Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) applauded President Barack Obama’s implementing the Open Fuel Standard on federal vehicles.  The Presidential Memorandum on Federal Fleet Performance, which would require all new light duty vehicles in the federal fleet to be alternate fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, natural gas, or biofuel, by December 31, 2015.

“For several years, I have championed bipartisan legislation to apply an Open Fuel Standard to all vehicles sold in America – not just those in the federal fleet.  I am greatly encouraged by the President’s embrace of this concept and urge my colleagues in Congress to support the widespread implementation of the Open Fuel Standard for all Americans,” said Rep. Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The Open Fuel Standard Act (H.R. 1687), co-sponsored by Rep. Engel, and introduced with Republican sponsor Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), would require 50 percent of new automobiles in 2014, 80 percent in 2016, and 95 percent in 2017, to be warranted to operate on nonpetroleum fuels in addition to or instead of petroleum based fuels.  Compliance possibilities include the full array of existing technologies – including flex fuel, natural gas, hydrogen, biodiesel, plug-in electric drive, and fuel cell – and a catch-all for new technologies.  This requirement will then provide certainty to investors to produce alternative fuels and fueling stations to have a variety of pumps supplying those alternative fuels.

Rep. Engel said, “I believe achieving energy independence for our nation is of the utmost importance.  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.

“Our transportation sector is by far the biggest reason we send $600 billion per year to hostile nations to pay for oil at ever-increasing costs.  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,” said Engel.

The legislation is also co-sponsored by Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) and Steve Israel (D-N.Y.).

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