Clean Fuels applauds Senate letter urging higher RFS volumes

A bipartisan group of 18 senators, led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan encouraging the agency to complete 2026 Renewable Fuel Standard rules and raise volumes for biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuels to levels that are consistent with production and availability.

The letter points to the discouraging market signal EPA sent with the 2023-’25 volumes and the negative impact on local economies and jobs in the clean-fuels industry.

“America’s environmental and energy security depend on the widespread production, availability and use of biofuels,” the senators wrote.

“Biofuels play a particularly critical role in emissions reduction for heavy-duty transportation—including aviation, shipping, rail and trucking—while opening up economic opportunities for American farmers,” they continued. “A strong RFS and broad availability of homegrown agricultural feedstocks bolster the domestic fuel supply and are critical for ensuring we keep up the progress we have made in decarbonizing our roads, seas, railways and skies.”

Grassley said, “Iowa businesses are bearing the consequences of the Biden EPA’s 2023 rule that set extraordinarily low RFS volumes. To give you an example of the impacts, a plant in Ralston was forced to shut down as a result, which cost local jobs and hurt Iowa families. The EPA ought to embrace biofuels by correcting its past mistake and increasing 2026 levels in line with market data. Our producers are ready to supply communities with clean, biobased fuels—if only the federal government would help facilitate their work rather than institute burdens.”

Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for Clean Fuels Alliance America, added, “More and more heavy-duty transportation industries are looking for reliable, cost-effective, low-carbon solutions that are available now. U.S. clean-fuels producers and feedstock suppliers have made significant investments to build the capacity to deliver those solutions right now. Those investments expand markets for U.S. agriculture, support domestic energy security, and drive economic opportunities for rural communities. EPA must act in a timely manner on the 2026 RFS volumes and utilize the best available production data to support advanced biofuel market adoption.”

The full letter is available here.