Insights

Articles dedicated to regulatory issues to keep participants informed of constant changes to the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard and other fuel industry issues.

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RFS Whiplash: Newest Challenges to SREs, Proposal to Reallocate 100% of Waived Gallons

October 14, 2026

A petroleum refiner, a biofuel producer, and a farmer share a meal at a restaurant. When the check comes, they all argue over how to split the tab. This is a great analogy for the fight over Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs). They are all Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) participants, and between EPA waivers and reallocations followed by court rulings, the tab is passed back and forth between refineries or biofuel producers and the farm groups who supply the feedstock. Petroleum refiners see SREs as a way to help small refineries that can’t absorb RFS compliance costs the way larger ones... Read More →

EPA’s Compliance Deadline Extension: Why It Doesn’t Impact All RFS Participants

September 16, 2026

It can be confusing for participants in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to determine which deadline extensions apply, and how they impact them. For non-Obligated Parties, such as renewable fuel blenders and producers, EPA’s recent deadline extension might impact their RIN management strategy – but it does not impact their compliance deadlines. Who’s Impacted by the Deadline Extension? And Why? Obligated Parties are required to retire RINs in quantities that meet EPA’s Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) for the year. These are more commonly referred to as blending mandates. If EPA is delayed in setting the blending mandates or EPA modifies... Read More →

RFS Blending Targets Challenged in Court

August 12, 2026

In March 2026, EPA released record high 2026-2027 blending obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). These record high targets quickly became the subject of a lawsuit in the U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals – with parties filing suit from all directions.  How the court rules with respect to these challenges will directly shape how EPA sets future renewable volume obligations (RVOs) and could impact demand for the current year targets under consideration. The Rule at Center of the Fight Since EPA announced the Set 2 Rule, impacted parties are choosing a side when it comes to this challenge... Read More →

Why Do RINs Get Retired?

August 3, 2026

Think about the last time you returned something to a store. The cashier always asks why: wrong size, changed your mind, item defective. The refund happens either way, but the reason gets logged. RIN retirement works the same way. Once a RIN is retired, it’s gone; it can’t be traded or used again. But EPA also wants to know why it was retired. One of the biggest reasons RINs get retired is to satisfy the annual Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO).  Obligated parties retire RINs to show blending targets were met. Per RFS Code an obligated party is defined as any... Read More →

Does Renewable Fuel Used in Data Centers Qualify for RINs?

July 30, 2026

Here’s What the Renewable Fuel Standards Says The short answer is no – and with data centers consuming energy at record levels, it’s worth understanding exactly why. As companies race to power AI infrastructure and cloud computing with renewable energy, a reasonable question has started to circulate:  If we supply renewable fuel to run a data center, is that fuel eligible for RINs under the Renewable Fuel Standard?  This use feels like it should qualify. The fuel is renewable. The use is real. But under the RFS, how the fuel is used matters – and data centers or stationary power... Read More →

Beyond the BTC: What 45Z Means for Biodiesel Blenders

July 15, 2026

The expiration of the Biodiesel Blender’s Tax Credit (BTC) at the end of 2024 and its replacement by the Section 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit has been characterized as a policy upgrade – a more sophisticated, carbon emissions-based framework that is renewable fuel neutral. While that characterization has some merit for renewable fuel producers, the picture is less favorable for downstream biodiesel blenders. Under the BTC, blenders had a path to the credit value – sometimes negotiated through the purchase of B99 – but it was real. Under 45Z, that path is murky at best. What was once a fixed,... Read More →

Choosing the Right Reason for a RIN Trade (and Why It’s Simpler Than You Think)

May 13, 2026

Selecting the right reason for a RIN trade is like ordering a meal for dine in or to go at a restaurant. Seems simple, right? Same food, but very different handling. Reasons for RIN trades work the same way. Spot, Term, Consignment, and Standard don’t change what you’re selling; they describe how the deal is structured. Once you understand what each one is actually describing, picking the right one becomes very straightforward. The Common RIN Trade Types You Need to Know Each time you sell RINs, you’ll select one of four primary trade types when entering the transaction. Each corresponds... Read More →

March Came in Like a Lamb, Out Like a Lion: SRE Reallocation Continues to Evolve

April 14, 2026

March is often described as coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb, but this year, the opposite played out with respect to Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard. On March 13, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals quietly stepped aside on one of the closely watched issues in the RFS: SRE reallocations. The court ruled the case moot, declining to weigh in and leaving the question unresolved in Clean Fuels Alliance v. EPA. By the end of March, that quiet moment gave way to a much louder, roaring development. EPA finalized its Set... Read More →

Anatomy of a RIN: What Every RFS Participant Should Know

March 11, 2026

Every Renewable Identification Number (RIN) tells a story under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). For RFS participants, understanding that story is not academic. It informs trading decisions, blending economics, compliance planning, and risk management. Whether you are receiving RINs with biofuel for blending, acquiring RINs for obligation coverage, evaluating inventory, or analyzing market exposure, the ability to quickly interpret what a RIN represents is essential. This guide focuses on what every RFS participant should know — and how to read a RIN in 30 seconds. First: What a RIN Really Represents A RIN is generated when qualifying renewable fuel is... Read More →

When the RFS Clock Slows Down: What 2025 Reporting Deadlines Mean for RINs

February 11, 2026

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is designed around annual compliance obligations and quarterly reporting deadlines that, on paper, look predictable. The annual schedule is set with requirements, timelines, and expectations. The RFS calendar has a habit of slowing down when EPA has not yet finalized every regulatory piece needed to close out a compliance year. As obligated parties look to finalize 2025 reporting, timing is once again a key variable, with implications that extend beyond paperwork and into RIN validity and market behavior. Two clocks, one program For most RFS participants, reporting obligations for 2025 remain unchanged. Producers, renewable fuel... Read More →