Biofuel stakeholders want EPA to get rid of the excess baggage and get E15 to the finish line before summer driving season starts.

he comment period on EPA’s proposed rule “Modifications to Fuel Regulations to Provide Flexibility for E15; Modifications to RFS RIN Market Regulations” ended Monday with major organizations sending theirs at the end of the day.

Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper says they strongly support the proposed regulatory fix would allow year-round sales of E15 in conventional gasoline markets for the first time, but discouraged EPA from finalizing any of the four proposed Renewable Identification Number (RIN) market reforms.

Cooper summarizes RFA’s comments to EPA and talks about what happens next:
Interview with RFA CEO on EPA comments

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings said, “With just over 30 days to go until the start of the 2019 summer driving season, time is of the essence. We encourage EPA to move forward to finalize a rule allowing RVP relief for E15 but to cast aside the unnecessary and harmful proposals to reform the RIN market.”

“Unless the EPA acts quickly, the summer market for E15 will be lost, which means higher fuel prices for consumers and another devastating blow to America’s rural workforce,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We cannot afford to let anything derail this opportunity to help revitalize growth in the heartland, and urge regulators to get this rule over the finish line by June 1, just as President Trump directed.

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) also supports EPA’s proposal to provide parity for E15 with standard 10 percent ethanol blends, NCGA cautioned EPA against finalizing proposed Renewable Identification Number (RIN) market rule changes that would be counterproductive to greater biofuels blending supported by the E15 rule.

The National Biodiesel Board also disagreed with EPA’s proposal to modify RIN market regulations without first showing data-based evidence of problems within the RIN market. “The proposed RIN market reforms are unnecessary, as EPA has yet to see data-based evidence of RIN market manipulation. Reforming a system that, while certainly not perfect, is working as intended with no evidence of manipulation has the potential to disrupt and even undermine the system that obligated parties use to demonstrate compliance with the RFS,” NBB writes in the comments.