WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the announcement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) extended the compliance deadline for refiners to meet their 2020 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor issued a statement expressing the organization’s disappointment in this rule:
“We are disappointed in EPA’s decision to accept the refiners’ request to extend the deadline for their blending requirements for 2020,” said Skor. “Refiners using COVID-19 as a pretext to attack the Renewable Fuel Standard is wrong, as biofuel producers were among the hardest hit by COVID-19, with over half the industry offline at the peak of the crisis.
“The intent of the RFS is to blend more biofuels into our nation’s transportation fuel supply. It is not meant to have oil companies use questionable tactics to avoid blending biofuels and then demanding that the agency further delay compliance. These refineries have had ample time to blend more biofuels and comply with the RFS. We urge EPA to move expeditiously to finalize the 2021 and 2022 RVO, as well as restore the 500 million gallons that have been pending since 2017.”
Earlier this month, Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley testified before EPA rejecting the refiners’ ask for an extension and submitted comments to the agency. Read Bliley’s comments here.