Brownback, Salazar, Lieberman introduce open fuel standard act

Friday, July 25, 2008

Special to The Tribune

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) today held a press conference to introduce the Open Fuel Standard Act, legislation which seeks to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

"In Kansas, and across the nation, people are concerned about the rising price of gasoline," said Brownback. "Today, I was pleased to join a tri-partisan group of senators to introduce the Open Fuel Standard Act. This legislation will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil and will increase consumers' options when it comes to fuel."

The Open Fuel Standard Act requires that starting in 2012, 50 percent of new automobiles, and starting in 2015, 80 percent of new automobiles, be flex-fuel vehicles warranted to operate on gasoline, ethanol, and methanol, or be warranted to operate on biodiesel. The alternative fuels can be made from a variety of sources, including switchgrass and other energy crops, coal, agricultural bi-products, corn, soybeans, natural gas and other materials. Making a flex-fuel vehicle costs the manufacturer about one hundred dollars per vehicle.

"This legislation gives Americans a choice at the pump by making fuel flexibility a standard feature of the majority of cars and trucks produced in the United States," said Senator Salazar. "In doing so, we will protect consumers from soaring gas prices, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and spur the further development of renewable fuel technologies that are central to our energy future. As our presence here today demonstrates, setting America on a path of energy independence is an effort that transcends party lines. We must all work together to make this vision of energy independence a reality."

Each year, well over half a trillion U.S. dollars are spent on oil imported from OPEC and non-OPEC nations.

Senator Lieberman said, "Solving our nation's strategic vulnerability and freeing American consumers from fuel price spikes requires breaking the stranglehold that oil has on our transportation sector. That is what this bill would do, by finally introducing real fuel choice into the American vehicle market."

Senators Susan Collins (R-Me.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) also have co-sponsored the bill.