WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) July 5 issued proposed volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard program for cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel for calendar year 2020. The agency also proposed biomass-based diesel volume standards for calendar year 2021.
Under section 211 of the Clean Air Act, the EPA is required each year to finalize renewable fuel volumes by November 30. Relying on statutory waiver authority, EPA is proposing volume requirements for cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel that are below the statutory volume targets.
The agency proposed a 29% increase from last year’s level for cellulosic ethanol to 540 million gallons. Cellulosic ethanol is produced by turning the sugars in feedstocks such as grass, wood and crop residues into ethanol.
EPA left the conventional biofuel requirement—typically ethanol made from corn—at 15 billion gallons, the statutory maximum.
The agency also set the volume requirement for biomass-based diesel (BBD) for 2021 at 2.43 billion gallons, equal to the BBD volume finalized for 2020. Biodiesel is produced from a variety of fats, oils and grease.
A public hearing will be announced in a supplemental Federal Register document with the date and location. For more on the EPA’s proposal, click here. Comments will be due 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.
EPA’s Proposed Renewable Volume Obligations and Percentage Standards
EPA’s proposed RVOs and percentage standards for 2020 and 2021 are listed below, with final volumes and percentage standards for 2015-2019 listed for reference. All volumes are ethanol-equivalent, except for biomass-based diesel, which is actual.
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Volumes Used to Determine the Proposed Percentage Standards
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2015
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2016
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2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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Cellulosic biofuel
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123 mill gal
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230 mill gal
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311 mill gal
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288 mill gal
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418 mill gal
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540 mill gal
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n/a
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Biomass-based diesel
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1.73 bill gal
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1.90 bill gal
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2.0 bill gal
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2.1 bill gal
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2.1 bill gal
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2.43 bill gal
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2.43 bill gal
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Advanced biofuel
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2.88 bill gal
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3.61 bill gal
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4.28 bill gal
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4.29 bill gal
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4.92 bill gal
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5.04 bill gal
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n/a
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Total renewable fuels
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16.93 bill gal
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18.11 bill gal
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19.28 bill gal
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19.29 bill gal
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19.92 bill gal
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20.04 bill gal
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n/a
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Proposed Percentage Standards
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2015
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2016
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2017
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2018
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2019
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2020
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Cellulosic biofuel
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0.069%
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0.128%
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0.173%
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0.160%
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0.230%
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0.29%
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Biomass-based diesel
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1.49%
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1.59%
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1.67%
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1.74%
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1.73%
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1.99%
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Advanced biofuel
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1.62%
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2.01%
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2.38%
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2.37%
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2.71%
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2.75%
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Total renewable fuels
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9.52%
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10.10%
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10.70%
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10.67%
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10.97%
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10.92%
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