NCGA Renewable Fuels Public Policy Director Kathy Bergren participated in a Capitol Hill briefing today for U.S. House of Representatives staff to help explain the damaging effects the EPA’s expansive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) waivers to large, profitable refineries and recommend solutions.
Since early 2018, EPA has granted 53 RFS exemptions to refineries for the 2016 and 2017 RFS compliance years totaling 2.61 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons of renewable fuel. EPA currently has 39 waiver petitions pending for the 2018 RFS compliance year. These waivers have taken a toll on farmers by undercutting the RFS and reducing corn demand.
NCGA President Lynn Chrisp recently touched on the negative impact of these waivers, following the announcement that EPA had completed action to allow for year-round sales of E15. “While corn farmers are immensely grateful that the barrier to year-round E15 has been lifted, we won’t be able to reap the full benefits if EPA continues to allow oil companies to avoid blending biofuels in accordance with the RFS,” Chrisp said.
NCGA recently endorsed the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019 that would set a deadline for refineries to apply for RFS waivers and bring much-needed transparency to the waiver process. NCGA also continues to advocate for reallocating waived gallons and advance ongoing legal actions.
Today’s briefing, sponsored by the pro-RFS Fuels America coalition that NCGA is a member of, followed a briefing for U.S. Senate staff last month and also included representatives from Archer Daniels Midland Company, Renewable Fuels Association and Advanced Biofuels Business Council.
