The National Biodiesel Board issued the following statement May 6 after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied a petroleum industry challenge to the 2013 renewable fuel standard (RFS) requirements. 

“The court’s decision today is only the latest in a long series of cases in which the courts have found that the RFS is a fair and reasonable program for achieving our national energy objectives, including promoting more advanced biofuel such as biodiesel,” said Anne Steckel, NBB’s vice president of federal affairs. “The bottom line is that there was more than enough EPA-designated advanced biofuel available last year to meet the standards. The RFS is working, and we strongly encourage the petroleum industry to get on board. There is plenty of room for fossil fuels and renewable fuels in the United States, and consumers will be better off with a choice.”

Background: The case was brought by oil refiner Monroe Energy LLC. NBB intervened in the case, delivering oral arguments alongside the EPA, to defend enforcement of the statutory RFS volumes, particularly in the advanced biofuel category. The court rejected Monroe’s arguments that the 2013 standards were invalid because the EPA was late in finalizing the volumes, and that the EPA should have reduced overall and advanced biofuel volume requirements when it reduced cellulosic ethanol volumes last year.

NBB is the U.S. trade association for the biodiesel industry. Biodiesel is made from a variety of resources including soybean oil, recycled cooking oil and animal fats. With plants across the country, it is the first and only EPA-designated advanced biofuel produced on a commercial-scale nationwide. The industry reached record production last year of nearly 1.8 billion gallons, supporting more than 62,200 jobs.