Inspectioneering
News

U.S. EPA Has Not Decided on Biofuel Mandates, Refinery Exemptions

Reuters, August 26, 2020
Reuters

The Environmental Protection Agency has not made a decision on U.S. biofuel blending requirements for 2021 or on petitions from refiners asking to be exempted from past-year requirements going back to 2011, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on Wednesday.

Wheeler could not assure that the agency will decide the 2021 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) by the Nov. 30 deadline due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under U.S. law, refiners are required to blend billions of gallons of biofuels into their fuel mix, or buy credits from those that do.

This has been a very unusual year as far as vehicle miles traveled, driving has been down,” Wheeler said on a call with reporters. “The COVID response has had a negative impact on both corn growers as well as refiners, and we’re trying to understand what the market is going to be and what we should expect for next year as far as the RVO is concerned.

Wheeler said the agency hopes to decide next year’s obligations as soon as possible.

He added that the agency is weighing 67 pending petitions from refiners, asking to be exempted from obligations for years covering 2011-2018. Refiners that can prove financial harm from the obligations can apply for exemptions from the rules.

In January, an appeals court ruled that waivers granted to small refineries after 2010 had to take the form of an “extension.” Most recipients of waivers in recent years have not continuously received them, casting doubt on the whole program.

Refiners have sent in waiver applications to come into compliance with that court ruling, angering biofuel advocates who say exemptions hurt demand. The oil industry refutes that claim.

On Tuesday, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden criticized the Trump administration for its handling of the mandates.


(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

 

Click here to read the full article from Reuters.

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Comments and Discussion

There are no comments yet.

Add a Comment

Please log in or register to participate in comments and discussions.


Inspectioneering Journal

Explore over 20 years of articles written by our team of subject matter experts.

Company Directory

Find relevant products, services, and technologies.

Training Solutions

Improve your skills in key mechanical integrity subjects.

Case Studies

Learn from the experience of others in the industry.

Integripedia

Inspectioneering's index of mechanical integrity topics – built by you.

Industry News

Stay up-to-date with the latest inspection and asset integrity management news.

Blog

Read short articles and insights authored by industry experts.

Expert Interviews

Inspectioneering's archive of interviews with industry subject matter experts.

Event Calendar

Find upcoming conferences, training sessions, online events, and more.

Downloads

Downloadable eBooks, Asset Intelligence Reports, checklists, white papers, and more.

Videos & Webinars

Watch educational and informative videos directly related to your profession.

Acronyms

Commonly used asset integrity management and inspection acronyms.