RFS Power Coalition Applauds Passage of Interior Appropriations Bill

Both Senate and House Interior & EPA Appropriations Bills Encourage EPA to Process eRIN Applications within 90 Days

Washington, DC – February 15, 2019 – The RFS Power Coalition today applauded H.J. Res. 31, the spending bill passed by both the House and the Senate. The committee report of the Interior-EPA portion of the spending package includes a provision that “strongly encourages” the EPA to process within 90 days the backlog of applications that electricity producers have submitted to the agency to participate in the Renewable Fuel Standard. When the EPA processes these applications, electricity producers will be able to generate RINs, also known as electric RINs or eRINs, which will catalyze investment and job creation in the biomass, biogas and waste-to-energy sectors. The bill now goes to the White House for signing by President Trump. 

“We are extremely grateful to Senator Collins, Senator Merkley, Congresswoman Kaptur, and all of the supporters of the provision that encourages the EPA to process eRINs,” said Bob Cleaves, president and CEO of Biomass Power Association. “Congress included electricity in the RFS2 bill more than 11 years ago, and it’s past time for the EPA to include electricity in the program and enable biomass power producers to participate in the RFS. We urge President Trump to sign the bill and ensure that EPA delivers on its mandate within 90 days.” 

“Thank you to Congresswoman Kaptur and all who have supported biogas-to-electricity producers in our effort to rightfully participate in this part of the RFS,” said Patrick Serfass, executive director of the American Biogas Council. “If the EPA follows through and includes electricity in its RFS reset and the 2020 Renewable Volume Obligation, new biogas systems can be built that will recycle manure on farms, wastewater and food scraps into renewable energy and soil products. We look forward to lending any support the EPA needs to make sure this happens.” 

“Many waste-to-energy facilities are owned by local governments, which have invested in technology to put post-recycled garbage to use in energy production,” said Ted Michaels, president of Energy Recovery Council. “The ability to generate eRINs would ensure continued viability of these important local government infrastructure investments. We thank Congress for passing this bill and we hope to see EPA begin processing eRIN applications right away.” 

Last week, the RFS Power Coalition filed a petition in the D.C. Circuit court of federal appeals to challenge the 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO). Learn more at www.rfspower.com

About the RFS Power Coalition

The RFS Power Coalition is a group of organizations dedicated to activating the renewable electricity pathway of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The Coalition is led by the Biomass Power Association, American Biogas Council and Energy Recovery Council, the trade associations that represent, respectively, domestic biomass power producers who use organic fuels like forest residues, biogas-to-electricity producers like dairy farmers and wastewater treatment facilities, and waste-to-energy producers. All three fuels – biomass, biogas and biogenic waste – qualify as renewable transportation fuels that should be included in the D3 cellulosic and D5 advanced fuel categories of the RFS. https://rfspower.com