It’s been more than a month since President Trump announced he was going to unveil a biofuels package to restore demand for lost gallons of ethanol. Today, the White House has a plan.
The plan will include reallocation starting in 2020 based on the prior three-year rolling average for ethanol and biodiesel that was lost when the Trump administration granted 85 small refinery waivers in the last three years, according to the White House.
According to a source in the ethanol industry, there is no commitment to reduce the small refinery exemptions (SREs) in the future, and there won’t be renewable identification number (RIN) price caps or refunds.
Those representing the industry were hopeful the EPA would mandate 1 billion gallons of ethanol would be replaced annually, but a representative from the EPA said they will be looking for public comments “to ensure that more than 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol be blended into the nation’s fuel supply.”
The statement did not include how many gallons will be restored in 2020.
More details on the plan are expected to be rolled out next week.