While RFS talks & waivers continue, rural America deserves immediate action on E15 use year-round
Posted on 05/08/2018
Sioux Falls, SD (May 8, 2018) – Following the seventh scheduled White House meeting today on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement based on initial reports the meeting concluded with agreements to eventually allow E15 use year-round, not to pursue a RIN cap, and to consider allowing RIN credits on exports of renewable fuel.
“The president has promised on more than one occasion to allow E15 use year-round but EPA has so far refused to make good on that promise. We are pleased this meeting resulted in yet another promise about E15, but rural America is hurting and deserves immediate action.
“If initial reports of today’s meeting are true, we are also concerned EPA appears free to continue rubber-stamping secret RFS waivers for people like Carl Icahn who own refineries while the June 1 RVP limit date is fast-approaching. We call on EPA to issue an RVP relief rule immediately and allow retailers to sell E15 this summer while the rulemaking process runs its course. It should be noted EPA’s secret hardship waivers have effectively reduced ethanol demand by more than 1.5 billion gallons and RIN prices have fallen more than 50 percent since the White House has convened this series of RFS meetings.
“While we are pleased the RIN cap idea is being abandoned, assigning RINs to exported renewable fuel is an equally horrible idea. It would not only be an extraordinary departure from how EPA has implemented the RFS program, it would break Administrator Pruitt’s written promise in his Oct. 19 letter to several Midwestern Senators reiterating his commitment to support the spirit and text of the RFS.
“In addition, instituting RIN credits for exported renewable fuel now would be labeled as a protectionist export subsidy by our trading partners and could set off a trade war. If EPA actions violate WTO obligations and precipitate another backlash by trading partners, it could put U.S. ethanol exports and our rural economy in even greater jeopardy.”
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