Washington, DC -- Congressmen Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) and John Shimkus (R-IL-19) joined with members of the Open Fuel Coalition on Tuesday afternoon to present an Energy Security Roundtable.  Afterwards, the two lawmakers, along with NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace and former National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane, outlined their support for the Open Fuel Standard Act (HR 1687).  Also joining the Congressmen at the event were representatives from the Renewable Fuels Association, the Methanol Institute and ACT! For America.

Rep. Shimkus said, “Consumers should have a choice when they pull up to a refueling station.  Why are we currently limited to petroleum gasoline?  At a minimal cost, vehicles could be able to accept multiple fuels with consumers choosing based on price or even feedstock for the fuel.”

Rep. Engel said, “Dependence on foreign oil is one of the greatest challenges that our nation has ever faced -- our national security and our econom­y depend on breaking free of it.  By employing the Open Fuel Standard, we can create competition for petroleum on the open market with other types of fuel.  We don’t have to wait for the perfect technology.  We can turn this around right now, at little to no cost, and create a safer and more prosperous America.”

The Open Fuel Standard Act is a bill before the U.S. Congress that would promote fuel competition in the U.S. transportation sector for the first time, reducing the number of cars on the road that can operate solely on gasoline made from oil. With implications for national security, economic welfare, and impact on health and the environment, the bipartisan Open Fuel Standard Act creates an effective way forward with no cost to the government.  The Coalition represents allied trade associations including the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the Methanol Institute, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, The U.S. Energy Security Council, ACT! For America, and others. More information at www.openfuelstandard.org

Wallace said, “Ethanol is a high performance fuel that is clean burning.  It's safe, we use it in NASCAR and there is no reason we cannot use more of it in our vehicles.”

McFarlane said, “National security has several fronts. Our reliance on a cartel to determine oil supplies and prices is not in our national interest.”

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