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Jun 26, 2018
The American Soybean Association (ASA) is pleased with the proposed biodiesel and advanced biofuels volumes released today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which opens the door for the growth of future biodiesel volumes.
In the rule, EPA calls for biomass-based diesel (BBD) volumes within the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) of for 2.43 billion gallons for 2020, a 300 million gallon increase over the 2019 levels.
ASA President John Heisdorffer, a soybean producer from Keota, Iowa, applauded EPA, saying, “This increase supports a valuable, growing market for soybean oil. We have an increased capacity on the domestic market to meet the demand for renewable fuels blended into the nation’s fuel supply.”
Yet, Heisdorffer pointed out that proposed future increases in BBD volumes could be negated by the unwarranted waivers of RFS volumes that EPA has recently granted some oil refiners.
“The waived volumes need to be reallocated to ensure the RFS remains whole and that proposed future increases are meaningful,” Heisdorffer explained. “The biodiesel industry has the potential to support agriculture by creating jobs, diversifying fuel sources, and reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil. We encourage the EPA to continue supporting growth by limiting waivers that water down the benefits of these increased levels.”
