AreaUnited States of America

Commodity GroupBiofuels

CommodityBiodiesel

Date01/11/2018

Policy CategoryRenewable energy

Policy InstrumentBiofuel policy

DescriptionFinalized the country’s biofuel blending obligations for 2019, raising the volume for the ‘advanced biofuel’ category, while leaving the requirements for ‘conventional biofuel’ and ‘biomass-based biodiesel’ unchanged.

NotesThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the biofuel blending obligations for 2019. Compared to the previously proposed targets (see MPPU Dec.’17 & Aug.’18), the volume for the ‘advanced biofuel’ category – under which biodiesel qualifies – has been raised slightly (from 4.88 billion gallons to 4.92 billion gallons), while the requirements for ‘conventional biofuel’ and ‘biomass-based biodiesel’ have been left unchanged. Biodiesel industry representatives maintained that the new standards fall short of the attainable production levels. Furthermore, EPA opted not to reallocate blending obligations previously waived under the agency’s small refinery exemption programme, thus not satisfying calls made by both biofuel producers and farmers groups.