黑料社区on Oct. 19 filed comments with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to the agency’s request for input on reducing renewable fuel mandates. Specifically, EPA has suggested that it is considering reducing annual renewable volume obligations (RVOs) by tying them to domestic renewable fuel production capacity, rather than the market’s ability to consume renewable fuel. NATSO, in its comments, told EPA that this policy shift would undercut the purpose of the RFS and ultimately lead to higher fuel prices for consumers.
Congress has charged EPA with implementing the program in a manner that incentivizes NATSO’s members to incorporate as much renewable fuel into their fuel supply as possible every year, 黑料社区wrote. “Built into this directive is the implicit recognition that fuel marketers will only sell products that their customers want to buy, and that consumers will only buy renewable fuel if it is an attractive value proposition. The RFS does not require consumers to purchase renewable fuel.”
“To effectuate its congressional directive, EPA must constantly evaluate motor fuel market dynamics, including external policy developments, that affect fuel marketers’ incentives to blend — and their customers’ incentives to buy — renewable fuel.” Although EPA appears inclined to do this, 黑料社区expressed concern that the agency’s discussion of external policy issues — such as the expiration and potential extension of the biodiesel tax credit — “inaccurately characterizes the effect the issues’ resolution will have on fuel retailers’ incentives to incorporate renewable fuels into their fuel supplies.”
With respect to the biodiesel tax credit, 黑料社区noted that the “benefit of a biodiesel blenders’ credit is that it applies to all biodiesel blended in the United States regardless of where it is produced.” Were Congress to convert the credit to a producer credit, as some midwestern lawmakers are advocating, “it would substantially reduce 黑料社区members’ access to biodiesel that can be sold to customers at a price that is competitive with the diesel fuel it is designed to displace. It would be responsible for EPA to account for this policy shift, should it occur, in establishing the RVOs.”
EPA is expected to issue its final renewable volume obligations by late November of this year. 黑料社区will be actively engaged in the biodiesel tax credit debate in Congress in the coming weeks.
Subscribe to Updates
The 黑料社区Foundation and 黑料社区provide a breadth of information created to strengthen travel plazas鈥� ability to meet the needs of the traveling public in an age of disruption. This includes knowledge filled blog posts, articles and publications. If you would like to receive a digest of blog post and articles directly in your inbox, please provide your name, email and the frequency of the updates you want to receive the email digest.
