EPA Proposes New Regulations for the National Renewable Fuel Standard Program for 2010 and Beyond

Environmental Protection Agency
EPA-420-F-09-023, May 2009
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Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing revisions to the National Renewable Fuel Standard program (commonly known as the RFS program). Today’s proposed rule intends to address changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard program as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The revised statutory requirements establish new specific volume standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel that must be used in transportation fuel each year. The revised statutory requirements also include new definitions and criteria for both renewable fuels and the feedstocks used to produce them, including new greenhouse gas emission (GHG) thresholds for renewable fuels. The regulatory requirements for RFS will apply to domestic and foreign producers and importers of renewable fuel.

General Background
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to modify the national RFS program. The current Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS1) was established under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) which amended the Clean Air Act by establishing the first national renewable fuel standard. The U.S. Congress gave EPA the responsibility to coordinate with the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and stakeholders to design and implement this new program. With the passage of EISA, Congress made several important revisions to these renewable fuel standards that require EPA to promulgate new regulations to implement these changes.

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