The U.S. EPA released its monthly Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) data1 on June 18, showing that nearly 2.02 billion Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) were generated in May 2026. Up close to 4% compared to the same month last year. The year-to-date total through the first five months of 2026 now stands at 9.66 billion RINs.
RINs are the compliance credits generated when renewable fuels enter the supply chain. Their volume is a direct measure of how much renewable fuel is actually being produced and blended into the market.
Learn what RIN credits are…
Here's where May's 2.02 billion RINs came from:
Category | Fuel Type | Producer | RINs Generated |
|---|---|---|---|
D3 Cellulosic | Cellulosic ethanol | Domestic | 7.34 million |
D3 Cellulosic | Renewable natural gas (RNG) | Domestic | 2.8 million |
D3 Cellulosic | Compressed RNG | Domestic | 16,393 |
D3 Subtotal | 10.16 million | ||
D4 Biobased Diesel | Renewable diesel | Domestic | 489.57 million |
D4 Biobased Diesel | Biodiesel | Domestic | 187.44 million |
D4 Biobased Diesel | Renewable jet fuel / SAF | Domestic | 40.19 million |
D4 Biobased Diesel | Nonester renewable diesel | Importers | 16.07 million |
D4 Biobased Diesel | Biodiesel | Importers | 3.29 million |
D4 Biobased Diesel | Biodiesel | Importers | 2.52 million |
D4 Subtotal | 735.78 million | ||
D5 Advanced Biofuel | Naphtha | Domestic | 9.23 million |
D5 Advanced Biofuel | Ethanol | Domestic | 2.89 million |
D5 Advanced Biofuel | Nonester renewable diesel | Domestic | 525,555 |
D5 Advanced Biofuel | LPG | Domestic | 68,811 |
D5 Subtotal | 12.74 million | ||
D6 Renewable Fuel | Ethanol | Domestic | ~1.26 billion |
D6 Renewable Fuel | Ethanol | Importers | 1.18 million |
D6 Subtotal | ~1.26 billion | ||
D7 Cellulosic Diesel | — | — | 0 |
Total | ~2.02 billion |
On the price side, EPA data released the same day showed D4, D5, and D6 RINs all trading at significantly higher levels than a year ago. D3 RINs were the exception, down slightly from May 2025.
For traders and brokers, higher RIN prices alongside strong generation volume is a favorable setup heading into summer. For feedstock suppliers — including used cooking oil collectors and processors — sustained D4 volume signals continued downstream demand for the low-carbon inputs that qualify producers for the program's most valuable RIN categories.
1 Source: U.S. EPA, RFS data released June 18, 2026
