Requests by governors of several states to waive requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) should be rejected as they would “only compound the challenges facing rural America and weaken one of the most successful clean air policies in the US,” a bipartisan coalition of House members said in a letter to President Donald Trump.
The requests do not meet the criteria under law for waivers of the RFS as the “Recent oil market volatility is the result of COVID-19 impacts on travel and lower demand for fuel combined with high production levels in Russia and Saudi Arabia, not the RFS,” the letter said. “RFS regulations and requirements account for a drop in the demand for fuel with a proportional change in the volume of renewable fuel required.”
They also point out that there “is an excess supply of RINs (Renewable identification Numbers) currently on the market and available to refiners, offering flexibility for RFS compliance.” House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson, D., Minn., is among the 44 House members signing the letter.
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