A top official in the Biden administration says he wants to provide more certainty around the Renewable Fuel Standard and “get the program back on track.”
EPA Administrator Michael Regan spoke on this week’s Agri-Pulse Newsmakers. He says the administration is planning to use 2022 as a “jumpoff point” to kick-start the program.
“There has been a lack of certainty with these RVOs for a number of years. We've presented three years: 2020, 2021, and 2022. And that year of 2022 is that upward trajectory that the industry has been asking for for so long,” Regan said.
But biofuel leaders say in addition to RVOs, the agency needs to provide more action and clarity around the year-round sale of E15.
Speaking on the Newsmakers panel, Chris Bliley with Growth Energy said E15 regulator relief is “something that we just need to see done to provide as much certainty as possible to the marketplace [and] to the nearly 2700 retailers who are selling E15.”
President Joe Biden announced April 12 that the agency would grant a temporary waiver for summertime sales of E15 to help counteract fuel supply shortages and high gas prices stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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And just last week, eight Midwestern governors sent a letter to EPA announcing their intention to opt out of the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver program, which limits the sale of E15 in the summer months. The eight governors are looking for a more permanent solution to the issue by making this request.
The eight states seeking this request are Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Administrator Regan also discusses staffing shortages at EPA and provides a status update on Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) in his Newsmakers interview. In addition to Bliley, other panelists on this week's show included Michael Formica at the National Pork Producers Council and Richard Gupton at the Agricultural Retailers Association. To view the entire Newsmakers show, click here.
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