House Republicans Warn Trump EPA That New Renewable Fuel Rule Will Drive Up Prices

By Kamden Mulder
September 9, 2025
AS SEEN IN NATIONAL REVIEW

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are asking Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to rethink the Trump administration’s June 2025 proposed rule on liquid fuel manufacturing, which they warn will harm American refineries and drive up fuel prices for consumers.

The letter, sent to the EPA on Tuesday and signed by 42 House Republicans, recommends that Zeldin reconsider his rule on Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs), a standard established under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2026 and 2027 that requires refineries to incorporate a certain level of renewable fuel in their annual output. These new standards, according to the letter, “would place an unsustainable burden on refineries and significantly increase costs on U.S. consumers and businesses.”

The letter was spearheaded by lawmakers from the nation’s leading energy exporter, Texas. Representatives Jodey Arrington and August Pfluger of Texas were joined by colleagues from other energy rich states, including Oklahoma.

“U.S. refineries are critical to achieving President Trump’s goals to restore American energy dominance, as a strong and competitive liquid fuel manufacturing industry is vital to maintaining low gasoline and energy prices while limiting inflation,” the letter reads.

Recommendations include minimizing RVO values to reflect the limited availability of renewable fuels and the cost of incorporating them into the output produced by refineries. The letter notes that liquid fuel manufacturers have already spent billions to comply with RVOs since the inauguration of the Renewable Fuel Standard in 2005 and warns that any further escalation will harm consumers.

The letter also urges the EPA to rethink Small Refinery Exemptions, a rule that places regulatory burdens on larger refineries when smaller companies are unable to front the costs associated with complying with the Renewable Fuel Standard.

A source familiar with the matter told National Review that both the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association and the Texas Oil & Gas Association sent a joint letter to Zeldin in support of the representatives proposal.

“When finalizing this rule, we urge you to consider the impact the refining sector has on the American economy, ensure the rulemaking maintains stability in the domestic fuels market, and sustain a strong and competitive industry that is vital to our nation’s energy security,” the letter reads.

The rules in question were proposed in June 2025, with a public hearing in July, and the intention to finalize the rule by the end of October. In announcing the rules, the EPA emphasized that they would help support manufacturers of alternative fuel precursors.

“These volume requirements, if finalized, will protect investments made by American corn and soybean growers, oilseed processors, and biodiesel and renewable diesel producers, whose products are critical to our country’s energy security and keeping rural economies strong,” the EPA fact sheet reads. “Collectively, the proposed package represents a critical and much-needed step in the evolution of this important program.”

The signers of the letter feel that the regulations will frustrate President Donald Trump’s plan to “unleash American energy” and reach American energy independence.

The EPA told National Review that it plans to “review the letter and will respond through the appropriate channels.”