Recent Federal Actions

This list includes recent federal actions, such as Federal Register notices and rulemaking actions, agency directives or agency communications, that are all publicly available. These actions relate to alternative fuels and vehicles, fuel blends, hybrid vehicles, and idle reduction and fuel economy measures. When rulemakings are finalized, they will move to the list of Federal Laws and Incentives.

U.S. DOE Proposes Rule to Implement Additional Federal Fleet Requirements

March 12, 2012

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a proposed rule to establish mandatory reductions in annual petroleum consumption and increases in alternative fuel consumption for federal fleets. These requirements were mandated by Section 142 of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. According to EISA, federal fleets must decrease annual petroleum consumption by 20% from Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 to FY 2015 and must achieve at least a 10% increase in annual alternative fuel consumption each year through FY 2015, as compared to a FY 2005 baseline. The proposed rule sets forth specific petroleum reduction and alternative fuel consumption requirements for individual agencies. For more information, refer to the proposed rule in the Federal Register and the DOE Sustainable Federal Fleets website.

U.S. EPA Releases Evaluation of E15 Registration Submission and Approves First Applications

February 17, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an evaluation of information submitted by the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy to satisfy the emissions and health effects data requirements for registration of E15 (15% ethanol, 85% gasoline). The EPA evaluation concludes that the submission is sufficient to satisfy both data requirements, and that fuel and fuel additive manufacturers who wish to register E15 may choose to rely on this submission for completing their applications. Registration is a prerequisite to introducing E15 into the marketplace.

In April 2012, the EPA approved the first applications for registering ethanol for use in making E15. For more information, please see the EPA E15 and Registration and Health Effects Testing websites.

U.S. EPA Finalizes 2012 Standards Under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program

January 09, 2012

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the 2012 volume requirements and associated percentage standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel that must be blended into transportation fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). The 2012 standards are 8.65 million gallons (0.006%) cellulosic biofuels; 1.0 billion gallons (0.91%) biomass-based diesel, 2.0 billion gallons (1.21%) advanced biofuels; and 15.2 billion gallons (9.23%) total renewable fuels. For 2012, the program is implementing the requirement established by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to blend more than 1.25 billion gallons of renewable fuels over the amount mandated for 2011. For more information, refer to the final rule in the Federal Register and the EPA Renewable Fuels: Regulations and Standards website.