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Skepticism greets EPA 2019 Renewable Volume Obligations

Most biofuel groups say the Renewable Volume Obligations for 2019 look good on paper.

Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield he’s pleased the EPA maintained the 15 billion-gallon statutory requirement for conventional ethanol and increased the advanced biofuel standard.

“And (we) saw an actually larger than expected increase in the cellulosic biofuel requirement.  So on paper the numbers look very good.”

But he says, the EPA must prove it will enforce the RFS.

“The reason we’re concerned about that is we’ve seen here in the past few years, the numbers published by EPA end up not being real because they are undermined by small refinery exemptions.”

The American Coalition for Ethanol and Growth Energy issued similar statements, and all three groups are challenging the small refinery waivers in court.

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor calls the latest EPA rule a missed opportunity to correctly account for billions of gallons of ethanol lost to refinery exemptions.

National Corn Growers president Lynn Chrisp, a Nebraska farmer, says if the EPA continues to grant large amounts of waivers, the volumes set in the final rule cannot be met.

Kyle Gilley with POET says the 2019 biofuel volumes coupled with year-round sales of E15 show a clear path forward, and he’s encouraging EPA to hold oil refiners accountable and maintain the integrity of the RFS.

EPA targets for biodiesel are drawing criticism.  National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen says the 2.43 billion-gallon proposal sets requirements below attainable levels.  NBB’s Kurt Kovarik says the rule also fails to address the uncertainty associated with the unprecedented flood of small refiner hardship exemptions.