The American Soybean Association (ASA) attended a meeting held by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss policy priorities and strategies.

During the governing board meeting, items discussed included enactment of a restructured biodiesel tax credit, upcoming Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), legislative challenges to eliminate or reform the RFS, trade issues and increasing levels of imports and legal proceedings relating to RFS implementation.

ASA representative and NBB Governing Board member Mike Cunningham (IL) attended the meeting, along with ASA Washington staff and several other soybean farmers who are NBB Governing Board members.

The biodiesel tax credit is a primary focus for the industry at this time. The biodiesel tax credit expires again at the end of 2016 and efforts continue to shift from a blender’s to a producer’s credit to address the issue of increasing imports. In addition to the tax credit, the EPA is expected to issue a Proposed Rule later this spring on the volume requirements for the overall Advanced Biofuels category for 2017 and the Biomass-based diesel category for 2018.

ASA remains actively engaged on the biodiesel policy priorities and the Washington staff is coordinating with NBB to follow-up on questions and comments received from Congressional offices during the ASA board member Hill visits earlier this month. These meetings have resulted in several commitments from Members of Congress to cosponsor and support the extension and restructuring of the biodiesel tax credit.