News

Getting the RFS ‘back on track’ in 2015

Getting the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) ‘back on track’ is one of the big challenges facing the renewable fuels industry in 2015.

Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says it may be late summer or early fall before the EPA finalizes the RFS volume requirements for 2014 and beyond.

“After failing to release an RVO for 2014, they have indicated they will do 2014 and 2015 and, potentially—and their goal is—to do 2016, all in one big rulemaking this year,” Dinneen says. “Their plan right now is to get out a proposal sometime in April or perhaps May, and then do a final regulation in August or September.”

Dinneen points out the EPA does not have the greatest track record for meeting deadlines.

“But I do think that they are sincere in their effort to try to put the RFS back on a trajectory of growth,” he says. “But that’s going to be a big challenge this year, working with the agency and potentially other stakeholders to try to get the RFS back on track.”

Dinneen also expects continued challenges to the RFS from Congress in 2015.