“A bill to provide regulatory relief to alternative fuel producers and consumers, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section amends the Clean Air Act to (1) exempt aftermarket conversions of motor vehicles to alternative fuel operation from tampering prohibitions (i.e., 42 U.S.C. 7522(a)(3)) and certificate of conformity requirements if the conversion system is matched to the vehicle, well-designed, and installed without degrading emission performance (as compared to pre-conversion levels), requires the installer to affix a label disclosing the conversion, and authorizes EPA to prohibit conversions shown to degrade emissions (Thus, vehicle owners may convert vehicles to alternative fuels without violating anti-tampering rules, subject to the specified conditions); and (2) prohibit EPA from prohibiting or controlling biomass fuels (as defined in the Biomass Energy and Alcohol Fuels Act of 1980).
This section amends the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program (49 U.S.C. ch. 329), effective for model year 2026 and subsequent model years, by (1) adding definitions in 49 U.S.C. 32901(a) for biodiesel (i.e., biomass-derived liquid fuel meeting specified EPA registration and ASTM standards, excluding fuels eligible for certain tax credits), E85 (i.e., 51-83% ethanol meeting ASTM D5798), flexible fuel vehicle (i.e., warranted for gasoline, E85, or M85), fuel choice enabling manufacturer (i.e., with at least 50% of U.S.-sold fleet as fuel choice enabling vehicles), fuel choice enabling vehicle (i.e., warranted for natural gas, hydrogen, propane, at least 20% biodiesel, flexible fuel, plug-in electric drive, non-petroleum fuel cell, or non-internal combustion engine on non-petroleum fuel), M85 (i.e., up to 85% methanol meeting ASTM D5797), and plug-in electric drive vehicle (cross-referencing 42 U.S.C. 13258(a)); (2) deeming automobiles of a fuel choice enabling manufacturer compliant with CAFE standards also compliant with EPA greenhouse gas regulations under Clean Air Act section 202 (42 U.S.C. 7521); (3) revising the averaging period for earned CAFE credits under 49 U.S.C. 32903(a)(2) to any of the 5 consecutive model years immediately after the model year earned (to the extent not used for the earning year); and (4) establishing an 8 miles per gallon bonus added to a fuel choice enabling manufacturer's average fuel economy calculation under 49 U.S.C. 32904(d).
This section modifies the Clean Air Act ethanol waiver by (1) expanding eligible gasoline-ethanol blends to those containing 10 percent or more ethanol (from 10 percent) preceding subparagraph (A), and (2) striking the prohibition on "additional alcohol or" from subparagraph (C). (As background, the waiver authorizes EPA to exempt qualifying ethanol-blended gasoline from the prohibition on selling summer gasoline with Reid vapor pressure exceeding 9.0 pounds per square inch in certain nonattainment areas; thus, the changes expand waiver eligibility to E10 and higher blends, including those with other alcohols.)