Renewable Fuel Standard requirements on par with 2017

The amount of renewable fuels required to be blended into the nation's gasoline supply next year will be roughly the same as this year, according to a final rule to be published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The prospect of a cut in renewable fuel levels earlier this year prompted anger among some farm state lawmakers and industry groups. But the final figures, which were provided by an agency official ahead of their public release, will be slightly higher than what they were this year and what the EPA initially proposed in July.

In 2018, according to the new rule, 19.29 billion gallons of renewable fuels will be required under the Renewable Fuel Standard, up from 19.28 billion for 2017.

The amount of advanced biofuels will be 4.29 billion gallons, with biomass-based diesel the same as set in July at 2.1 billion gallons and cellulosic biofuel at 288 million gallons - 50 million gallons higher than the July proposal. The 2019 amount for biomass-based diesel also was set at 2.1 billion gallons.

The final biofuel targets have been a matter of controversy this year, as the initial proposal for cellulosic and biomass-based diesel fuels came in lower than many farm interests wanted.

In addition, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt entertained the idea of lowering levels of advanced biofuels even further, and counting exports of traditional ethanol toward meeting the mandates.

That brought a storm of protest from lawmakers like Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, as well as industry groups, with President Donald Trump even intervening.

In October, Pruitt dropped the export idea and indicated it was likely that biofuel amounts would, at the least, meet the July targets.

The cellulosic biofuel amount, although higher than the initial July proposal at 288 million gallons, still is lower than the 311 million gallons that it was set at for 2017.

Pruitt is scheduled to meet with farmers and others Friday near Nevada, Iowa.