural feedstock costs offset declines in RIN prices (Hydrocarbon Engineering)

Excerpt from Environmental Protection Agency: On June 21, 2023, EPA announces a final rule to establish biofuel volume requirements and associated percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel (BBD), advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel for 2023–2025. The rule also responds to a court remand of the 2016 annual rule by establishing a supplemental volume requirement of 250 million gallons of renewable fuel for 2023. The final volume targets are as follows:

Volume Targets (billion RINs)^a
	2023	2024	2025
Cellulosic biofuel	0.84	1.09	1.38
Biomass-based diesel^b	2.82	3.04	3.35
Advanced biofuel	5.94	6.54	7.33
Renewable fuel	20.94	21.54	22.33
Supplemental standard	0.25	n/a	n/a

^a One RIN is equivalent to one ethanol-equivalent gallon of renewable fuel.

^b BBD is given in billion gallons.

This final rule includes steady growth of biofuels for use in the nation’s fuel supply for 2023, 2024, and 2025. The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 does not specify statutory volumes after 2022, and EPA in this rule is establishing final biofuel volume targets for all categories under the “set” authority. When determining biofuel volumes for years after 2022, EPA must consider a variety of factors specified in the statute, including costs, air quality, climate change, implementation of the program to date, energy security, infrastructure issues, commodity prices, water quality, and supply. READ MORE

Excerpt from Clean Fuels America Alliance: EPA sets 2025 RVO below currently achievable volumes of biomass-based diesel -- Today, Clean Fuels Alliance America expressed extreme disappointment with the Environmental Protection Agency’s final Renewable Fuel Standards for 2023, 2024 and 2025. EPA finalized moderate increases in the biomass-based diesel and non-cellulosic advanced volumes each year but did not increase the overall renewable fuel market. EPA failed to change biomass-based diesel volumes for 2023 despite the rapid increase in U.S. production of biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel during the first months of the year.

“EPA is undercutting the certainty that our industry hoped for from a three-year RFS rule,” said Kurt Kovarik, Vice President of Federal Affairs with Clean Fuels. “U.S. clean fuel producers, oilseed processors, fuel distributors and marketers have all made significant investments to grow the industry rapidly over the next several years. The industry responded to signals from the Biden administration and Congress aiming to rapidly decarbonize U.S. fuel markets, particularly aviation, marine, and heavy-duty transport, and make clean fuels available to more consumers. The volumes EPA finalized today are not high enough to support those goals.”

“Clean Fuels appreciates the bipartisan support of Representatives, Senators and Governors who asked EPA to ensure that final volumes supported achievable, aggressive growth of advanced biofuel volumes,” Kovarik added. “It is a shame that EPA failed to fully consider the data provided by other federal agencies and industry experts demonstrating the upward trajectory of our industry.”

“Worst of all, EPA ignores the hundreds of millions of gallons of biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel generated in the first half of 2023,” Kovarik continued. “In past years when EPA set RFS volumes after the statutory deadline and after the compliance year is nearly half over, the agency properly accounted for available gallons and RINs.”

EPA’s Public Data for the Renewable Fuel Standard shows that qualifying biomass-based diesel production increased by more than 30% -- or 400 million gallons – in the first five months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. The Energy Information Administration’s Short Term Energy Outlook for June 2023 projects increases in U.S. production of biodiesel and renewable diesel of more than 800 million gallons in 2023 and 900 million gallons in 2024. In the final rule released today, EPA increases RFS volumes for these fuels by only 590 million gallons over the three-year period: 60 million gallons in 2023, 220 million gallons in 2024, and 310 million gallons in 2025. READ MORE

Excerpt from Biofuels Digest: In Washington, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), one of the Senate’s only corn farmers, today condemned the EPA final rule for setting minimum biofuels blending levels for the next three years below current production capabilities, in what he termed a Biden Biofuels Bait-and-Switch”.

