Wheeler ‘gifts’ 3 new SREs to oil refiners in final hours of Trump administration

In the final hours of the Trump administration, U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler granted three small refinery exemptions (SREs) to the Renewable Fuel Standard for the 2018 and 2019 compliance years. According to Paul Winters, director of pubic affairs and federal communications for the National Biodiesel Board, the three new SREs affect nearly 36 million gallons of biodiesel and renewable diesel, bringing the total demand destruction for biobased diesel at 578 million gallons since 2015.

“EPA’s last-minute gifts to oil refiners come at the direct expense of biodiesel and renewable diesel producers,” said Kurt Kovarik, NBB vice president of federal affairs. “This disappointing action further undermines the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard program by destroying demand for additional gallons of biofuel.”

The agency has updated it’s Small Refinery Exemption dashboard to reflect the change.