The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Monday that the 2009 renewable fuel standard (RFS) will require most refiners, importers, and non-oxygenate blenders of gasoline to displace 10.21% of their gasoline with renewable fuels such as ethanol.

That requirement aims to ensure that at least 11.1 billion gallons of renewable fuels will be sold in 2009, in keeping with the targets established by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which President Bush signed into law in December 2007.

While the RFS requirement is increasing by about 23%—from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 11.1 billion gallons in 2009—the percentage requirement is increasing by nearly one third, from 7.76% in 2008 to 10.21% in 2009.

The larger relative increase in the percentage requirement reflects the fact that fuel consumption is expected to be lower in 2009, so a greater percentage of renewable fuel is needed to reach 11.1 billion gallons of renewable fuels.