WASHINGTON -- The proposed 2017 volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) could be announced by this July—or sooner.
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted its proposed renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2017 renewable fuel, advanced and cellulosic biofuels, as well as its 2018 biodiesel RVO proposal, to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. After this review process, the draft rule with any changes heads back to the EPA. It is also published in the Federal Register and opened up for public comment.
After the public comment period, EPA puts the finishing touches on the rule and sends it back to the OMB for final review and approval. From here, the EPA publishes the final rule in the Federal Register. The OMB’s review process can take up to 90 days, which means the draft renewable fuel RVOs for 2017 and biodiesel RVOs for 2018 could appear by early July. Legally, EPA must finalize the rule by Nov. 30, 2016.
In a statement, Paige Anderson, director of government relations for NACS, said the association looks forward to seeing the proposed volumes. “We hope EPA, as it did last year, will continue to look at the marketplace for renewable fuels and ensure that its proposed volumes are able to be absorbed into the fuels market,” she said. “In addition, we will be watching closely for any attempts to change the obligated party from the manufacturer and importer to another entity, such as a fuel marketer.”
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