WASHINGTON, DC – Today, six trade associations wrote a letter to President Trump urging him to unleash U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel production to bolster America’s energy security during the conflict with Iran. The disruption in the global oil market is constraining diesel fuel supplies, which threatens to raise the cost of all U.S. consumer goods and further harm the U.S. agriculture sector as farmers start this season’s planting. Immediately finalizing the 2026 and 2027 Renewable Fuel Standards would encourage the U.S. clean fuel industry to quickly ramp up enough production capacity to meet 3% of the nation’s demand for diesel, the groups write.
The letter to President Trump is signed by Clean Fuels Alliance America, the American Soybean Association, National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA), North American Renderers Association (NARA), and U.S. Canola Association, representing the full biomass-based diesel value chain – farmers, feedstock providers, clean fuel producers, and customers.
“The biodiesel, renewable diesel and SAF industry is ready to meet the challenge of providing crucial supplies of diesel fuel free from overseas threats,” the groups write. “The RFS rule should be finalized as quickly as possible. Continued delays in finalizing and publishing the RFS rule would extend market uncertainty for farmers and stakeholders across our value chain as well as exacerbate the recent spike in diesel fuel prices.”
The letter – which is available at cleanfuels.org – highlights that America’s biodiesel and renewable diesel industry produced more than 5 billion gallons of affordable fuel in 2024, meeting 10% of the nation’s demand for on-road diesel fuel. With 6.5 billion gallons of existing production capacity and billions of pounds of available feedstocks, the industry can quickly ramp up production for domestic consumption – reducing reliance on foreign oil, taming rising diesel prices, and returning value on investments in America’s agricultural sector.
Kurt Kovarik, Clean Fuels’ Vice President of Federal Affairs, added, “Uncertainty and delays in regulatory policy – including the RFS – forced biodiesel and renewable diesel producers to idle nearly 1.8 billion gallons of existing capacity last year. The slowdown threatens American jobs, consumers’ pocketbooks, and American farmers’ livelihoods. The entire industry is eagerly awaiting the final RFS rule to bring this capacity up to speed. And none of the fuel will need to be delivered through the Strait of Hormuz.”
