(Washington D.C) The Renewable Fuels Association today welcomed the release of long-awaited final Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations for 2026 and 2027. Today’s RFS rule supports continued growth in American-made renewable fuels like ethanol and brings much-needed certainty and stability to the marketplace, according to RFA.
“At a time when American consumers are looking for relief at the pump, and hard-hit farmers are looking for new demand opportunities, we commend EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump for delivering robust RFS volume requirements for 2026 and 2027,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The final rule locks in the highest-ever renewable fuel volume obligations and provides clarity for farmers, ethanol producers, oil refiners, and fuel distributors alike. Today’s action by the EPA and the White House will boost the farm economy, strengthen American energy security, and reduce fuel prices for hardworking families. We applaud the Trump administration for recognizing the important role renewable fuels and agriculture can play in meeting our nation’s energy dominance objectives.”
EPA’s final rule requires 15 billion gallons of conventional renewable fuels like corn ethanol in both 2026 and 2027. In addition, 10.82 advanced biofuels RINs are required in 2026, increasing to 10.98 billion RINs in 2027. EPA will also reallocate 70 percent of the renewable fuel volumes lost to small refinery exemptions (SREs) for 2023-2025, effectively restoring 2.03 billion gallons of previously lost demand.
RFA noted that by not fully reallocating the renewable fuel volumes lost to SREs issued for 2023-2025, today’s rule stops just short of providing farmers and ethanol the market expansion opportunity Congress envisioned in establishing the RFS program.
Cooper noted that while RFA advocated for full reallocation of the 2023-2025 SREs, the 70 percent reallocation included in today’s rule is better than other options that were under consideration. EPA had proposed 50 percent reallocation as an option and also solicited public feedback on no reallocation at all.
“We continue to believe small refinery exemptions are completely unjustified, and the SRE petition process—including EPA’s reliance on the Department of Energy’s ‘scoring matrix’—is fundamentally flawed,” Cooper said. “SREs distort the market, undermine fair competition, and destabilize the RFS program. And while RFA appreciates EPA’s efforts to minimize market disruptions by reallocating most of the renewable volume lost to SREs, we believe the Agency has a duty to fully restore all exempted volumes.”
