Yesterday, we gave you an overview on what to expect in terms of both national and state-level biofuels policies in 2021—including the news that the Trump administration will issue new waivers to renewable fuel requirements this week. Here’s what to know.
As background, the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires oil refineries to mix a certain percentage of biofuel in U.S. transportation fuel—an important requirement to help clean up the environment, support farmers, and provide certainty to the biofuels industry.
But small refineries can apply for exemptions to the rule—and the Trump administration issued an unprecedented number of them over the past four years, which undercut biofuel demand and prices and created more hardship for the industry, farmers, and rural economies.
This week, “[t]he Trump administration is expected to grant waivers to some oil refiners that would exempt them from requirements to blend biofuels into their fuel mix for the 2019 compliance year,” reported Reuters yesterday.
The forthcoming waivers—which would come in the final days of the Trump presidency—would reportedly apply to “some exemptions for the 2019 compliance year,” continued Reuters. “There are currently 32 pending petitions for the 2019 compliance year.”
What’s next? The U.S. Supreme Court will review a decision by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled exemptions can be granted only to facilities “that have received them continuously each year since 2010,” explained Reuters. However, this won’t happen until April, well after the expected issuance of new waivers this week.
Stephanie’s Sage Words: This action by the outgoing administration is beyond egregious. More than ever, as we look to improve the public health of our nation and build a 21st-century green economy, we must support the development of sustainable fuels to clean up our air and bring back jobs. BIO will work closely with the Biden administration and Congress to restore the integrity of the RFS and build off of this policy to establish a national low-carbon fuel standard that will foster green energy breakthroughs and decarbonize transportation. – Stephanie Batchelor, VP of BIO’s Industrial and Environment Section
Did you miss it?Catch up on yesterday’s Good Day BIO for more biofuels news from the U.S. Supreme Court and the states.
More Agriculture and Environment News:
National Geographic: Several gorillas test positive for COVID-19 at California zoo
“They are the world’s first non-human primates with confirmed cases of the virus.”
The New York Times: COVID-19 took a bite from U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2020
“Emissions plunged more than 10 percent. If the trend can be sustained, it would put the United States within striking distance of one of its major goals under the Paris climate agreement.”
