Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin says the upcoming decision on biofuel-blending mandates has "multiple dials," and his role is to fulfill President Donald Trump's message to the American heartland.
"The president has been very outspoken and consistent with his message to the heart of the middle of America and on where his position is, and my job as EPA administrator is to implement that vision and that commitment," Zeldin said at the annual Agri-Pulse Ag & Food Policy Summit in Washington on Monday.
Trump, after a mixed first term on biofuels, has earned widespread praise from the agriculture industry for his push for robust policies aimed at increasing use of crop-based fuels like ethanol and renewable diesel.
Zeldin's remarks are certain to be parsed for any clues on what the EPA's final 2026-27 biofuel quotas will mean for farmers, oil refiners and producers of renewable fuels.
Zeldin, a former GOP U.S. representative representing a Long Island section of New York state, reaffirmed the EPA's plan to issue renewable volume obligations by March 31.
Once the RVOs are released, EPA will "instantly" start working on proposed rules for 2028, Zeldin said.
Zeldin also discussed his efforts to reduce red tape. The EPA's backlog of regulatory actions related to pesticides has declined to 8,500 from 14,500 last January, he said..webp?t=1762183428)
