White House Seeks Expanded Refinery Waivers Amid Soaring Gas Prices

The White House is pushing for an increase in refinery waivers to ease pump prices, which have risen above $4 a gallon. The administration has asked federal regulators to allow small oil refineries to blend less biofuels into their gasoline and diesel than initially projected.

Under federal law, refiners are required to blend tens of billions of gallons of biofuels like corn-based ethanol into the country's fuel pool or buy renewable blending credits. Smaller plants can apply for waivers if they demonstrate financial hardship, but this move would cut into overall biofuel blending mandates.

The EPA has projected approving enough waivers to cover around a billion RINs of biofuel blending obligations this year, but the White House is pushing for a higher volume. The push is being driven by senior White House adviser Stephen Miller and members of the administration's Energy Dominance Council.