The agency issues rules on the exact amount of ethanol or other biofuels that must be blended into gasoline, with refiners that fall short required to purchase credits to cover the difference.
The EPA announced late last year it would offer credits for biofuels used for electric vehicles, but the mandates announced Wednesday did not include that provision. The agency said it will continue exploring “potential paths forward” for the program.
“Today’s final rule reflects our efforts to ensure stability of the program for years to come, protect consumers from high fuel costs, strengthen the rural economy, support domestic production of cleaner fuels, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a written statement.
The blending volumes for “conventional” biofuel, a category that includes corn-based ethanol for the years 2024 and 2025 are lower than they were in last year's proposal. This fact drew pushback from the industry, which said the volumes signal a "flatline" trajectory rather than growth.
But the World Resources Institute, an organization that works on issues including climate change, said the rule is too generous to biofuels.
“Biofuels were thought to be a climate solution fifteen years ago but today we know converting crops to fuel is a disaster for the planet. It increases emissions, raises food prices and is a terrible use of prime farmland.”
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
