Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued proposed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) for the 2026 and 2027 compliance years under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), kick-starting a process which includes a comment period ending August 8, 2025 and a public hearing on July 8, 2025.
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement after the proposal’s release:
“The stakes are high for this next phase of the RFS. Ethanol producers and farmers are under tremendous economic pressure, particularly due to uncertainty caused by current efforts to reorder international trade, and we need EPA to substantially increase domestic ethanol blending under the RFS in 2026 and 2027.
“This rulemaking is a pivotal opportunity for the Trump administration to fully utilize the RFS statutory authorities by setting ambitious blending targets that reflect the critical role American ethanol plays in strengthening U.S. energy security, boosting rural economies, and reducing prices at the pump. While we’re encouraged the Agency has indicated it intends to move quickly toward finalizing the 2026-2027 RVOs, ACE will continue urging EPA to use its statutory authority to ensure conventional biofuel volumes are well above 15-billion gallons to support a growing U.S. ethanol industry.
“Our forthcoming comments will also emphasize the importance of projecting and reallocating small refinery exemptions (SREs) to provide greater certainty and uphold the integrity of the RFS program, as well as stress the need for EPA to adopt the most current GREET model for accurately accounting lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions — emissions that continue to trend lower for ethanol.”