Farm and clean-fuel groups applaud EPA move on 2026-27 RFS rule

The Environmental Protection Agency has transmitted its final 2026-2027 Renewable Fuel Standard rule to the Office of Management and Budget for interagency review, a procedural step that drew immediate praise from major agricultural and clean-fuel trade groups. The National Oilseed Processors Association, American Soybean Association, and Clean Fuels Alliance America issued a joint statement Feb. 26 calling the submission a "sign of progress" after prolonged uncertainty over future blending mandates.

The move matters now because it signals the administration is advancing toward publication of binding volume requirements that will shape investment decisions across the biofuels supply chain. Oilseed processors planning crush capacity, soybean growers weighing planting intentions, and renewable fuel producers evaluating production schedules all depend on predictable RFS targets. The coalition's membership spans that entire value chain, underscoring the breadth of stakeholders awaiting regulatory clarity.

While applauding the procedural milestone, the groups pressed the administration to complete OMB review expeditiously and publish final volumes that align with industry growth and rising clean fuel demand. They framed the RFS as a key driver of biomass-based diesel expansion and related agricultural demand, positioning timely rule finalization as essential to sustaining momentum in domestic renewable fuel production.

The joint statement did not disclose specific volume targets or percentage changes from prior years, leaving market participants to await the published rule for details on biomass-based diesel mandates, RIN treatment, and feedstock assumptions. No OMB review timeline or expected publication date was provided. Industry watchers will now monitor the regulatory review dashboard and EPA docket for signals on when final numbers will emerge and whether volumes meet the coalition's call for growth-oriented targets.