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Concern next Trump EPA could “reprise giving out Small Refinery Exemptions”

There’s concern Small Refinery Exemptions could ramp up during President Trump’s second term.

Minnesota Biofuels Association executive director Brian Werner suggests the SRE program was abused by the first Trump administration.

“We have a lot of concern that there will be a reprise of giving out Small Refinery Exemptions to large oil companies to release them from their blending obligations.”

Small Refinery Exemptions are temporary waivers that EPA can grant to petroleum refineries that produce less than 75,000 barrels of crude oil per day that can demonstrate compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard would cause them to experience disproportionate economic hardship.

He tells Brownfield the Trump EPA did a lot of damage to the biofuels industry by granting unwarranted SRE’s between 2016 and 2020.

“The amount of waivers, the amount of demand destruction that was caused by that. And to try to caution that that type of an approach and a return to that type of an approach would really be harmful to the industry.”

Werner says he’s confident biofuel champions in Congress will address SRE concerns with Trump’s nominee for EPA administrator Lee Zeldin during confirmation hearings.