The Environmental Protection Agency will be in Washington D.C. Circuit court starting Monday (April 24) as the court hears oral challenges to the 2014-2016 Renewable Fuels Standard Volumes. Politico’s Morning Energy Report says the RFS has supporters and detractors in both major political parties, so this case represents a rare nonpartisan issue for the EPA. The agency will have to defend itself against accusations that it set volumes for conventional biofuels, cellulosic biofuels, and biomass biodiesel too high or too low, depending on who’s speaking at the time in the courtroom. The EPA will need to defend its waiver to set the conventional biofuel requirements below congressionally-set levels. The EPA will also argue it’s under no obligation to change who must comply with the program. EPA’s positions in this case maximize administrative flexibility for the agency, something that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt likely wants to preserve. The Morning Energy Report also stressed that this isn’t an issue that began when Donald Trump was elected as it’s been a debate for years.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.
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