“For an administration obsessed with reducing carbon emissions, this rule makes absolutely no sense. The EPA’s proposed rule signaled an increase in biofuels products for the next three years, and the industry is more than capable of meeting those production levels. Today’s RFS rule waters down the earlier proposal. It’s an insulting bait-and-switch for the American biofuels industry, and totally inconsistent with this administration’s climate agenda.

“American biofuels producers are leading the way in cleaner, cheaper, homegrown fuel. Rather than partnering with the biofuels industry, the Biden administration is turning its back on an opportunity to reduce emissions, consumer costs and reliance on foreign oil,” Grassley said.

...

The Advanced Biofuels Association called some strikes as well as balls in evaluating the EPA final rule.

“EPA’s 2023, 2024, and 2025 RVOs are a missed opportunity to invest in and expand the adoption of low-carbon advanced biofuels,” said ABFA president Michael McAdams. The ruling disagrees with studies conducted by numerous organizations about America’s surging advanced biofuel production capacity, including the Energy Information Agency, and underestimates the existing and planned capacities of advanced biofuels by hundreds of millions of gallons per year. Advanced Biofuels are required to deliver greater than 50% reductions in GHG emissions and are therefore the most effective channel to effectively reduce carbon emissions within the RFS program.

“To arrest climate change, the Biden Administration should leverage the tools at its disposal that can be deployed economically using our existing national fuel infrastructure. By choosing not to reflect the available and growing supply of advanced biofuels in this three-year rule, the EPA is overlooking a chance to reduce 7 trillion pounds of CO2 from our atmosphere. This rule reneges on the Biden Administration’s proclaimed vision for carbon reduction.

“The Advanced Biofuels Association and our members believe in an all-of-the-above solution to our energy and climate challenges, inclusive of electrification and low-carbon advanced biofuels. However, the EPA’s latest ruling does not fully reflect the volumes of advanced, biomass-based diesel, and cellulosic fuels available and could discourage continued investment in sustainable fuels that deliver up to an 80% reduction in emissions versus traditional fossil fuels.

“Although our request for a 500-million-gallon yearly increase in the biomass-based diesel pool was not met, our industry is appreciative that the rule ramps up to 460-million-gallons in the D4 pool by 2025. This boost serves as a commendable acknowledgement of the progress made by those of us involved in the delivery of renewable diesel, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The ABFA will continue to work with the EPA, Department of Energy (DOE), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other key stakeholder groups to deliver the hundreds-of-millions of gallons of advanced biofuels that will not be mandatory under the RFS.”

...

Yep, no RINs just yet for renewable electricity this time around

EPA revealed that it would not implement RINs for electricity (eRINs) as part of today’s final rule. As the organization noted in oral testimony and written comments to EPA, the agency’s initial proposal for incorporating eRINs into the RFS was overly complex and inconsistent with RIN generation provisions for all other renewable fuels.

Hey, what about all that extra production in 2023?

As CFAA noted, EPA’s Public Data for the Renewable Fuel Standard shows that qualifying biomass-based diesel production increased by more than 30% — or 400 million gallons – in the first five months of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. The Energy Information Administration’s Short Term Energy Outlook for June 2023 projects increases in U.S. production of biodiesel and renewable diesel of more than 800 million gallons in 2023 and 900 million gallons in 2024. In the final rule released today, EPA increases RFS volumes for these fuels by only 590 million gallons over the three-year period: 60 million gallons in 2023, 220 million gallons in 2024, and 310 million gallons in 2025.

In a response to comments, EPA responded on this point.

