Washington, DC – At the annual meeting of the National Biodiesel Board today, U.S. Senator Mark Dayton called for the Administration to expand its own use of alternative fuels and touted his bill that would require a renewable fuel pump at every federal fleet fueling station. Though the U.S. government—the world’s single largest consumer of petroleum fuel—has purchased many “flex-fuel” vehicles, most still operate on gasoline and petroleum diesel. This is despite a 2000 Executive Order requiring the federal fleet to reduce its petroleum use by 20 percent; to date it has cut down by only 0.6 percent, according to the Department of Energy.

“My bill would ensure the tremendous purchasing power of the federal government would take us in the right direction: toward a stronger biofuels industry, and away from reliance on foreign oil,” said Dayton.

In 2004, the federal government bought just 3 million gallons of biofuels— less than one percent of the petroleum fuel it consumed in total.

“The reason that the federal government doesn't use more alternative fuel is because it isn't available at federal fueling stations—you can't use the fuel if you don't have the pumps,” said Dayton. “That’s why my “Renewable Fuels Promotion Act” would require every federal fueling station to be equipped with a renewable fuels pump. In the world of renewable energy, infrastructure is half the battle.”

In addition to the federal fueling station requirement, Dayton’s “Renewable Fuels Promotion Act” (S.2812) would eliminate barriers for service station owners to install E85 pumps. Reportedly, some oil companies prohibit franchise gas stations from selling renewable fuels from existing pumps, forcing station owners to install new pumps outside the canopy bearing the company name. This makes the pumps either inconvenient for the customer to use or too costly for the gas station owner to install. Dayton’s bill would make those oil company directives illegal.

In 2005, Dayton was presented with the “Biodiesel Lifetime Achievement Award” by the National Biodiesel Board.

Summary of Dayton’s Renewable Fuels Promotion Act:

Requires every federal fleet fueling station to make available at least one renewable fuel pump and authorizes the funds to install them.

Bans oil company directives or franchise contract provisions that prohibit the sale of renewable fuels anywhere on the gas station premises.

Requires the President to report to Congress at the end of each fiscal year its progress in complying with: the bill’s mandate to install renewable fuel pumps at every federal fleet refueling station; a 2000 Executive Order that required federal agencies to reduce their petroleum fuel consumption by 20 percent; and the 1992 Energy Policy Act requirement that 75 percent of all new federal fleet vehicle purchases be alternative fuel vehicles.

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