Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, created under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005, established the first renewable fuel volume mandate in the United States.

The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is responsible for promulgating regulations to ensure that gasoline sold in the United States contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel.

The national Renewable Fuel Standard Program, or RFS Program, set new reporting, registration, and compliance requirements for major refiners, fuel blenders, and fuel importers.

The program was introduced with the aim of increasing the volume of renewable fuel required to be blended into gasoline. Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the RFS program was expanded in several key ways. EISA expanded the RFS programme to include diesel, in addition to gasoline. EISA also established new categories of renewable fuel, and set separate volume requirements for each one; and required EPA to apply lifecycle greenhouse gas performance threshold standards to ensure that each category of renewable fuel emits fewer greenhouse gases than the petroleum fuel it replaces. EPA is responsible for promulgating regulations to ensure that gasoline sold in the United States contains a minimum volume of renewable fuel. 

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