OMB Receives Final RFS Plan from EPA

The final volume requirements for the 2018 and 2019 (biodiesel) Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have been received by the Office of Management and Budget for interagency review after being sent by the EPA.EPA's preliminary proposal left 2018 ethanol volumes at 15 billion gallons, the maximum set by law, and biodiesel volumes for 2019 at 2.1 billion gallons. While EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt initially signaled cutting biodiesel volumes in an August notice, Pruitt abandoned the plans and also dropped discussions on other changes such as allowing exported biofuel to retain the Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits and shifting the point of obligation on the RFS. Those commitments by Pruitt came after Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, made their views known to President Donald Trump, who then told Pruitt to back off his plans to alter the RFS.