EPA has granted most of the small refinery exemption requests it considered for the 2025 Renewable Fuel Standard compliance year. The agency announced decisions Monday on 34 petitions from individual refineries seeking relief from their biofuel blending obligations. EPA granted full exemptions to 18 refineries and partial, 50 percent exemptions to another 11. Three petitions were denied, while two were deemed ineligible. The decisions come as soybean and biofuel groups have warned that expanded refinery exemptions could significantly reduce demand for biofuels and soybean oil. The EPA says it reviewed information submitted by each refinery and consulted with the Department of Energy before making its decisions. The agency also considered the DOE Small Refinery Study and other economic factors as required under the Clean Air Act. EPA says it will continue to monitor how exemptions are implemented and is reissuing a partial exemption for one refinery covering the 2024 compliance year. The decisions could have significant implications for renewable fuel demand and farm markets.
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