NCGA Joins Effort Calling on President to Support Farmers, RFS

NCGA today joined a unified biofuel and agriculture group letter to President Trump urging him to uphold his commitment to accurately account for refinery waivers and support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

The letter is in response to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal that would account for waivers based on Department of Energy’s (DOE) recommendations, rather than the actual gallons waived by EPA. The proposal is half of what the President committed to in an October 4 deal with farmers.

“Mr. President, we share a common vision regarding the RFS. We want to reopen biofuel plants and restore demand for America’s farm products. We are asking for SRE accountability based on a rolling average of the actual volumes exempted by the EPA during the three most recently completed compliance years. This simple fix will provide the market and regulatory certainty necessary to bring back rural jobs and restore demand. The proposal – as written – will not provide the relief we believe you are seeking,” the groups wrote.

Minnesota farmer and NCGA Ethanol Action Team member Brian Thalmann last week called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to follow the law and accurately account for expected refinery waivers in the 2020 RFS volume rule during a public hearing on the proposal. Farmers also have the opportunity to submit comments and tell the EPA to follow through on the President’s commitment to the RFS.

Click here for the unified biofuels and agriculture group letter to President Trump.