*Please Note – Bob Lane was out of the office today and will return on Monday, May 22, 2023. Please contact Amanda Luhavalja at [email protected] in his absence.*

On May 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent its final rule regarding renewable volume obligations (RVO) for the next three years to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Absent any delays, this is the final step before the rule is officially published by June 14.

Released in December 2022, the proposed draft rule would increase biofuel blending volume requirements through 2025 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). It calls for an overall blending mandate of 20.82 billion gallons in 2023, 21.87 billion gallons in 2024 and 22.68 billion gallons in 2025. The rule also proposes requiring refiners to buy newly classified “e-RINs” from makers of electric cars.

Although several biofuels groups have asked the…