WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Growth Energy submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in response to EPA’s proposed alternative RIN retirement schedule for small refineries. In its proposal, EPA gives all small refineries, whether they submitted a small refinery exemption (SRE) or not, until February 1, 2024, to demonstrate 2020 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) compliance using RINS from 2021, 2022, 2023, or 2024.
“The Renewable Fuel Standard has and continues to be one of our nation’s most successful transportation decarbonization policies,” wrote Growth Energy Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley. “The rapid investment and development of biofuels have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”
“The RFS program was meant to drive more biofuel blending not for refineries to continually delay meeting their obligations. We can only ensure the goals of the program are met by getting the program back on track with timely and predictable compliance deadlines.”
In the letter, Growth Energy calls on EPA to hold small refineries to a December 1, 2022, deadline for 2020 RVO compliance finalized under EPA’s rulemaking in February 2022. Growth Energy also calls on EPA to eliminate the ability of small refineries to use 2023 and 2024 vintage RINs for their 2020 compliance especially as renewable volume obligations for those years have not yet been proposed or finalized.