The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the quantity of bio-based diesel products required to be included in the diesel fuel market in 2013 is 1.28 billion gallons. Bio-based diesel products are advanced bio-fuels that are derived from sources that include vegetable oils and wastes oils from renewable sources.
EPA’s action sets the quantity under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), which established the second phase of the Renewable Fuel Standards program. EISA specifies a 1-billion-gallon-minimum volume requirement for the biomass-based diesel category for 2012 and beyond.
The law also calls on EPA to increase the volume requirements after consideration of environmental, market, and energy-related factors. EPA action follows its review of the comments and additional information received since the agency proposed the volume in 2011, according to the EPA news release.