 |
Louisiana Light • 4 days | 72.39 | +1.98 | +2.81% | ||
|
Bonny Light • 3 days | 75.19 | +1.17 | +1.58% | ||
|
Opec Basket • 4 days | 72.79 | -0.28 | -0.38% | ||
|
Mars US • 2 days | 71.39 | +1.89 | +2.72% | ||
|
Gasoline • 10 mins | 2.524 | +0.023 | +0.94% |
|
Bonny Light • 3 days | 75.19 | +1.17 | +1.58% | ||
|
Girassol • 3 days | 77.03 | +1.40 | +1.85% | ||
|
Opec Basket • 4 days | 72.79 | -0.28 | -0.38% |
|
Peace Sour • 3 days | 64.35 | +2.01 | +3.22% | ||
|
Light Sour Blend • 3 days | 65.65 | +2.01 | +3.16% | ||
|
Syncrude Sweet Premium • 3 days | 74.60 | +2.01 | +2.77% | ||
|
Central Alberta • 3 days | 63.95 | +2.01 | +3.25% |
|
Eagle Ford • 4 days | 66.58 | +2.01 | +3.11% | ||
|
Oklahoma Sweet • 4 days | 66.50 | +2.50 | +3.91% | ||
|
Kansas Common • 5 days | 58.25 | -1.50 | -2.51% | ||
|
Buena Vista • 13 days | 76.15 | -1.09 | -1.41% |
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U.S. Biofuels Overhaul Delayed
Washington has shelved indefinitely a planned overhaul of the national biofuels policy that sought to reduce costs for the oil industry, two sources told Reuters, saying the move was the result of pressure from corn states prompted by concern such an overhaul will reduce demand for ethanol.
The news comes after months of tough negotiations as the administration has found itself on a tightrope between the oil industry on the one hand, and the ethanol industry on the other, with their interests at odds.
U.S. refiners are obliged to add a certain percentage of bioethanol to the fuel their produce every year and earn or buy blending credits—renewable identification numbers, or RINs—that they must present as proof of their compliance with bioethanol fuel quotas to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Refiners, however, have been complaining that these quotas are costing them dearly, so one of the changes envisaged in the planned overhaul of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Program concerned bioethanol exports being included in the annual quotas.
For corn farmers, on the other hand, the more bioethanol refiners add to the fuel, the better: the biofuels policy has created a 15-billion-gallon ethanol market for them. But the new deal would have seen an increase in the sales of high-ethanol gasoline, Reuters notes, which would have benefited corn farmers.
Related: Trump’s Bizarre Bid To Bailout Coal And Nuclear
The conflict is likely to continue, with or without a deal. In an April story, energy industry commentator Robert Rapier noted that oil refiners have spent billions on compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard. Valero alone said last year it had splashed more than US$1 billion on compliance.
Rapier also quoted anti-ethanol quotas lobbyist Tim Constantine as saying, “RIN speculation is driving the market and costing consumers at the pump” and suggesting that refiners should be entitled to RIN waivers that would cost a modest sum to alleviate the pressure and help to reduce gas prices at the pump.
For now, however, any change aimed at helping refiners reduce their RIN-associated costs has been frozen. In this oil versus corn match, corn has won the game.
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By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
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- PDVSA Could Declare Force Majeure On Oil Exports
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Irina Slav
Irina is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing on the oil and gas industry.
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Ethanol compared to the pure energy of refined oil just isn't independent enough to make its production worth the mandate of the RFS. Therefore, the RFS isn't needed because its product is based on forcing true makers of energy to blend what is not working as an independent fuel source.
I also don't believe that Refiners are spending Millions as stated "Complying with the Renewable Fuels Standard", Actually they are spending Millions to not blend ethanol into their fuels, that's THEIR Choice under the Renewable Fuel Standard. It would be far cheaper for them to blend in the ethanol than purchase RINS. The Renewable Fuel Standard is not some "new law" that just appeared on the books. The RFS has been with us in the Clean Air Standard since 2005, so Thirteen Years Later, in 2018, if you’re still purchasing RINS to supposedly "comply" with the RFS, it’s because you have CHOSEN to NOT Comply with the RFS and blend in your required volumes of renewable fuels but rather purchase RINS, so good for you, purchase your RINS and stop complaining about it.
Let’s be clear. The easiest way to REDUCE RIN Costs and to also COMPLY with the RFS, is to allow the year-round sale of E-15 and higher ethanol blends in the Market Place. But the API and the REFINING INDUSTRY are Dead Set against this simple solution because their afraid of any REAL Competition in the fuel market. Ethanol with an Octane Rating of 113, truly is "A Better Fuel, For A Better Price", if it wasn't so the API and Oil Refiners would not be so Afraid of It!
I think its time for BIG OIL and the API to GROW UP, and start worrying about CLEAN AIR and Less Cancer for the AMERICAN PUBLIC.
Ethanol is the Answer not the Problem.