By David Cox, Biomass Magazine special contributor.

The year 2022 looms large over alternative and clean fuel industries participating in the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS). But not for the reason one might initially think. Every day, fuel procurement, project financing and infrastructure investment decisions are heavily influenced by misinformation. Rumor and myth are embraced over statute and fact. Harmful reports of a 2022 RFS expiration persist.

Remarkably, however, the ominous date that so many have come to fear is easily demystified once the statutory language of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is unpacked. The RFS is, after all, a product of law. With a vote of Congress and the president’s signature, federal policy was set in motion. And while it grows more complex with each U.S. EPA rulemaking, regulators’ hands are tied to the statute.