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ACE CEO criticizes EPA proposal during hearing

One of those testifying at the hearing on the EPA’s biofuels proposal Wednesday was Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE).

Jennings called the EPA’s proposed solution “bizarre” and said the agency should go back to the original deal agreed to by President Trump and biofuels advocates.

“ACE members are furious with EPA’s double-standard: when it came to helping refineries escape RFS obligations from 2016 through 2018, EPA rejected DOE recommendations to exercise restraint, but now that EPA must restore volume to the RFS, the agency is suddenly embracing DOE recommendations because the result will keep a lid on refinery obligations going forward,” Jennings said.

“While this proposal is not going to make renewable fuel producers whole for EPA’s prior abuse of SREs, we urge the agency to take a small step in the right direction by issuing a final rule which reallocates the actual average volume waived from 2016 through 2018 and ensures at least 15 billion gallons for the 2020 compliance year,” he said.