A group of conservative leaders is urging House lawmakers to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ethanol-blending quotas, which they argue increase fuel prices. The letter, sent on Thursday, was signed by nearly three dozen conservatives, including Stephen Moore, Grover Norquist, Jerry Simmons, and Harold Hamm. They claim that the quotas impose a financial burden on American workers and families, labeling them as a 'regressive tax.'
The EPA's biofuel blending standards, established under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), require transportation fuel to contain a growing volume of renewable fuel. The agency's final rule aims to raise the total requirement to 25.82 billion renewable identification numbers for 2026 and 25.98 billion for 2027, an increase from 22.33 billion in 2025. While agricultural groups support the standards, oil refiners contend that they lead to higher compliance costs, which may ultimately be passed on to consumers.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that the agency would begin working on the next set of standards, emphasizing the need for predictability in the regulatory process.