News

Stay informed with the latest developments shaping the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with RINAlliance's timely updates on EPA policy proposals, market trends, and regulatory changes.

EPA Issues Several Decisions Impacting RINs: 2025 SRE Decisions, Reallocation Plans and Compliance Deadline Extension for Obligated Parties

August 31, 2026

On Aug. 31, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued decisions on 34 petitions from small refineries for exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2025, while proposing to reallocate 100 percent of the difference between the projected and actual exempted volumes for 2025 SREs into the 2026-27 RVO by the end of October. Lastly, EPA announced it will once again extend the 2025 RFS compliance deadline for obligated parties, moving it from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1, 2026. For the SRE decisions, EPA is granting the following: Full (100 percent) exemptions: 18 petition Granting partial (50 percent) exemptions: 11 petitions Denying: 3 petitions... Read More →

EPA Issues Decisions on 2023 & 2024 SRE Applications: Maps Out Process for Future SRE Decisions & Implementation

August 3, 2026

On Aug. 3, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued decisions on 6 petitions from small refineries for exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2023 and 2024. EPA is granting the following: Full (100 percent) exemptions: 1 petition Granting partial (50 percent) exemptions: 2 petitions Denying: 0 petitions Declaring Ineligible: 3 petitions The exemptions granted apply only to the 2024 compliance year and total 160 million exempted Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) RINs; no exempted volume was awarded for 2023, where both petitions considered were the ineligible ones. RINs to be Returned, Not Reissued For refineries that already retired RINs... Read More →

EPA Finalizes 2026 & 2027 Renewable Fuel Blending Volumes (RVOs)

March 27, 2026

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) “Set 2” rule, establishing the renewable fuel volume requirements (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027 at the highest levels in the program’s history. In its release, the Trump Administration stated the rule “realigns the program with Congress’ original intent –increasing the use of homegrown American fuels.” 2026 and 2027 RVOs. The final rule maintains conventional biofuel volumes at 15 billion gallons for both years while significantly increasing requirements for advanced biofuels, including biodiesel and renewable diesel. EPA estimates production and use of biodiesel and renewable diesel will need to... Read More →

EPA Approves Nationwide E15 Sales to Support Fuel Supply

March 25, 2026

On March 15, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency waiver to allow summertime sales of E15 and remove federal impediments to selling E10 in certain states. Effective May 1, this waiver was issued earlier than usual to provide time for the fuels industry to transition the fuel distribution system. EPA stated the waiver “will work to prevent disruption of America’s fuel supply.” RIN prices were up 6-9 cents in response to this news and in anticipation of EPA’s release of the 2026-2027 RVOs (Renewable Volume Obligations) later this week.

RIN Prices Continue Climb with Release of Proposed 45Z Regulations

February 3, 2026

RIN prices continued to climb after the U.S. Treasury Department and IRS released the long-awaited proposed regulations for the Clean Fuel Production Credit (commonly referred to as the 45Z tax credit). While the 45Z credit took effect on January 1, 2025, IRS had only issued interim guidance for it. This lack of regulatory clarity has contributed to delays and disruptions in biodiesel and renewable diesel production across the United States. With proposed regulations now available, renewable fuel producers eligible for the credit have gained some insights about the direction being taken by the Trump Administration. The February 3 proposed regulations... Read More →

EPA Issues Decisions Involving 16 Small Refinery Exemptions

November 7, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decisions on 16 petitions from small refineries seeking exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The petitions were submitted by eight refineries requesting exemptions from their RFS obligations for compliance years 2021 through 2024. EPA is granting full (100 percent) exemptions for two petitions, partial (50 percent) exemptions for 12 petitions, and denying two petitions. These decisions exempted another 740 million RINs on top of the 3 billion RINs already exempted for these compliance years by EPA in August. The Agency also updated its RFS Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE) webpage to reflect... Read More →

EPA Proposes Updates to RFS Volumes to Account for Small Refinery Exemptions

September 16, 2025

On September 16, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did little to shed light on how small refinery exemptions (SREs) from 2023-2025 will be reallocated. While proposing two approaches — a 100% and a 50% reallocation of exempted volumes — EPA indicated it would entertain other allocations. The specifics of EPA’s proposal were detailed in a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to revise the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) “Set 2” volume requirements for 2026 and 2027. It follows on the Agency’s August 22 Small Refinery Exemption (SRE) decisions. In a strongly worded news release that accompanied the proposal, EPA... Read More →

EPA Issues Decision on 175 Small Refinery Exemption Petitions

August 22, 2025

This morning, EPA announced its decision regarding 175 small refinery petitions sitting before it. These petitions were for compliance years 2016-2024. EPA is granting a full exemption to 63 petitions, granting partial, or half, exemptions to 77 petitions, denying 28 petitions, and determining 7 petitions to be ineligible. In addition to this decision, EPA makes a lengthy argument as to where judicial review of each petition should take place, coming to the conclusion the “final actions discussed within the August 2025 SRE Decisions Action are based on determinations of nationwide scope or effect for purposed of CAA section 307(b)(1) and... Read More →

EPA Drops Two Major Rules Regarding RVOs

June 13, 2025

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the long-awaited proposed renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for 2026 and 2027 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), as well as the final rule regarding the partial waiver of the 2024 Cellulosic Biofuel Volume Requirements. For the proposed rule, EPA set the RVOs at 24.02 billion Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) of renewable fuel in 2026, and 24.46 billion RINs in 2027. 2026 RVOs are an increase of 1.69 billion RINs over 2025 requirements. EPA is also considering a waiver for the 2025 mandate for cellulosic biofuel. Since RVOs set demand for RINs, the announcement... Read More →

Ghosts and Goblins! Office of Inspector General Releases Audit Report on Fraud Potential Within the RFS

October 11, 2023

It’s spooky season! A time filled with ghosts and goblins and…a report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) on fraud potential within the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Recently, OIG completed an audit of the RFS to identify areas of improvement to prevent opportunities for RIN fraud. The words “fraud” and “Renewable fuel Standard” or “RINs” used in the same sentence can be a little scary. I’ll admit it. When this report was first published, before I had read it, I passed it on to my boss with the message: “This doesn’t look good.” Even some of the headlines that... Read More →