By: NATHAN STUEDLE
The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to restore renewable fuel blending requirements affected by additional small refinery exemptions. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin says exemptions granted for 2025 exceeded earlier projections by 770 million renewable fuel credits. Under the proposal, the agency would restore 100 percent of those volumes, either dividing them equally between 2026 and 2027 or assigning the entire amount to 2027.
The move is intended to protect demand for American corn and soybeans used in ethanol and biodiesel production. Renewable Fuels Association President Geoff Cooper welcomed the proposal, saying it could help offset lost demand for ethanol producers and farmers, although he maintains many of the exemptions were unjustified. The EPA is accepting public comments on the proposal through December fourth.