In a 66-34 vote on Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Michael Regan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Regan served as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for four years.
While he was a nominee, Regan met with several agricultural groups to discuss issues such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
Biofuel groups extended congratulations to Regan, who will be the first Black man to serve as EPA Administrator.
“We congratulate Michael Regan on his confirmation and look forward to working with him to implement President Biden’s vision for a strong Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association in a statement. “We were pleased to hear Administrator Regan say that agriculture and biofuels will have ‘a seat at the table’ as our nation tackles climate change, and we believe ethanol will be a critical component of the drive toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, also expressed an eagerness to work with Regan.
“Administrator Regan has been on the record supporting biofuels as critical to help meet an ambitious climate agenda, committing to following the letter of the law on the Renewable Fuels Standard, and pledging transparency on any small refinery exemption decisions,” she said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Administrator Regan on all of these policy and regulatory initiatives, and offering our organization’s perspective and high-level of expertise as he makes these decisions.”
Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) issued the following statement: “Every year, these fuels meet more than 90 percent of the RFS’s goals for advanced biofuel production and use, achieving measurable reductions in transportation sector carbon emissions. As our industry pursues a vision to sustainably increase production over the next decade and support emergence of sustainable aviation and marine fuels, we look forward to working with Administrator Michael Regan.”