“Since 2013, when EPA first set the required volume for BBD based on our analysis of the statutory factors in CAA section 211(o)(2)(B)(ii), we have always established the BBD volume at a level that was lower than the quantity of BBD we projected would be produced and used to meet the other renewable fuel standards. We have taken the same approach in this rulemaking. This approach has provided ongoing incentives for increased production of BBD, while also preserving market opportunity for other advanced biofuels within the RFS program. From 2013 to 2022 BBD use has increased from 1.65 billion gallons to 3.12 billion gallons, and the volume of BBD supplied exceeded the BBD volume requirement each year, with the exception of years where the BBD volume requirements were set retroactively. These data demonstrate that our approach to establishing the BBD volume requirements can and does provide significant incentives for the increased production and use of BBD. We project that the volumes we are finalizing in this rule will continue to incentivize growth in the production and use of BBD (see RIA Table 3.1-3).”

Hey, what about those huge projected renewable diesel volumes, why were there not allowances made for them?

As McAdams noted, “It is disappointing that the Biden Administration’s EPA chose not to recognize the projected growth of the biomass-based diesel pool in this rule, despite the groundbreaking carbon reductions being delivered by renewable diesel plants coming online today. More than 20 renewable diesel facilities have been proposed or are currently under construction. Moreover, the ABFA provided the agency with studies conducted by third-party analysts, which found that there are sufficient feedstocks available, accounting for food, to support a more significant increase in renewable volumes.

The EPA responded via comments on this point.

“EPA considered the projected production capacity of biodiesel and renewable diesel. As discussed in RTC Section 4 and RIA Chapter 6.2.2, actual production of biodiesel and renewable diesel has consistently fallen short of the available production capacity. We project that this observed trend is likely to continue in 2023–2025, and that biodiesel and renewable diesel production will be limited to a volume below the production capacity for these fuels by other factors, such as the availability of qualifying feedstock. In this final rule we have updated our assessment of available feedstocks for biodiesel and renewable diesel production. Our updated projections account for expected increases in soybean oil production in the U.S. and increased canola oil production in Canada due to recent investments in oilseed crushing capacity. See RTC Section 4 and RIA Chapter 6.2 for more information on our assessment of biodiesel and renewable diesel production and use in 2023– 2025.”

...

For heavy-duty, a disappointing level of ramp up that will disincentivize capacity building. It creates a cycle of disappointment. Companies propose a surge in production capacity. EPA under-expands the mandate, citing that actual capacity generally lags planned capacity. So, absent an aggressive mandate, projects are cancelled or postponed, actual capacity lags planned capacity, and future regulators will point to this shortfall as a reason to go slow on advancing renewable fuels. Yet, what actually caused the shortfall in the first place?

Having noted all of that, we see 2023-2025 as the pre-season. The big capacity expansion is in the second half of the decade. Industry has two years to prove that all the factors are aligned for 2026-2030 and justify a massive expansion of mandates that will decisively shift the US towards net zero.

These are: Costs, air quality, climate change, implementation of the program to date, energy security, infrastructure issues, commodity prices, water quality, and supply. Let us point to three of these for which the case has yet to be perfectly expressed: Costs, infrastructure issues, commodity prices, and (feedstock) supply. There’s time to address all of these, and it’s time to address them, all of them. Pointing to planned capacity is not enough, as we have now seen. READ MORE

Excerpt from Biodiesel Magazine: On a percentage basis, the 2023 RVO would require renewable fuel to comprise 11.96 percent of the U.S. transportation fuel pool. The 2024 and 2025 ROVs would boost that percentage to 12.5 percent and 13.13 percent, respectively. READ MORE

Excerpt from Wall Street Journal: U.S. regulators spawned a booming industry for low-carbon trucking fuel. A new federal rule could hit the brakes on its growth.

