NBB expresses disappointment over renewable fuel standard decision
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has expressed disappointment in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit’s decision on the 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard rule.
NBB joined other biofuel industry associations after the case known as Growth Energy v Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to challenge the EPA’s failure to account for a flood of retroactive small refinery exemptions that undercut the annual volumes by 7% in 2019.
Kurt Kovarik, NBB’s vice president for federal affairs, said: “Small refinery exemptions harm biodiesel and renewable diesel producers when they retroactively reduce demand for advanced biofuels.
“Today’s decision creates renewed uncertainty for our industry because it does not require EPA to account for retroactive exemptions – something the 10th Circuit Court identified as ‘a gaping and ever-widening hole’ in the RFS.
“On behalf of NBB’s members, I call on EPA to quickly issue the 2021 and 2022 RFS rules, provide a strong signal of growth for advanced biofuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel, and fully account for any small refinery exemptions it plans to grant—as it has already done in the 2020 RFS rule.”
The US biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 jobs and more than $17 billion (€14 billion) in economic activity each year.
Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million (660 million) in economic opportunity. Biodiesel production supports approximately 13% of the value of each US bushel of soybeans.
NBB joined other biofuel industry associations after the case known as Growth Energy v Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to challenge the EPA’s failure to account for a flood of retroactive small refinery exemptions that undercut the annual volumes by 7% in 2019.
Kurt Kovarik, NBB’s vice president for federal affairs, said: “Small refinery exemptions harm biodiesel and renewable diesel producers when they retroactively reduce demand for advanced biofuels.
“Today’s decision creates renewed uncertainty for our industry because it does not require EPA to account for retroactive exemptions – something the 10th Circuit Court identified as ‘a gaping and ever-widening hole’ in the RFS.
“On behalf of NBB’s members, I call on EPA to quickly issue the 2021 and 2022 RFS rules, provide a strong signal of growth for advanced biofuels like biodiesel and renewable diesel, and fully account for any small refinery exemptions it plans to grant—as it has already done in the 2020 RFS rule.”
The US biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 jobs and more than $17 billion (€14 billion) in economic activity each year.
Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million (660 million) in economic opportunity. Biodiesel production supports approximately 13% of the value of each US bushel of soybeans.
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