Growth Energy asks EPA to rethink delay on cellulosic RFS volumes

In Washington, Growth Energy recently submitted a comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to EPA’s proposal to partially waive the 2024 cellulosic biofuel volume requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).  

The current proposal would delay the compliance deadline and grant a partial waiver to refiners for the 2024 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for cellulosic biofuels, which are biofuels produced from leftover plant parts like stems, leaves and other fibrous material. EPA previously rejected attempts by oil companies to retroactively waive 2023 cellulosic volumes, and in its comment Growth Energy urged EPA to follow that precedent, noting that granting such a waiver would run counter to the market-driving goals of the RFS. 

“Any waiver of 2024 cellulosic volume requirements should not provide precedent for the future of the RFS program or suppress RFS program goals, which are to drive production and innovation of biofuels, including cellulosic biofuels, and not to passively track a biofuels marketplace without them,” said Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley in the comment. “Furthermore, delaying the compliance deadline injects unnecessary uncertainty into the process for bioethanol producers and the entire fuel supply chain.”