This weekend marked the 16 anniversary of the Renewable Fuel Standard, or RFS, a policy that has played a keystone role in decarbonizing America’s diesel fuel supply. On the heels of the anniversary, National Biodiesel Board CEO Donnell Rehagen noted the sustainable growth of the biodiesel industry under the RFS and urged policymakers to continue supporting future growth.

“The Renewable Fuel Standard has been crucial to growing the advanced biofuel industry, and it will remain essential for future decarbonization efforts across the country,” Rehagen said. “The RFS supported the sustainable growth of a 3-billion-gallon market for biodiesel and renewable diesel that has cut 143.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions over the past decade. We cannot afford to lose ground now. This policy should support continued growth of advanced biofuels as our industry strives to reach 6 billion gallons by 2030.”

Created under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and expanded to specifically include biodiesel and renewable diesel, jet fuel, and heating oil under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RFS drives the development of advanced biofuels that reduce carbon emissions from some of the hardest economic sectors to decarbonize.

Made from a diverse array of feedstocks, biodiesel and renewable diesel are renewable, clean-burning diesel replacements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 74% on average while creating domestic jobs and reducing air pollutants linked to cancer, asthma and other health conditions. These fuels are the first commercially available nationwide to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of an advanced biofuel under the RFS.

Learn more about biodiesel here.