Renewable Fuels Association Calls RFS Proposal for Conventional Biofuels

Justified Renewable Fuels Association CEO Bob Dinneen thanked the Environmental Protection Agency for proposing the volume requirement of convention biofuels at 15 billion gallons next year. However, Dinneen also urged the federal agency to increase its proposed cellulosic ethanol requirement to reflect growing technologies at existing ethanol plants. The EPA proposed to set the conventional biofuels volume under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2018 at the target originally set by Congress, but the EPA is proposing to drop the amount of overall biofuels and cellulosic biofuels. Dinneen told the EPA: “we truly believe the agency has erred on the side of pessimism with regard to the potential for significant growth in cellulosic ethanol commercialization.” Dinneen also told the EPA about continued concerns with RIN market manipulation and suggested that the EPA continue to allow imported biofuels to help comply with the RFS. Dinneen added that the RFS is “not the platform to address trade concerns.”