US Ethanol Industry Razzes 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard Proposal: The Why and the Who

August 24, 2018

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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The 2019 proposed US Renewable Fuel Standard proposed volumes attracted a major raspberry from the ethanol industry.

As the American Coalition for Ethanol noted:

“Unfortunately, EPA continues to take actions which undermine the letter and spirit of the statute and harm the rural economy. While refiners are reporting double-digit profits, the heart of America is being left behind. Farmers are losing money while refiners have the best of both worlds: fat profit margins and minimal RFS compliance costs. EPA needs to discard its refiner-win-at-all-costs mentality and get the RFS back on track.”

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In its submitted remarks, ACE commented on how EPA exemptions and waivers are harming rural America and violate statutory authority, the need for reallocation of Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) and for EPA to comply with the Americans for Clean Energy et al v. EPA lawsuit, conventional, cellulosic, and advanced biofuel levels, RIN market operations, the need to issue a rulemaking extending the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) relief to blends above E10, encouraging EPA to adopt the latest GREET model with respect to the lifecycle analysis of corn ethanol.

But on the other side, the renewable natural gas sector was happy

The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition), Energy Vision, National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA), Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica), and Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) submitted joint comments on August 17 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on proposed 2019 Renewable Fuel Volume Obligations (RVO) under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

“The Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) industry is leading the way in the delivery of cellulosic biofuel in the United States, making up over 95 percent of our nation’s cellulosic biofuel production and generation of D3 Renewable Identification Numbers under the RFS,” said RNG Coalition CEO Johannes Escudero. “Our comments are supportive of EPA’s proposal to increase the 2019 minimum applicable volume for both cellulosic and advanced biofuels from 2018 to reflect the continued growth and investments being made in the RNG industry.” READ MORE

2019 Proposed RFS Volumes: The Deep-Dive Analysis (Biofuels Digest)

Thirty-nine senators urged Wheeler to increase biomass-based diesel and advanced volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard to account for small refinery hardship waivers. Read it here. (Politico's Morning Energy)

BIO To EPA: RFS Program Is Key To America’s Biobased Economy (Biobased Products News)

Continued Abuse of Small Refiner Waivers Renders Proposed 2019 RFS Volumes ‘Meaningless,’ RFA Tells EPA (Renewable Fuels Association)

American Coalition For Ethanol Submits Comments on Proposed 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard Volumes (GrainNet)

Natural Gas Stakeholders Take Stance on EPA Renewable Fuel Proposal (NGT News)

Gov. Ricketts urges EPA to take steps to increase ethanol use (Nebraska TV)

NFU, NCGA call on EPA to keep the RFS whole (Wallaces Farmer)

More than 290,000 comments filed on 2019 RFS proposal (Ethanol Producer Magazine)

Read 187 public comments

Additional information, including copies of the more than 290,000 comments submitted on the proposed rule, is available under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0167 on Regulations.gov.