November 2025 Decisions on Petitions for RFS Small Refinery Exemptions
Summary
On November 7, 2025, EPA announced its decisions on 16 individual small refinery exemption petitions from eight refineries seeking an exemption from their Renewable Fuel Standard obligations for the 2021–2024 compliance years. In consultation with the Department of Energy, EPA reviewed all the information submitted by each individual refinery in support of its petition. After careful consideration of all statutory factors and the information submitted by the refineries, EPA is granting full (100 percent) exemptions to two petitions, granting partial (50 percent) exemptions to 12 petitions, and denying two petitions.
This document articulates EPA’s interpretation of section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air Act and EPA’s authority with respect to SRE petitions. As required by CAA section 211(o)(9), EPA’s final actions on the pending SRE petitions are based on the legal and factual analysis presented herein, after consulting with DOE, and considering the DOE Small Refinery Study and “other economic factors.”
This document also explains how EPA will implement SRE decisions when an exemption is granted. In addition, this document provides a correction to an error in one of the SRE decisions issued in the August 2025 SRE Decisions Action.
The decisions in this document are final Agency action.