Member press release – American Biogas Council Statement on EPA’s Final SET Rule for the RFS
WASHINGTON – June 21, 2023 – The American Biogas Council applauds the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final SET Rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program, which shows significant support for the biogas industry. Related to biogas, the final rule includes the renewable fuel volumes for 2023, 2024, and 2025, including renewable natural gas (RNG), guidelines for biogas reform and biointermediates, and a new methodology for biogas systems that accept food waste in addition to agricultural waste or wastewater sludge.
“With EPA’s Final SET Rule, biogas systems will serve a foundational role in the future growth of the renewable transportation fuel industry, reducing methane emissions, and increasing food waste recycling,” said Patrick Serfass, Executive Director of the American Biogas Council.
“RIN values will be strengthened and stabilized with EPA’s recognition of the strong, 20-40% RNG market growth the industry is experiencing today; new markets will open related to the RFS with biogas now able to replace conventional natural gas to produce non-RNG transportation fuels like ethanol, gasoline, and diesel; small farms will find it easier to build biogas systems to produce RNG by recycling food waste on site; and the RFS will now help close the gap between federal policy on food waste and the more developed, state-based food waste recycling laws. All of this will help the biogas industry scale and achieve greater environmental protection.
“We look forward to working with the Biden Administration and EPA to recognize biogas systems’ contribution to electric vehicles through electricity and fuel cells, and their complimentary role in decarbonizing the transportation sector. The biogas and finance industries have already shown they’re ready to act, based on the reaction to the proposed SET Rule. Now, it’s up to the Administration to finish what Congress created and allow biogas-electricity systems to modernize and continue to decrease the carbon footprint of the US transportation.”
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About the American Biogas Council
The American Biogas Council is the voice of the US biogas industry dedicated to maximizing carbon reduction and economic growth using biogas systems. We represent 400 companies in all parts of the biogas supply chain who are leading the way to a better future by maximizing all the positive environmental and economic impacts biogas systems offer when they recycle organic material into renewable energy and soil products. Learn more online at AmericanBiogasCouncil.org, Twitter @ambiogascouncil, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Hayley Maynard, (614) 701-8205, hayley@americanbiogascouncil.org
