In Washington, D.C., the Renewable Fuels Association released a statement criticizing EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the EPA’s latest proposal for 2019 RFS blending requirements. RFA stated, “By failing to remedy the harm done by Administrator Scott Pruitt’s recent actions on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), today’s proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for 2019 RFS blending requirements dealt yet another blow to America’s farmers and ethanol producers.”
RFA’s statement also said, “On the surface, today’s EPA proposal ostensibly raises the total 2019 renewable volume obligation (RVO) by 3 percent over the 2018 requirement and maintains a 15-billion-gallon requirement for conventional biofuels like corn ethanol. However, due to EPA’s failure to stem the tide of small refinery waivers, its refusal to reallocate lost blending volumes, and its brazen repudiation of binding court decisions, RFA said today’s proposal is superficial and toothless and undermines President Trump’s commitment on the RFS.”
The agency proposed a total renewable fuel volume of 19.88 billion gallons (BG), of which 4.88 BG is advanced biofuel, including 381 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel. That leaves, on paper, a 15 BG requirement for conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol.