The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its proposed required volume obligations (RVO) Tuesday for total renewable fuel, cellulosic biofuel and conventional corn-ethanol for 2019 and the biodiesel RVO for 2020 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
EPA proposed to increase the total renewable fuel RVO to 19.88 billion gallons in 2019 from 19.29 billion gallons in 2018. The volume for conventional, corn-based ethanol was held at the statutory maximum of 15 billion gallons. All RVO increases came in the advanced category.
Under the advanced category, EPA proposed to increase the cellulosic biofuel RVO to 381 million gallons in 2019 from 288 million gallons in 2018.
Also under the advanced category, EPA proposed to increase the biodiesel RVO to 2.34 billion gallons in 2020 from 2.1 billion gallons in 2019. By statute, the biodiesel RVO must be set 14 months in advance, so the 2.1 billion gallons for 2019 had already been established back in 2017.
The balance of the increase in the rest of the advanced category could be met by either undifferentiated advanced biofuel (various types of fuel including Brazilian sugar cane ethanol) or by biodiesel, both of which may be used to qualify for compliance with the overall advanced category volumes.
The rule included no proposals related to E15 or small refinery waivers.
EPA is also asking for public comment on what entities ought to be able to trade biofuel compliance credits, known as Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), and for how long they can be held. Comments must be received on or before August 17, 2018.
Additionally, EPA soon will announce a date, time and place of a public hearing.
