Zeldin discusses timeline for 2026 RFS rulemaking during Senate hearing
U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
May 22, 2025
BY Erin Voegele
U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on May 21 stressed the agency is working “as fast as humanly possible” to finalize a rulemaking setting 2026 Renewable Fuel Standard renewable volume obligations (RVOs) during a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to consider the EPA’s fiscal year (FY 2026) budget request.
Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., questioned Zeldin on the timing of the RFS rulemaking during the hearing, noting that strong RVOs drive the agriculture markets in real ways and create “strong markets that producers are in desperate need of right now in today’s farm economy.”
Ricketts criticized the Biden administration for its RFS rulemaking delays and decision to set RVOs for biobased diesel at levels below current production capacity. He also expressed disappointment in recent rumors that the EPA is currently planning to set the 2026 RVO for biomass-based diesel at 4.625 billion gallons. That rumor caused soybean basis to drop almost 30% last week, he said. Ricketts encouraged Zeldin to set the 2026 RVO for biomass-based diesel at 5.25 billion gallons and ensure an implied RVO for corn ethanol of at least 15 billion gallons.
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He also asked Zeldin to disclose the EPA’s anticipated timeline for the pending 2026 RFS rulemaking. Zeldin noted that the EPA has already delivered a proposed rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget, where it is undergoing the interagency review process.
“We expect a proposed rule to be finalized and released very soon,” Zeldin said. “We’ll go through rulemaking that includes the public comment period. We’ll finalize this as quickly as we possibly can…we will get this done as fast as humanly possible.”
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When pressed by Ricketts if that means the rule could be finalized this summer or this fall, Zeldin replied “much, much faster.”
The EPA delivered the proposed rule to set upcoming RFS RVOs to the OMB on May 14. To date, 10 trade groups, companies and other stakeholders have scheduled meetings with the OMB to discuss the proposed rule, with the final meeting currently scheduled for June 10. The proposed rule will be released for public comment period once the OMB’s review is complete.
A full replay of the hearing is available on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works website.
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