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RFA Salutes Senate Reintroduction of Next Generation Fuels Act

March 22, 2023

Congress, E15, FFVs, Flex Fuel E85, LCFS

           

The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) for reintroducing the Next Generation Fuels Act. The bill establishes a high-octane, low-carbon fuel standard that would lower pump prices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enable greater engine efficiency, and encourage competition in the fuel market. In addition, the legislation addresses regulatory impediments that have slowed the commercialization of high-octane, low-carbon fuels and the vehicles that can consume them.

 

A similar bill was introduced last year in both chambers of Congress and secured numerous bipartisan co-sponsors. A recent poll conducted by Morning Consult for RFA found strong support among registered voters for the Next Generation Fuels Act. Among poll respondents who had an opinion on the Next Generation Fuels Act, more than three out of four expressed support for the legislation. Among all poll respondents (including those with no opinion on the legislation), 60 percent supported the legislation and just 18 percent said they oppose it.

 

“We thank Sens. Grassley and Klobuchar, along with Sens. Ernst and Duckworth, for reintroducing the Next Generation Fuels Act in the Senate,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “Americans will continue to rely on liquid fuels and internal combustion engines for decades to come, and this legislation will ensure drivers have access to more efficient high-octane, low-carbon, lower-cost fuels for their vehicles well into the future. We look forward to working with clean fuel supporters in both chambers of Congress to turn this bold vision into a reality.”

 

In addition to saving drivers money with each fill-up, low-carbon liquid fuels like ethanol are an essential part of the strategy to reach net-zero greenhouse emissions by mid-century, Cooper said, and RFA’s member companies have unanimously committed to achieving a net-zero carbon footprint for ethanol by 2050 or sooner.

 

Specifically, the Next Generation Fuels Act would establish high-octane (95 and 98 RON) certification test fuels containing 20-30 percent ethanol, while requiring automobile manufacturers to design and warrant their vehicles to allow these fuels beginning with model year 2026. The bill also includes a low-carbon requirement, specifying that the source of the octane boost must reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by an average of at least 40 percent compared to a 2021 gasoline baseline, as measured by the Department of Energy’s GREET model. The legislation also includes a restriction on the aromatics content of gasoline, ensures parity in the regulation of gasoline volatility (Reid vapor pressure), corrects key variables used in fuel economy testing and compliance, requires an update to the EPA’s MOVES model, ensures infrastructure compatibility, and addresses many other regulations impeding the deployment of higher octane blends at the retail level.