Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency released the Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations for advanced biofuels. The 2018 levels for advanced biofuels were set at 4.29 billion gallons, only slightly above 2017. As part of that the biomass-based diesel volumes for 2018 and 2019, including biodiesel, were also flat lined at 2.1 billion gallons, far below the industry request of 2.5 billion gallons. Iowa Biodiesel Board Executive Director Grant Kimberly says they are disappointed with the decision.
He says they’ll weigh in with the EPA and Congress on the need to increase those levels for 2020.
Kimberley says the 2.5 billion gallons they requested for 2019 was not only reasonable, but achievable.
Kimberley says failure to increase the biodiesel levels for 2019 will create uncertainty in the industry, hamper any increased production by biodiesel plants and make it more difficult for those facilities to hire workers.
