Fuel retailers, trucking fleets and home heating industry urge Congress to extend the biodiesel blenders tax credit

March 12, 2025

BY NATSO

NATSO, representing America’s truck stops and travel centers, SIGMA: America’s Leading Fuel Marketers, American Trucking Associations, the Clean Freight Coalition, Energy Marketers of America, the National Association of Convenience Stores, the National Energy & Fuels Institute and the Truckload Carriers Association urged Congress to extend the “Section 40A" Biodiesel Blenders' Tax Credit. Extending the longstanding, bipartisan $1 per gallon tax credit will ensure that the current uncertainty in the advanced biofuel industry does not result in higher fuel prices at the pump.

Fuel retailers, distributors and blenders, trucking fleets and consumers of renewable fuels support tax policies that result in lower fuel prices. Renewable diesel and biodiesel provide affordable, cleaner-burning fuel that reduces American dependence on foreign energy sources, stabilizes domestic fuel markets, and enables consumers to purchase more competitively priced diesel fuel. Biodiesel and renewable diesel have historically been the most widely used biofuels in commercial trucking and remain the most viable option for reducing carbon emissions from the nation’s trucking, home heating oil, and rail industries.

Advertisement

Advertisement

“The expiration of the Biodiesel Tax Credit at the end of 2024 has decimated biofuels supply chains. Many biofuel production facilities, particularly biodiesel plants, have scaled back or are shutting down entirely,” the organizations said in a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee. “Consumers should not have to incur unnecessary cost increases for everyday goods like food, medicine, and other essential commodities if stability is not restored to biofuels markets through an extension of the Biodiesel Tax Credit.”

Economists predict inflation could rise 2.5 percent in 2025, elevating it to a top economic issue in the United States. Restoring the Biodiesel Blenders’ Tax Credit is a concrete step that Congress can take to help mitigate inflationary threats that persist throughout the economy, including tariffs.

The Biodiesel Tax Credit directly lowers the cost of diesel fuel for truck drivers, which in turn reduces shipping costs and helps lower the prices consumers pay for goods transported by truck.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Since its introduction in 2004, the Biodiesel Blenders’ Tax Credit has successfully motivated retailers to invest in infrastructure needed to support low-carbon fuel options, while also making renewable fuel blends more affordable for consumers.

The Biodiesel Blenders’ Tax Credit has been instrumental in developing a strong renewable diesel industry in the United States, driving significant growth in production. The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel market expanded from approximately 100 million gallons in 2005 to around 4 billion gallons in 2023, all while contributing to lower transportation-related carbon emissions.

 

Related Stories

The U.S. EPA on Aug. issued decisions on 175 small refinery exemption (SRE) petitions, granting full or partial exemptions of Renewable Fuel Standard blending obligations for 143 petitions. According to the EPA, 13 SRE petitions remain pending.

Read More

The U.S. EPA on Aug. 21 released data showing more than 1.92 billion RINs were generated under the Renewable Fuel Standard in July, down from 2.26 billion generated during the same month of last year.

Read More

The U.S. EPA on Aug. 21 published updated small refinery exemption (SRE) data, reporting that nine new SRE petitions have been filed under the Renewable fuel Standard during the past month. A total of 204 SRE petitions are now pending.

Read More

The U.S. EPA announced it has “developed a new approach” for reviewing SREs in a document filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on Aug. 19. The agency is expected to issue decisions on outstanding SRE petitions soon.

Read More

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on Aug. 6 announced the reintroduction of the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act. The bill aims to strengthen the USDA’s BioPreferred Program, which promotes the use of U.S.-made biobased products.

Read More

Upcoming Events

Sign up for our e-newsletter!

Advertisement

Advertisement