The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed rule that raised the amount of renewable fuels that must be supplied to the market in 2020 by 0.12 billion gallons, while biomass-based diesel volume standards for 2021 are stagnant. Overall, the EPA maintained flat required volumes.
Andrew Wheeler, the EPA's administrator, issued the statement under the federal government's Renewable Fuel Standards. Proposed increases for 2020 includes making the advanced biofuel volume requirement for 2020 set for 5.04 billion gallons, 0.12 billion high than the 2019 requirement, according to the EPA.
"It shouldn't have a major impact on a fleet who is already operating on biofuels," said Kaleb Little, director of communications for the National Biodiesel Board. "However, it's a missed opportunity. If EPA's proposal had grown the volumes, there would be more biofuels in the supply chain. Basic supply and demand would say that could help lower costs."
Meanwhile, the cellulosic biofuel volume requirement of 0.54 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons for 2020 is 0.12 billion higher than that which was finalized for 2019. These figures leave a 15 billion gallon requirement for conventional renewable fuels such as corn ethanol, which is flat with 2019.
Further in the future, the EPA is also proposing to maintain the biomass-based diesel volume for 2021 at 2.43 billion gallons.
