EPA Official Delivers RFS News at National Ethanol Conference

EPA's Aaron Szabo shares updates on the Renewable Fuel Standard and E15 waivers.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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At the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando, the Environmental Protection Agency's Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Aaron Szabo, announced that the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Set 2 final rule has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget. Szabo also discussed EPA's role in keeping E15 pumps open in the summer of 2025 and the recent rescission of the 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding and repeal of all GHG standards for vehicles.

Why it matters

The RFS program is a key policy that supports the ethanol industry, and the finalization of the RFS Set 2 rule will provide much-needed certainty for stakeholders. The EPA's actions on E15 waivers and vehicle emissions standards also have significant implications for the future of liquid fuels and the RFS.

The details

Szabo said the RFS Set 2 final rule has been sent to OMB and is expected to be finalized before the end of March. He noted that resolving small refinery exemptions first, as requested by stakeholders, added complexity but provided needed certainty. Regarding E15, Szabo talked about EPA's use of emergency fuel waivers to keep pumps open in 2025, which he said 'reinforced something important: Ethanol is an essential part of fuel supply stability.' However, he acknowledged that the uncertainty resulting from last-minute changes to the PSI requirement caused significant unnecessary costs. Finally, Szabo celebrated the recent rescission of the 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding and repeal of all GHG standards for vehicles, calling it 'the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history' that will save Americans over $1.3 trillion.

  • The RFS Set 2 final rule has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget.
  • The RFS Set 2 final rule is expected to be finalized before the end of March 2026.

The players

Aaron Szabo

The Environmental Protection Agency's Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

A federal agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment.

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What they’re saying

“This is after constant work and deliberation by our fantastic team in OAR in consultation with other federal workers in the federal government.”

— Aaron Szabo, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (agwired.com)

“These waivers were grounded in our statutory authority. They were timely, and they reinforced something important: Ethanol is an essential part of fuel supply stability.”

— Aaron Szabo, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (agwired.com)

“Last spring was not how I would like to move forward this spring. The uncertainty resulting in the PSI requirement changes at the last minute resulted in significant unnecessary costs within the industry and on Americans.”

— Aaron Szabo, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (agwired.com)

“This action… is the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history and will save Americans over $1.3 trillion,”

— Aaron Szabo, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (agwired.com)

“There is no E15, there is no RFS if we do not have liquid fuels.”

— Aaron Szabo, EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation (agwired.com)

What’s next

The RFS Set 2 final rule is expected to be finalized by the end of March 2026.

The takeaway

The EPA's actions on the RFS, E15 waivers, and vehicle emissions standards demonstrate the agency's efforts to balance support for the ethanol industry and liquid fuels while navigating complex policy decisions.