The Environmental Protection Agency this week laid out mandated volumes for biofuels in coming years that fell short of industry expectations, raising fears the production capacity that companies were scrambling to build up would be left in a lurch. Shares of Darling Ingredients , the country’s largest renewable diesel producer through a joint venture, fell as much as 8%. Shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland and Bunge , which produce renewable diesel feedstocks, also slipped on the news. READ MORE

Excerpt from BioCycle Magazine: The cellulosic biofuel category (D3), which includes renewable natural gas (RNG) made from anaerobic digester-generated biogas, has RVO targets mandating 840 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel volumes for 2023 (210 million gallons more (+) compared to 2022), 1.09 billion gallons for 2024 (+250 million gallons) and 1.38 billion gallons for 2025 (+290 million gallons). EPA has factored a 25% growth rate for RNG each year under the cellulosic category. “We believe the RVO for D3 RNG much more closely aligns with what we’re seeing in the industry and reduces the risk of oversupply, which should help stabilize RIN values over the next two and a half years,” stated Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council when the rule was released.

The final rule also includes RIN apportionment between D3 and D5 RINs. Historically, digesters processing food waste and producing RNG were automatically assigned to the D5 RIN category, which has a lower value than D3 RINs generated from AD facilities digesting only manure or biosolids. Now, a facility that accepts food waste along with manure or biosolids can be eligible for D3 RINs, using the apportionment in the final rule.

Unfortunately, the existing eRIN pathway in the RFS was not activated in the final rule. The eRIN pathway enables AD facilities generating electricity eligible for RINs when the power is used for electric vehicles. Noted EPA in the rule, “In light of the significant number of comments provided by stakeholders on EPA’s proposed eRIN approach, and the complexity of many of the topics raised in those comments, and the consent decree deadline on other portions of the rule, we are not finalizing the proposed revisions to the eRIN program at this time. We have adjusted the final volume requirements for this rulemaking to reflect this decision.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Diesel Technology Forum: The Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) issued the following statement from Executive Director Allen Schaeffer regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) renewable fuel volume determinations, known as the Set Rule:

"The EPA’s announcement establishes disappointing future volumes for the Renewable Fuel Standard, well below all expectations. It will delay the important opportunity for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of low carbon biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels.

Biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel deliver significant carbon reductions in every application right now. These fuels can be used in any new, or existing, diesel engine. They’re endorsed by engine and equipment makers. Trucking fleets, farmers, contractors, and others use these fuels as an affordable way to help reduce greenhouse gas and other emissions by up to 80%. That’s immediately and without investments in new infrastructure, vehicles, or equipment.

The EPA’s volume set for 2023 is misaligned with current conditions. Compared to the same period in 2022, qualifying biomass-based diesel production increased by more than 30%, or 400 million gallons, in the first five months of this year already. The Energy Information Administration’s Short Term Energy Outlook for June 2023 projects increases in U.S. production of biodiesel and renewable diesel of more than 800 million gallons this year and 900 million gallons next year.

The EPA’s small nudge in biofuel volumes at this time of otherwise progressive climate policies is as confusing as it is inconsistent. The agency states that 'Low-carbon fuels are an important part of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transportation sector, and the RFS program is a key federal policy that supports the development, production, and use of low-carbon, domestically produced renewable fuels. (Page 7, pre-publication Final Rule).'

Yet rather than issuing a robust and growth-oriented future volume set rule that expands the use of renewable diesel and biodiesel fuels to drive faster and deeper reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the EPA touts it primarily as an energy security strategy to reduce 140,000 barrels of foreign oil imports." READ MORE

Excerpt from Brownfield Ag News: Republican Pete Ricketts of Nebraska tells Brownfield the benefits of ethanol and biodiesel are clear, and EPA should’ve increased the Renewable Volume Obligations. “The RVO numbers themselves are disappointing, especially from an administration that wants to reduce carbon in the environment.”

Ricketts and Minnesota Representative Brad Finstad sent a letter to EPA asking the agency why only some members of Congress were briefed ahead of the public release of the Renewable Fuel Standard policy. “That’s also really puzzling considering by-and-large support for ethanol has been bipartisan.”

Ricketts says there’s been some investment in biofuels from the administration, but there’s plenty of room for additional support. “We need to continue to promote biofuels and talk about why it’s so good for producers, it helps clean up the environment and why it helps our farmers and ranchers.” READ MORE