AEA Leads Coalition Letter Urging Congressional Action on the Renewable Fuel Standard

WASHINGTON DC (6/25/26) – Today, a broad coalition of prominent conservative, taxpayer, and energy policy organizations sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson urging support for a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume mandates for 2026 and 2027.

The EPA finalized the rule on April 1, 2026, setting the highest renewable volume obligations (RVOs) in the program’s history: 25.82 billion renewable identification numbers (RINs) in 2026 and 25.98 billion RINs in 2027. This makes it the most expansive and expensive RFS mandate in history.

 AEA President Thomas Pyle issued the following statement: 

“The RFS program was designed for a different era when America was dependent on foreign oil. Today, the United States is a net exporter of energy. These bloated mandates no longer serve their original purpose and instead act as a hidden tax that drives up costs for refiners and American families at the pump.

“The EPA’s own analysis acknowledges massive costs of more than $20 billion annually, against just $400 million in claimed benefits. Independent estimates place the total burden on consumers and refineries closer to $106 billion over the next two years. For American workers, businesses, and families already strained by inflation and high gas prices, this is the last thing they need.”

AEA Experts Available For Interview On This Topic:

• Tom J. Pyle, President
• Kenny Stein, Vice President of Policy
• Alex Stevens, Manager of Policy and Communications

Additional Background Resources From AEA:

• Coalition Letter
• Why Do Gasoline Prices Fall Slower Than They Rise?
• EPA Final Rule Does the Improbable: Makes the Renewable Fuel Standard Even Worse

For media inquiries please contact:
THOMAS.PYLE@ENERGYDC.ORG