RFS 101

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How to Manage the RIN Rollercoaster

September 28, 2025

The complex and frequent regulatory shifts within the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program are the primary drivers of volatility in Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices, and we’ve all been stuck riding the RIN rollercoaster. RINs are the compliance currency and market incentive of the RFS, and it’s crucial your company understands how to value and plan your RINs. When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Congress signals a potential change in RFS policy, such as delays in setting Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), the granting of Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs), or proposals for market-altering reforms (like a price cap), it... Read More →

Biodiesel vs. Renewable Diesel: Are They the Same or Different?

September 5, 2025

As the demand for low-carbon fuel alternatives grows, the market is expanding beyond traditional petroleum products—and with it, so is the complexity. Two of the most prominent contenders in the renewable fuels landscape are biodiesel and renewable diesel. Though they may sound similar and serve a similar purpose, they differ in terms of production, chemistry, performance, and regulatory treatment. Production Pathways and Chemical Composition Biodiesel is produced via transesterification, a chemical reaction involving vegetable oils or animal fats with an alcohol (usually methanol) in the presence of a catalyst. Common feedstocks include soybean oil, canola oil, used cooking oil, and... Read More →

Save Your Receipts! The Inside Scoop on Product Transfer Documents

July 15, 2020

Do you ever go into a store and completely forget your grocery list? You walk out with a 9-foot receipt and items that you probably didn’t need. Or is that just me? Anyway, that 9-foot receipt is basically what the renewable fuel industry would call a Product Transfer Document (PTD). It works a lot like a receipt for a RIN transaction, and it’s required by the regulations. #bonus. Unlike my shopping experiences, a PTD can fit on a single page. Convenient, right? Every PTD is required to contain the following information: The name and address of the transferor and transferee... Read More →

The Biofuels Trilogy: Renewable Volume Obligations, RINs and the Renewable Fuel Standard

May 13, 2020

All the good things come in threes: the Three Amigos, the Hunger Games trilogy, three-for-one specials. I’m sure there’s more but, you get the picture. When the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandated the requirement of obligated parties to fulfill their obligation by retiring RINs, it created a market where RINs can be bought and sold among RFS participants. Driving this market are the annually-set Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), which can increase an obligated party’s need for RINs. In case you have no idea what that means, an obligated party incurs an obligation from the type of business activity they perform.... Read More →

Easy Peezy Lemon Squeezy: The Ins and Outs of the Renewable Volume Obligation

May 13, 2020

After reading the title to this article, I suppose you’re expecting to see a lot of regulatory and legal hieroglyphics. Plot twist. I’m going to explain the regulatory purpose of the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) in a way that makes sense and can include you in the industry conversation like the cool kid you are. #trendworthy. So what is the RVO and why should you care? Overall, the Renewable Volume Obligation is the volume of renewable fuel, in gallons, that must be blended to produce transportation fuel. On an individual level, the RVO is the regulatory duty (obligation) an importer... Read More →

Elementary, Dear Watson: A Beginner’s Guide to the Renewable Fuel Standard

May 13, 2020

What the heck is a RIN? How does the Renewable Fuel Standard actually work? When I first started with RINAlliance, I remember thinking it sounded like having an imaginary friend: beneficial sure, but people looked at you funny when you talked about it. To this day, my parents aren’t sure what I do is real, but since I’m not living out of their basement, they’re fine with it. #millenialproblems. I only have two pages, so I have to dive right in. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) was the grandchild of the much bigger and more well-known Clean Air Act from... Read More →