The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) for introducing two new bills that would stimulate increased production of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) and expand retail infrastructure to enhance consumer access to lower-carbon fuel blends like E15 and E85.
“These two bills recognize that American-made ethanol can and should play a central role in our nation’s efforts to quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Today’s ethanol already cuts GHG emissions by nearly half compared to gasoline, and the industry is on a path toward producing ethanol with net-zero emissions by mid-century or sooner. But our nation cannot fully capitalize on ethanol’s low-carbon benefits unless more retail stations offer higher blends and more vehicles are produced that can run on flex fuels like E85. The legislation introduced today would help address both of those marketplace bottlenecks while supporting rural communities across the heartland at the same time. We thank Sens. Klobuchar and Ernst for their vision and bipartisan commitment to a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous future.”
The Clean Fuels Vehicle Act (S.2267) would encourage increased production and deployment of flex-fuel vehicles by creating a $200 refundable tax credit for each light-duty FFV manufactured for a period of 10 years. The legislation would also restore certain Corporate Average Fuel Economy credits that were previously available to automakers for producing FFVs.
The other bill, known as the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act (S.2271), would codify a $500 million grant program for the deployment of renewable fuel infrastructure and direct the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency to finalize proposed rules relating to requirements for E15 fuel dispenser labeling and underground storage tank compatibility.
Also, Sens. Klobuchar and John Thune (D-SD) introduced a third bill related to biofuel tax credits for higher blends, the Low-Carbon Biofuel Credit Act (S.2262); Reps. Cindy Axne (D-IA) and Adrian Smith (R-NE) today introduced similar legislation in the House.
Ken Colombini
