EPA Extends 2024 RFS Compliance Reporting Deadline

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule on March 14, 2025, extending the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance reporting deadline for the 2024 compliance year. 90 Fed. Reg. 12109. As reported in our January 8, 2025, blog item, EPA published a proposed rule on December 12, 2024, that would partially waive the 2024 cellulosic biofuel volume requirement and revise the associated percentage standard under the RFS program due to a shortfall in cellulosic biofuel production. 89 Fed. Reg. 100442. As a result of this proposed change, EPA proposes to extend the RFS compliance reporting deadline for the 2024 compliance year. In its March 14, 2025, final rule, EPA does not make final the proposed partial waiver or most of the other proposed amendments to other RFS provisions, instead stating that it may address them in a later action. According to EPA, it expects that the effective date of the revised 2024 cellulosic biofuel standard will not occur until after the March 31, 2025, original 2024 RFS compliance reporting deadline. To provide obligated parties with sufficient time to carry out and adjust their compliance strategies once EPA issues the final revised 2024 cellulosic biofuel standard, it is extending the 2024 RFS compliance reporting deadline from March 31, 2025, to the next quarterly compliance reporting deadline after the effective date of the final rule establishing the revised 2024 cellulosic biofuel standard. EPA states that by operation of law, the 2024 attest engagement deadline would also be extended to the next June 1 annual attest engagement reporting deadline after the revised 2024 RFS compliance reporting deadline. EPA also made several minor amendments and technical corrections to other RFS provisions. The rule was effective March 13, 2025.