EPA Renewable Fuel Standard draft lifts biodiesel blending mandates for 2020
By Caleigh Millette, Warren Rogers Associates, 2020
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced its 2020 final ruling for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), lifting the mandated amount of bio-fuel that refiners must blend into conventional fuel. The ruling calls for 20.09 billion gallons of total renewable fuel in 2020, which is an increase of 170 million gallons from what was required in 2019. The required target for 2021 is still being considered.
The RFS requires transportation fuel in the U.S. to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel. The EPA administers the RFS and determines which renewable fuels are eligible as well as the amount of renewable fuel required in upcoming years.
The EPA’s 2020 ruling also finalizes other actions such as a change in how they calculate the annual percentage standard to account for volumes of diesel and gasoline that will be exempt from obligated renewable fuel volumes. Smaller refineries can be exempt from the RFS if they prove complying would cause them financial strain.
Furthermore, the EPA reports that the 2020 renewable fuel target includes 15 billion gallons from conventional biofuel and 5.09 billion gallons from advanced biofuel. The standard for biomass-based diesel for 2021 remains the same as 2020 at 2.43 billion gallons. However, the biofuel target of 15 billion gallons cannot be reached due to the declining production of products such as cellulosic (algae based) biofuel.
Warren Rogers role in bio-fuel blending:
At Warren Rogers, we monitor bio-diesel blending and audit consumption for federal and state reporting requirements. Learn more here.
Bracmort, Kelsi. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): An Overview. Congressional Research Service , Apr. 2020.
About Warren Rogers Associates
Founded in 1979 by Dr. Warren Rogers, Warren Rogers Associates pioneered the development of Statistical Inventory Reconciliation Analysis […]