A bipartisan group of members of the US House of Representatives has urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to keep Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirements for 2026 and 2027 intact, arguing that biofuel policy underpins farm income, rural jobs and fuel prices.
The letter, led by Adrian Smith of Nebraska and Nikki Budzinski of Illinois and signed by dozens of lawmakers from farm and biofuel states, went to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. It asks for a supplemental rule by 15 October 2026 so renewable fuel obligations stay in line with the targets already announced.
For farmers the stakes are demand. Ethanol is a major market for corn, and biodiesel and renewable diesel have become a growing outlet for soybean oil. The lawmakers warn that uncertainty over volume requirements and small refinery exemptions could weaken market confidence just as growers make planting, marketing and investment decisions.
They note that farmers, feedstock processors and biofuel producers invested, expanded and hired after earlier federal commitments, including the administration's plans this year to reallocate small refinery exemption volumes, and that delay could undercut what they call the RFS's strongest-ever volume obligations.
The letter also cites estimates that E15 petrol saves drivers an average of 30 cents a gallon compared with E10, and that B20 biodiesel is about 11 cents a gallon cheaper than conventional diesel.
Photo: Ammodramus / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Farms.com
Comments
(0)