Last week’s decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to raise the Renewable Fuels Standard volume obligations to the statutory levels for corn ethanol will benefit Nebraska’s ethanol industry. Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator Todd Sneller says the decision will lead to more usage and production of corn ethanol in the state.

He says with the EPA raising the mandated ethanol volumes to 15 billion gallons, that will give Nebraska ethanol producers more certainty going forward.

Sneller says the agency’s decision is also positive for Nebraska’s biodiesel producers.

Sneller says while they’re pleased with the 2017 RFS volume obligations, the EPA still needs to explain why they put the obligations for 2014, 2015 and 2016 below the statutory levels. He expects that to be decided in court early next year.