Despite the August Congressional Recess, much regulatory and legislative action continues in Washington, D.C. on the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Earlier this month, the leading trade groups representing the oil and gas industry, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), petitioned EPA to lower the 2014 RFS renewable volume obligations (RVO) to below 10 percent of total U.S. gasoline supply. Under the RFS, EPA is directed to set the following year's RVOs by November 30. API and AFPM argue that waiving the RVOs for 2014 to 9.7 percent of the U.S. gasoline supply is necessary so their members may fulfill their volume obligations under the RFS without exceeding the 10 percent ethanol "blend wall."
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), one of the leading biofuels trade associations, has already responded to the API/AFPM waiver petition by sending a letter to EPA urging the Agency to deny the waiver request for several reasons. A copy of the letter is available online. Among other things, RFA argues that API and AFPM lack standing to petition EPA to reduce the 2014 RVOs since the associations themselves are not obligated to comply with the RFS. In addition, RFA argues that there are several ways that obligated parties in the oil and gas industry may meet their 2014 RFS RVOs, including an increase in E15 and E85 sales, and carry over Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN) from 2013.
Earlier this month, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice requesting that they investigate allegations that certain petroleum companies are deliberately blocking the introduction of higher ethanol blends in violation of antitrust laws. A copy of the letter is available online.
As we have reported, a group of four Republican Members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee are working during the August recess on developing potential legislative reforms to the federal RFS. It has been reported this week that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is considering potentially attaching an RFS legislative reform package to a "must-pass" bill similar to the one expected this fall to address the "debt ceiling."