WASHINGTON, D.C. – A bipartisan group of governors from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming have petitioned EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to exercise his agency’s general waiver authority to waive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance burdens for the year 2020 due to the experience of severe economic hardship throughout the refining industry and nationally amid COVID-19.
Last night, the Governors of Texas, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Utah joined the Governor of Louisiana in requesting that EPA exercise its general waiver authority to reduce Renewable Fuel Standard obligations to prevent severe economic harm to their states.
The chief executives of Valero Energy Corporation, Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Flint Hills Resources sent a letter to President Trump yesterday urging him to avoid actions that would worsen the impacts of federal biofuel policies on U.S. refiners.
The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) and American Petroleum Institute (API) sent a new letter to President Trump urging him not to listen to “misinformation and misguided policies” from the ethanol lobby that will result in lost jobs in refining communities and higher gasoline prices for consumers.
If the Biden Administration is serious about helping consumers, it needs to adopt policies that promote U.S. energy production and refining. A good place to start would be right-sizing RFS mandates.
Limiting California’s access to the exact types of crude oil its facilities need will only increase prices for the state’s consumers and travelers. Drivers are already dealing with gasoline prices in excess of $5 per gallon and the highest fuel taxes of the 50 states. Confining energy producers and consumers to a smaller pool of crude oil will make a very sensitive price environment that much worse.
As the days grow longer and the mercury rises, boating season gets into full swing. For the next several months, sportsman, families, and boating enthusiasts alike will hit the water to cool off and enjoy all that boating has to offer.
A recent opinion piece in the Washington Examiner, A higher ethanol blend should be your choice, not the government’s was a fascinating display of hypocrisy.
Fuel supply restrictions resulting from hurricanes and other natural disasters, often lead to price increases as the market reacts to rebalance supply and demand. To protect consumers, many states have enacted price gouging laws that limit a merchant’s ability to raise prices during an emergency.
