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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Uncertainty over the new Section 45Z clean-fuel tax credit contributed to warnings of shutdowns and actual idling in 2024 and 2025, alongside negative margins. But those reports are historical, not a current count of closed plants. The IRS issued additional 45Z guidance in September 2026; it has not been established that the guidance led particular producers to restart.
What happened to biofuel producers?
The transition to Section 45Z left producers uncertain about whether qualifying fuel would earn a credit, how its emissions rate would be determined, and whether production would be profitable. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) later connected that uncertainty, together with negative margins, to a sharp decline in renewable-diesel and biodiesel production in the first quarter of 2025. EIA said some producers idled operations and forecast that biodiesel output would remain below 2024 levels for the year; that forecast is not proof of how much production ultimately fell or which plants later closed. EIA’s June 4, 2025 report describes the production decline and its stated causes.
The distinction between a warning, an announced temporary idle, a production decline, and a permanent closure matters. The reports below document different things on different dates; they are not a present-day census of facility status.
How the shutdown reports unfolded
| Date | Report or policy event | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| October 25, 2024 | Successful Farming reported that Western Iowa Energy president Brad Wilson warned that the plant he managed might idle without timely Treasury rules. The plant’s reported capacity was 45 million gallons per year. | A warning about a possible idle, not evidence that the plant shut down. Wilson said, “There’s no way we are going to take that risk in today’s market,” referring to the risk of selling at a loss while awaiting final guidance. The article also quoted an industry representative forecasting possible idling; that was a prediction, not a measured outcome. Successful Farming’s October 2024 report. |
| January 10, 2025 | Treasury and the IRS issued initial 45Z guidance and an emissions-rate table. | The new production credit began replacing the previous $1-per-gallon blender’s tax credit for the 2025 transition. Initial guidance did not mean every pathway or calculation question was settled. Treasury’s announcement. |
| First quarter of 2025; reported June 4 | EIA said renewable-diesel and biodiesel production fell sharply, citing tax-credit uncertainty and negative margins, and said some producers idled operations. | A sector-level production decline and reported idling, not a list of permanently closed facilities. EIA also forecast lower biodiesel output for 2025, which should not be treated as a confirmed year-end result. EIA’s report. |
| June 17, 2025 | FutureFuel announced temporary idling of biodiesel production, attributing the decision to a lack of clarity on 45Z. | A company-announced temporary idle. FutureFuel said it intended to restart when regulatory conditions improved; the announcement alone does not establish whether or when a restart occurred. FutureFuel’s announcement. |
| September 8, 2026 | The IRS announced Notice 2026-53, including a 2026 emissions-rate table and additional guidance. | A later policy update, not evidence that specific facilities reopened. The IRS said proposed regulations issued in February 2026 were still under final consideration. IRS release and Notice 2026-53 in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. |
Why 45Z uncertainty affected operating decisions
Section 45Z is a production credit for qualifying clean transportation fuel, not a guaranteed payment for every gallon of biodiesel or renewable diesel. Its potential value depends on whether the producer, facility, fuel, sale, and emissions calculation meet the rules. When producers cannot confidently estimate eligibility or the credit tied to a fuel’s emissions rate, they may have difficulty estimating revenue against production costs. EIA described the 2025 situation as uncertainty about profitability occurring alongside negative margins; the available reporting does not establish that the credit was the sole cause of any shutdown.
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Before the credit’s 2025 start, producers were transitioning from the prior $1-per-gallon blender’s credit to a new structure that required qualifying production and an emissions-based calculation. Treasury and IRS issued initial guidance in January 2025, but additional rules and methodology questions remained in play. That context helps explain why a company could still say it lacked sufficient clarity months after the credit began.
What a producer must establish to claim 45Z
The IRS’s Clean Fuel Production Credit overview and Instructions for Form 7218 describe the core requirements. In general, a claimant must:
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- Produce qualifying clean transportation fuel at a qualified facility in the United States.
- Be registered as a clean-fuel producer at the time the fuel is produced.
- Make a qualified sale of the fuel during the credit period.
- Support the applicable emissions rate and credit calculation for the fuel pathway and facility.
The credit began January 1, 2025 and is scheduled to run through December 31, 2029. For fuel produced after December 31, 2025, the IRS overview says eligible fuel must be derived exclusively from feedstocks produced or grown in the United States, Mexico, or Canada. A producer therefore cannot infer its credit from gallon volume alone: the qualifying pathway and emissions characteristics affect the calculation, and facility-level filing and documentation requirements apply under Form 7218 instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the September 2026 guidance changed—and what it did not settle
Notice 2026-53 adds guidance on establishing emissions rates and addresses animal-manure-derived fuels, regenerative agricultural practices, transition rules, and the annual 2026 emissions-rate table. It also notes further updates for the Department of Energy’s 45ZCF-GREET model. Producers evaluating a specific fuel pathway need to consult the applicable table and notice rather than assume a rate from a different fuel, year, or feedstock applies.
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The update is meaningful because it provides later-year rates and methodology details that were not all available during the 2024 shutdown warnings and early-2025 idling reports. It is not evidence that every pathway question is final: the IRS’s September 8 release said the proposed regulations published February 4, 2026 were still under final consideration. The notice and release do not establish that a particular company restarted because of the update.
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How to read claims that a biofuel plant has shut down
- Check the date and speaker. A company announcement, an agency assessment, and an industry prediction carry different evidentiary weight.
- Separate the status terms. “Warned it might idle,” “temporarily idled,” “reduced production,” and “permanently closed” are not interchangeable.
- Do not turn a forecast into an outcome. The 2025 EIA forecast and the 2024 industry forecast do not verify eventual annual output or a final count of closed plants.
- Verify current status independently. The cited reports do not establish which facilities remain idle or have reopened after September 2026; a current company disclosure or operator statement is needed for a present-status claim.
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