U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this week at the start of the National Clean Energy Summit that he is confident that the final 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard will be better for biofuels than what EPA had initially proposed last year.
According to Politico – when talking to reporters, Vilsack referred to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy’s remarks earlier this week indicating that the required blending volumes will rise, adding “Americans are indeed using more fuel than six, eight, nine, 12 months ago, and that’s obviously going to translate to additional opportunities in the RFS.”
When questioned about the untimely roll-out of the 2014 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO’s) he said he wasn’t disappointed in how long it has taken for EPA to finish the rule, which was originally due last November.
The Secretary was not shy about the administration’s unwavering support for biofuels. What’s important, he said, is understanding that the RFS is “just one piece in an overall comprehensive strategy to move this industry forward,” Politico reported.
This comes on the heels of Wednesday’s announcement that USDA has finished a $105 million loan guarantee for Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels to build a bio-refinery in Nevada to convert landfill waste to commercial and military jet fuel.
