RINSTAR®

Core Features

RINSTAR is structured around the operational requirements of Renewable Identification Number management under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard program. Its main features include:

• RIN Transaction Management — The platform supports the generation, transfer, retirement, and tracking of Renewable Identification Numbers associated with renewable fuel transactions.

• EMTS Workflow Integration — RINSTAR is designed to operate alongside the EPA Moderated Transaction System (EMTS), supporting the reporting and reconciliation of RIN transactions.

• Compliance Reporting Tools — The platform includes reporting functions intended to assist users with quarterly EPA reporting obligations and transaction documentation.

• RIN Integrity and Validation Checks — RINSTAR provides transaction verification and integrity checks intended to identify discrepancies or reporting inconsistencies before submission.

• Regulatory and Administrative Support — CFCH supplements the software with operational assistance related to EPA registrations, pathway approvals, transaction troubleshooting, and compliance coordination.

Closing Insights

RINSTAR is one of the earliest specialized compliance platforms developed for the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard market. Founded in 2007 by refining-industry veteran Clayton McMartin, the platform was introduced as the first private-sector registry for renewable fuels and Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). Today, the company is led by CEO Brett Hicks and CTO Cutler McMartin, supported by a team of technicians and regulatory specialists focused on renewable fuel compliance workflows.

The platform’s development closely tracked the expansion of the Renewable Fuel Standard under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. In 2009, CFCH worked alongside the EPA during development of the federal Moderated Transaction System (EMTS), the centralized infrastructure through which RIN transactions are now processed. That collaboration helped shape RINSTAR’s long-standing focus on transaction validation, reporting coordination, and operational continuity. Readers interested in the broader regulatory context behind the platform may find CFCH’s 2010 RFS2 white paper particularly useful, as it explains many of the market and compliance challenges that influenced RINSTAR’s design.