Ethanol industry officials praised and criticized EPA’s Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) proposed rules during the virtual hearing hosted by the agency. The proposed targets released on Dec. 7 would retroactively lower blending targets for 2020 and 2021, while increasing them for 2022.
Ethanol industry officials like that the agency set the 2022 volume at 15 billion gallons, would restore the first 250 million gallons waived in 2016 and include another 250 million gallons in 2023. The industry criticized EPA for going back and resetting the volumes for 2020 and 2021 at lower levels.
Refiners say the blending targets from EPA are burdensome.
Advocates from both sides, including organized labor, business leaders and elected officials testified.
