Iowa’s ethanol industry has long pushed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set higher minimum volumes for blending ethanol. 

On Wednesday, in another in a series of EPA late-day or holiday-week releases, the EPA finalized the so-called Renewable Fuel Standard requirements for cellulosic biofuel, advanced biofuel and total renewable fuel for 2017 and the biomass-based diesel for 2018.

These standards are important because they assure the industry demand for the biobased products. The volumes set Wednesday were higher than the EPA had proposed earlier.

“While our industry has shown that higher volumes of biomass-based diesel can and will be produced and consumed, this final rule elevates the growth trajectory for our cleaner, lower carbon intensity advanced biofuel,” Daniel Oh, president and chief executive officer of Ames-based biodiesel producer Renewable Energy Group, said in a statement.

“We can all be thankful EPA has raised the conventional biofuel requirement to the 15 billion gallon level required by the statute,” he said. “The move will send a positive signal to investors, rippling throughout our economy and environment,” Bob Dinneen, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, said in a statement.

“By signaling its commitment to a growing biofuels market, the agency will stimulate new interest in cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels, drive investment in infrastructure to accommodate E15 and higher ethanol blends, and make a further dent in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Dinneen added.

Read the full news release.