Why It Matters

The Renewable Fuels Association reported $402,429 in lobbying expenditures for the first quarter of 2026, according to a lobbying disclosure filed May 4. That's up from $327,152 in the fourth quarter of 2025, a roughly 23 percent increase quarter over quarter.

The ethanol industry is navigating a crowded policy moment. The EPA finalized record-high Renewable Fuel Standard volume obligations for 2026 and 2027 in March, a win for the industry. But a push to permanently enshrine year-round, nationwide E15 fuel sales into law has stalled. The House passed a Farm Bill without an E15 amendment, leaving the industry to pursue other legislative vehicles. Meanwhile, tariff uncertainty continues to cloud export markets. The RFA's uptick in spending reflects the pressure to convert regulatory momentum into durable legislative wins.

By the Numbers

The first quarter disclosure is one of several active filings for the RFA. The organization runs both an in-house lobbying operation and retains outside firms. The in-house team, which filed this disclosure, spent $1,430,992 across four quarterly filings in the past year, per congressional lobbying records.

The RFA also retains Jim Massie & Partners LLC, which has filed on the RFS across multiple quarters, and AJW Inc., which has covered topics including year-round E15 and renewable fuels policy. A new outside firm, H&M Strategies LLP, registered as a new client lobbyist for the RFA in late March 2026, bringing five additional lobbyists onto the account.

The in-house team on this disclosure includes four lobbyists: Troy Bredenkamp, Ed Hubbard Jr., Geoff Cooper, and Jared Mullendore. Two have prior congressional staff experience. Ed Hubbard Jr. previously served as a Senior Policy Adviser and Counsel to Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD). Jared Mullendore served as District Director for Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA-1).

The Agenda

The first quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure does not list specific issues or legislation in its filing. Prior quarterly disclosures, however, show a consistent and broad agenda. Based on those filings, the RFA has lobbied on:

  • Renewable Fuel Standard implementation and volume obligations
  • The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 (H.R. 1346/S. 593), related to E15 fuel access
  • The 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit and other Inflation Reduction Act tax provisions
  • Sustainable Aviation Fuel policy and the 40B tax credit
  • International trade barriers affecting ethanol exports, including tariffs involving Brazil, China, Canada, India, and Colombia
  • Rail safety and hazardous materials transport
  • Farm Bill development and climate-smart agriculture

The 2025 fourth quarter disclosure also referenced the reconciliation package, H.R. 1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," in the context of renewable fuels policy. AJW Inc.'s third-quarter filing explicitly cited the bill in connection with biofuels for maritime use.

Broader Context

The RFA's lobbying activity is occurring against a backdrop of significant regulatory and legislative movement. The EPA finalized its 2026–2027 RFS rule in late March, setting what the agency described as the highest-ever renewable fuel volume obligations. The rule also removed renewable electricity, or eRINs, as a qualifying fuel under the program.

On E15, the Trump administration issued an emergency waiver permitting year-round sales, but a legislative fix has not materialized. A bipartisan Farm Bill amendment led by Rep. Michelle Fischbach that would have permanently allowed year-round E15 manufacture and sale was dropped before the House passed the bill in late April. The RFA publicly supported the amendment.

Congressional interest in the ethanol sector has been active. In a March 2026 Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on expanding domestic consumption of U.S. agricultural products, witnesses repeatedly cited renewable fuel volume obligations as central to farm income. "Strong, predictable, renewable volume obligations are essential," said Jed Bower of the National Corn Growers Association. "They give farmers, ethanol producers, and fuel retailers the confidence to invest and grow."

On the trade front, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told the Senate Finance Committee at an April 2026 hearing that several countries had agreed to reduce tariffs on U.S. ethanol imports, citing a UK agreement that opened a billion-liter market. He noted ongoing, if complicated, discussions with Brazil.

Canada's potential retaliatory tariffs on U.S. ethanol remain an active concern. Canada accounted for roughly 25 percent of U.S. ethanol exports in 2024.

The Bottom Line

The RFA is a well-established presence in Washington with a consistent lobbying footprint. The first quarter spending increase, combined with the addition of a new outside firm, suggests the organization is broadening its reach at a moment when several of its core priorities, including permanent E15 access and tax credit clarity, remain unresolved on Capitol Hill.

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