Five oil state Governors are asking the Environmental Protection Agency for a complete waiver for all oil and gas companies from the Renewable Fuel Standard. They’re saying it’s needed because of the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper says the pandemic is causing harm to all segments of the economy, not just to refineries. He says the coronavirus has already compounded negative impacts on the renewable fuels industry.

He says the RFS requirements float with whatever oil and gas consumption there is.

Cooper says the waiver request is ludicrous and should be denied because the losses faced by oil and gas refineries isn’t caused by the RFS, it’s due to the pandemic.

The five states asking for the refinery waiver are Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Utah and Louisiana.