In a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision on Friday holding that a small refinery that previously received a hardship exemption from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s renewable fuel credit requirements may obtain an extension even if it saw a lapse in exemption coverage in a previous year.
The case, styled HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC, et al. v. Renewable Fuels Association, et al., overturns a 10th Circuit appellate court ruling that faulted the EPA for giving extensions on waivers from renewable fuel standard requirements to refineries in Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming under the Clean Air Act despite the expiration of the companies’ prior exemptions.
Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a previous ruling that limited the EPA’s power to exempt struggling gasoline makers from requirements to blend ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply.
“The Supreme Court’s decision today is a major win for Oklahoma energy—and the right decision under the law,” said Inhofe. “Small refinery exemptions protect thousands of jobs. Imposing arbitrary, unlawful limitations on refiners’ access to them is fundamentally unfair and ignores the intent and will of Congress. While the fight to protect refinery jobs from burdensome regulations is far from over, we have much to celebrate with this important and welcomed ruling. I urge the Biden Administration to immediately grant additional exemptions to protect jobs and keep gas prices low.”
The Supreme Court decision can be read here.
