The EPA will keep its mandate for use of corn ethanol as a gasoline additive at 15 billion gallons in 2019, while proposing higher targets for biodiesel and other advanced biofuels, said Reuters, based on two sources who were briefed on the proposal. The agency was expected to unveil within days its proposal for the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2019.
The corn ethanol mandate would be the same as this year. The EPA usually proposes in mid-summer the RFS for the coming year and finalizes the rule in November. Reuters said the EPA would proposed a biodiesel mandate of 2.43 billion gallons, compared to 2.1 billion gallons this year. Biodiesel is one of the so-called advanced biofuels that would see a mandate of 4.88 billion gallons, compared to 4.29 billion gallons now.
Ethanol makers and corn groups have pressed the EPA to offset the effect on overall ethanol demand from the “hardship” waivers that it has issued to small-volume oil refineries, which allow them to reduce the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline. “EPA administrator Scott Pruitt was set to announce plans to force larger refiners to make up for gallons exempted at smaller plants but the proposal was thwarted by an outcry from the oil industry,” said Reuters.