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View Full Version : U.S. Poised To Ease Biofuel Quotas




Swordsmyth
07-17-2018, 04:39 PM
Just last week the EPA decided to scrap (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biofuels-epa/epa-scraps-detailed-plan-to-force-u-s-refiners-to-blend-more-biofuels-idUSKBN1K12JX) an assertive measure to impose higher biofuel quotas for refiners in 2019.Less than a month ago, when the EPA’s biofuels quota plan was moving full speed ahead, the future of biofuels looked more promising than ever. After a roller (https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/US-Oil-Companies-Look-To-Skirt-Biofuel-Quotas.html) coaster (https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Biofuels/Is-US-Biofuel-In-Jeopardy.html) of a year for biofuels under the reign of Scott Pruitt and the Trump administration, things were starting to turn around for renewables. Iowa’s Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, backed by his state’s powerful corn industry, was fighting hard (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-29/scandals-haven-t-beaten-pruitt-a-policy-spat-over-biofuel-might) for biofuels and making serious headway. At the same time, the EPA was poised to announce a nearly 20 billion gallon biofuels target.

Now Pruitt is gone (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/05/scott-pruitt-resigns-epa-trump-latest-news-resignation) amidst political pressure and a seemingly endless wave of scandals (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/climate/scott-pruitt-epa-trump.html) (not to mention being the subject of thirteen federal investigations) and now, thanks to pressure from the oil industry, the plan for higher 2019 biofuel quotas for large refineries has been thrown to the wayside. If successful, the plan would have raising the Obama-era renewable blending requirements from 10.88 percent to 11.76 percent for a reluctant refining industry. This proposal was an effort to make up for the vast biofuels shortcomings brought on by the Trump administration’s waiver-happy EPA (https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/US-Oil-Companies-Look-To-Skirt-Biofuel-Quotas.html), which has granted tens of millions of dollars’ worth of waivers to refineries over the past year.
Many biofuel backers are holding out hope (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/nation-and-world/biofuel-backers-see-reset-of-fortunes-after-scott-pruitt-departure-20180705) that they will receive a fresh start in a post-Pruitt EPA, once the dust settles. Those optimists may not want to hold their breath. It’s hard to foresee any big turnaround in the immediate future with attorney Andrew Wheeler acting as Pruitt’s stand-in. Wheeler, like Pruitt has a history of skepticism (https://www.salon.com/2018/07/12/new-epa-chief-andrew-wheeler-has-a-fondness-for-right-wing-media-and-climate-denier-blogs_partner/) when it comes to climate change, and also like Pruitt leans very conservative. Wheeler also has a cozy past with fossil fuels, having worked as a lobbyist for the coal industry.

More at: https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Biofuels/US-Poised-To-Ease-Biofuel-Quotas.html

oyarde
07-17-2018, 05:47 PM
Bio fuel requirements need scrapped totally .

Anti Federalist
07-17-2018, 06:38 PM
Good.

Roll back the strangling Tier 4 restrictions as well.

Gumba of Liberty
07-17-2018, 07:25 PM
Bio fuel requirements need scrapped totally .

Including Moonshine!