EPA proposes higher 2019 biofuels mandate

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed setting a blending mandate of 19.88 billion gallons for 2019 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), 3 percent higher from this year’s and in line with expectations," Reuters reports. "The agency proposed an advanced fuel requirement at 4.88 billion gallons for 2019 and a biodiesel mandate of 2.43 billion gallons for 2020. It proposed a cellulosic mandate of 381 million gallons for next year."

The EPA also decided not to force large refiners to blend extra amounts of biofuels to compensate for the large number of hardship waiver exemptions recently granted to small refineries. Biofuels advocates have accused the EPA of granting such waivers as a means of getting around the biofuels mandate to appease oil producers.

The EPA said it is also considering measures to make the compliance credit market more transparent.