Arrington Leads Texas Delegation in Fight to Lower Energy Costs by Slashing Regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) was joined by Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11) in leading more than 40 of their colleagues - including the entire Texas Republican Delegation - in sending a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, recommending modifications to the 2026 and 2027 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) proposed rule. The recommendations offered by Arrington and Pfluger aim to lower fuel costs for Americans, maintain competitiveness in the liquid fuels manufacturing industry, and support President Trump and Administrator Zeldin's mission of unleashing American energy.

Without these modifications, the letter warns, the current proposal could threaten the viability of U.S. refineries and risk higher fuel costs for consumers.

"To maintain the viability of the liquid fuel manufacturing industry and keep energy costs low for American consumers and businesses, it is critical the EPA modifies its June 2025 proposed rule on Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs)," the letter reads, in part. "When finalizing this rule, we urge you to consider the impact the refining sector has on the American economy, ensure the rulemaking maintains stability in the domestic fuels market, and sustain a strong and competitive industry that is vital to our nation's energy security."

The lawmakers specifically called on Administrator Zeldin to:

• Align RVO volumes with market realities and ensure standards can be met with available domestic feedstocks;
• Prevent the reallocation of regulatory compliance burdens to larger refiners when Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) are granted; and
• Maintain a 100% Renewable Identification Number (RIN) value for imported renewable fuels and feedstocks to preserve the competitiveness of American manufacturers.

The effort is also supported by leading industry groups, including the Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association (LMOGA). In addition, the effort has the support of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, the leading trade association representing U.S. refineries:

"If the EPA's proposed rule on the 2026 and 2027 RVOs is finalized, it will put American consumers on the hook for a $70 billion RFS bill and require Americans to pay for MORE biofuel feedstock imports into the United States." said Chet Thompson, President and CEO of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. "We appreciate the coalition of House members led by Representatives Arrington and Pfluger for drawing attention to this issue and for providing commonsense recommendations that would keep fuel costs low for American consumers while maintaining a competitive liquid fuels industry."

The full letter to Administrator Zeldin can be found here.

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