Educational Briefing Series
Article No. 1
What is the RFS?
Author: Clayton McMartin
The RFS is the Nation’s Renewable Fuel Standard. The RFS was established as a result of the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPACT) and went into effect on September 1, 2007. Fundamental to the RFS is the mandated use of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, across all of the United States .
The first year of the RFS required that a minimum of 4.7 billion gallons of renewable fuel, prorated to the months September through December, be blended into the Nation’s on-road gasoline and diesel fuels. The actual RFS is expressed as a percentage, based upon the American motorist’s fuel use in any given year. In 2007 the RFS value was 4.02% of the nation’s total on-road gasoline consumption. Working together with the Department of Energy, EPA is required to calculate and publish the RFS by November 30th of each preceding year.
A new RFS, known as RFS2, was enacted into law beginning in 2008 with the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), and signed by President Bush on December 19, 2007. The New RFS2 nearly doubles the 2008 value to 7.76%, or 9.0 BGY, and increases the mandated volume on an increasing schedule to 36 billion gallons per year by 2022. The rule making process is underway now with EPA, and according to the present schedule the final rule for RFS2 is required by December 19, 2008 and will be effective January 1st of 2009.
In our next article we will investigate the renewable identification number, also known as the RIN. For additional information about the nation’s renewable fuel registry, visit www.RINregister.com or call (575) 377-3369.