At a recent biofuels conference held in Minneapolis, Renewable Fuel leaders said the Obama administration has undermined the commercial success of advanced renewable fuels. The EPA has proposed a lower volume level for 2014 in the RFS than the industry wants and that proposal is over at the Office of Management and Budget. RFA Chairman Randy Doyal says whatever final decision on the RFS comes out need to have the right guidelines for the industry to move forward.
Doyal says the constant waffling by the administration and EPA has led to enough uncertainty for renewable fuel projects that it’s tough for them to go to lenders to get the needed support they need to move ahead. He says that could cause some to relocate overseas.
Doyal believes the earlier EPA administrative action to lower the RFS volume requirements in their proposal is illegal under federal law. Three large stand alone biofuel projects, two in Iowa and one in Kansas, each costing $ 200 million or more could be the last plants being built in the U.S. if the RFS isn’t brought up to earlier levels.