(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – The Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday released final volume requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan says, “Today’s final rule reflects our efforts to ensure stability of the program for years to come.” The announcement provides for annual growth in total renewable fuel volumes, although with lower conventional biofuel volumes than EPA had proposed. For 2023, EPA set an implied 15.25-billion-gallon requirement for conventional ethanol, which includes a supplemental 250 million gallons a prior court decision required EPA to restore to the RFS. For 2024 and 2025, EPA holds the implied conventional volume level at 15 billion gallons, despite proposing 15.25 billion gallons for those two years.

National Corn Growers Association President Tom Haag says, “A multi-year RFS volume rule offers stability and certainty for renewable fuels. However, when it comes to addressing pressing energy, environmental and economic challenges, EPA’s final rule falls short of the emission reductions and cost-saving benefits the higher proposed ethanol volumes would have provided.”