The National Biodiesel Board has expressed support for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s final rule establishing U.S. renewable fuel requirements for 2012 and called on the Obama administration to act quickly in completing a 2013 rule that maintains EPA’s recommended volume increases for biomass-based diesel.
The 2012 rule raises the biomass-based diesel program to 1 billion gallons, up from 800 million gallons this year. According to the latest EPA figures, the biodiesel industry had produced some 908 million gallons through the end of November, exceeding the 2011 requirement with one month of production remaining.
“This industry has shown without a doubt that it can meet and exceed the goals of this program in a sustainable way with a diverse mix of feedstocks,” says Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at NBB, the trade association for the U.S. biodiesel industry. “Our industry has plants in nearly every state in the country that are hiring new employees and ramping up production, in part because of the demand that this policy creates.”
Steckel also urged the administration to issue a final rule for 2013 volumes raising the biomass-based diesel requirement to 1.28 billion gallons, as EPA proposed earlier this year. On Dec. 27, EPA postponed finalizing the 2013 volume, saying it needs more time for review.
“We would have preferred to see that number released in this announcement and hope to see it finalized soon so that our member companies can plan their investments and continue boosting this economy,” Steckel says. “The increase will create thousands of jobs, improve our energy security by diversifying the fuel supply and cut down on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”
