The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and industry trade group Growth Energy have agreed to a one-week extension of a court-mandated deadline for EPA to release its Renewable Fuel Standard proposal outlining final biofuel blending requirements for the next three years.

Last summer the two sides agreed that EPA would release its final rule by June 14 as part of a consent decree agreement with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. According to a document submitted to the court on Tuesday, EPA will now announce its final Renewable Volume Obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard on June 21.

“After discussion with EPA leadership, Growth Energy consented to this new deadline to finalize the RVOs,” Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor says. “We fully expect EPA to comply with the new deadline and look forward to a robust final rule that strengthens the RFS and enhances the biofuels industry’s ability to decarbonize the transportation sector.”

Per the terms of the 2005 Renewable Fuel Standard, Congress established initial targets for the program through 2022. Starting this year, EPA will have expanded authority to administer the program.

In December 2022, EPA released proposed higher biofuel blending volumes through 2025. They would require oil refiners to add 20.82 billion gallons of biofuels to their fuels in 2023. That number would increase to 21.87 billion gallons in 2024 and 22.6 billion gallons in 2025. Included in that amount would be 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuel like ethanol in 2023, and 15.25 billion gallons in 2024 and 2025. It remains to be seen what changes, if any, there will be in the final rules.