Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011 - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Open Fuel Standard Act of 2011 (H.R. 1687) is a bipartisan bill in the House of the United States Congress, currently in committee, that would require that a certain portion of light-passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. be alternative fueling vehicles capable of running on something other than just gasoline. The Open Fuel Standard Act does not dictate what types of vehicles are to be sold, only that an increasing percentage of the passenger car fleet sold in the U.S. be capable of running on non-petroleum sources - whether it be natural gas, electric, alcohol fuels, hydrogen or biodiesel, with a catch-all provision for any other sustainable technologies. The bill is intended by its sponsors to ensure that new vehicles enable fuel competition so as to reduce the strategic importance of oil to the United States.

Bill Text

To amend chapter 329 of title 49, United States Code, to ensure that new vehicles enable fuel competition so as to reduce the strategic importance of oil to the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SEC. 2. OPEN FUEL STANDARD FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Chapter 329 of title 49, United States Code

United States Code

The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...

, is amended by inserting after section 32905 the following new section:
`Sec. 32905A. Open fuel standard for motor vehicles.

(a) Requirements- Except as provided in subsection (c), each manufacturer's fleet

Fleet

-Vehicles:A fleet is a collection of ships or vehicles, with many specific connotations:*Fleet vehicles, two or more vehicles*Fishing fleet*Naval fleet, substantial group of warships*A group of small ships or flotilla...

of covered vehicles for a particular model year shall be --
not less than 50 percent qualified vehicles beginning in model year 2014;
not less than 80 percent qualified vehicles beginning in model year 2016; and
not less than 95 percent qualified vehicles beginning in model year 2017 and each subsequent year.

(b) Additional Definitions- As used in this section--

(1) the term `covered vehicle' means a passenger automobile, and includes a light-duty motor vehicle;

(2) the term `qualified vehicle ' means covered vehicle that--

(A) has been warranted by its manufacturer to operate solely on natural gas

Natural gas

Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...

, hydrogen

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...

, or biodiesel

Biodiesel

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....

;

(B) is a flexible fuel vehicle

Flexible-fuel vehicle

A flexible-fuel vehicle or dual-fuel vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel, usually gasoline blended with either ethanol or methanol fuel, and both fuels are stored in the same common tank...

;

Plug-in electric vehicle

A plug-in electric vehicle is any motor vehicle that can be recharged from any external source of electricity, such as wall sockets, and the electricity stored in the rechargeable battery packs drives or contributes to drive the wheels...

drive vehicle;

(D) is propelled solely by fuel cell

Fuel cell

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...

that produces power without the use of petroleum or a petroleum-based fuel; or

(E) is propelled solely by something other than an internal combustion engine

Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...

, and produces power without the use of petroleum

Petroleum

Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

or a petroleum-based fuel; the term `flexible fuel vehicle' means a vehicle that has been warranted by its manufacturer to operate on gasoline

Gasoline

Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

, E85

E85

E85 is an abbreviation for an ethanol fuel blend of up to 85% denatured ethanol fuel and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. E85 is commonly used by flex-fuel vehicles in the US, Canada, and Europe. Some of the benefits of E85 over conventional gasoline powered vehicles include the potential...

, and M85

M85

M85 or M-85 may refer to:* Messier 85, a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices* Zastava M85, an assault rifle developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms* M85 machine gun, a machine gun used in the M60 Patton series of tanks...

the term `E85

E85

' means a fuel mixture containing 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline by volume; the term `M85

M85

' means a fuel mixture containing 85 percent methanol and 15 percent gasoline by volume; the term `biodiesel

Biodiesel

Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....

' means diesel fuel which has been produced from a non-petroleum feedstock and which meets the standards of ASTM D6751-03; the term `plug-in electric

Plug-in electric vehicle

drive vehicle' has the meaning given such term in section 508(a)(5) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992

Energy Policy Act of 1992

The Energy Policy Act is a United States government act.It was passed by Congress and addressed energy efficiency, energy conservation and energy management , natural gas imports and exports , alternative fuels and requiring certain fleets to acquire alternative fuel vehicles, which are capable of...

(42 U.S.C. 13258(a)(5)); and the term `light-duty motor vehicle' means a light-duty truck or light-duty vehicle as such terms are defined in section 216(7) of the Clean Air Act

Clean Air Act

A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of airborne contaminants, smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans...

(42 U.S.C. 7550(7)) of less than or equal to 8,500 pounds gross vehicle weight rating.

Exemption

An exemption such as a tax exemption allows a certain amount of income or other value to be legally excluded to avoid or reduce taxation.Exemption may also refer to:...

from the requirement described in subsection (a) by submitting an application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require by regulation. Each such application shall specify the models, lines, and types of automobiles affected. EVALUATION- After evaluating an application received from a manufacturer, the Secretary may at any time, under such terms and conditions, and to such extent as the Secretary considers appropriate, temporarily exempt, or renew the exemption of, a light-duty motor-vehicle from the requirement described in subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that unavoidable events not under the control of the manufacturer prevent the manufacturer of such automobile from meeting its required production volume of qualified automobiles, including--

(A) a disruption

Disruption

Disruption is the interruption of normal work or practice.*In Scotland, the Disruption of 1843 refers to the divergence from the Church of Scotland of the Free Church of Scotland...

in the supply of any component required for compliance with the regulations; or

(B) a disruption in the use and installation by the manufacturer of such component.

(3) CONSOLIDATION- The Secretary may consolidate applications received from multiple manufacturers under subparagraph (A) if they are of a similar nature.

(4) CONDITIONS- Any exemption granted under paragraph (2) shall be conditioned upon the manufacturer's commitment to recall

Recall

Recall may refer to:* Recollection, recall from memory* Product recall* Recall election* Letter to recall sent to return an ambassador from a country, either as a diplomatic protest or because the diplomat is being reassigned elsewhere and is being replaced by another envoy* Recall to employment...

the exempted automobiles for installation of the omitted components within a reasonable time proposed by the manufacturer and approved by the Secretary after such components become available in sufficient quantities to satisfy both anticipated production and recall volume requirements.

(5) NOTICE- The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register

Federal Register

The Federal Register , abbreviated FR, or sometimes Fed. Reg.) is the official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains most routine publications and public notices of government agencies...

(A) notice of each application received from a manufacturer;

(B) notice of each decision to grant or deny a temporary exemption; and

(d) Rulemaking- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate regulations as necessary to carry out this section.'.

Supporting Organization

Renewable Fuels Association

The Renewable Fuels Association is an American lobbying organization which promotes policies, regulations, and research and development initiatives that will lead to the increased production and use of ethanol fuel...

Set America Free

Energy Alternatives

Methanol Institute

American Coalition for Ethanol

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Bill Text

SEC. 2. OPEN FUEL STANDARD FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Sponsors

Cosponsors

Supporting Organization