by Ben Nuelle
Environmental Protection Agency proposes increases in renewable fuel volume requirements across all types of biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. People on both sides of the issue are mad.
Wednesday, the EPA proposed volume requirements and associated percentage standards for calendar year 2017. They proposed 18.8 billion gallons of the total amount of renewable fuel. Slightly above 2016?s 18.1.
Grant Menke is policy director for Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says they are disappointed.
?Our response is that it?s unfortunately another missed opportunity by the EPA. There was a great chance to get this policy back on track. While these numbers do show an upward trajectory, they still fall short of the numbers congress called for in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.?
The RFS states the total amount of biofuels used in the U.S. is required to be at least 36 billion gallons by 2022.
Frank Macchiarola from the American Petroleum Institute says the EPA still has not protected the American consumer.
?We?re disappointed that the threat of a blend wall breach is still possible under the proposed rule. What the rule highlights is that we really need to a legislative solution because the proposal provides way too much uncertainty for the American consumer.?
EPA also proposed the volume requirement for biomass-based diesel for 2018 which is 2.1 billion gallons.
