The Environmental Protection Agency granted Renewable Fuel Standard waivers to 25 refiners in 2017, eliminating demand for 1.12 billion gallons of ethanol. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw says none of those exemptions should have been granted as refiners have had plenty of time to adjust to the law.
He says that lessening of renewable fuel demand has caused great economic harm to the farm economy.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told farm broadcasters this week that the RFS waivers aren’t eroding the RFS. Shaw says that’s not true and that the administrator isn’t following the law.
Dating back to 2016, EPA granted 40 waivers, totaling 1.6 billion gallons. Shaw says when ethanol demand is lessened like this there is no longer a 15-billion-gallon renewable fuel standard as called for in the law.
