AFPM opposes the Inflation Reduction Act as written. We evaluated the bill against our core principles, specifically whether the legislation would support strong U.S. refining and petrochemical industries and whether it pursued emissions reductions in a market-based and cost-effective manner. Unfortunately, the IRA falls short of these goals.
Restricting exports would be a major unforced error for the President, tightening global fuel supplies, throttling U.S. fuel production and increasing costs for American consumers. Likewise, imposing product inventory requirements boils down to siphoning gasoline and diesel into storage, and away from consumers.
Despite opposition from thousands of elected officials, state agencies, businesses, community groups and other stakeholders, EPA pressed ahead with its tighter ozone standards from 75 parts per billion (ppb) to 70 ppb on October 1st last year - a move that is expected to cost $1.4 billion annually and provide little economic benefit.
The House of Representatives will soon vote on three pieces of legislation to rein in the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from (1) imposing and enabling de facto bans on new cars and trucks that run on liquid fuels and (2) from radically transforming the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) into a new nine-figure-government subsidy program for electric vehicles (EVs).
Chet Thompson, President and CEO of the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule regarding modifying the interpretation of Clean Air Act Section 211(h)(4) to extend the E10 volatility waiver to E15, on which AFPM today submitted comments.
Oil markets are famously sensitive to uncertainty. Global conflict can send prices higher on concerns that crude oil supplies could be disrupted. This is playing out in response to Russia’s unprovoked acts of war against Ukraine. Russia is a major supplier of crude oil and other energy products globally, though less so in the United States. In recent days, many market participants have committed to stop purchasing Russian oil. Shipping companies are concerned about loading cargoes from Russia and some shippers are finding the cost associated with such cargoes too high. These moves are tightening an already tight market.
“Just as we were proud to testify in support of these bills last month, AFPM is proud to support the legislation being marked up today...As members review these bills carefully, appreciating exactly what they do and do not do, the choice to support them should be obvious, especially for those with fuel and petrochemical manufacturing facilities in their districts.” – Chet Thompson, AFPM President & CEO
Although President Obama’s controversial Clean Power Plan (CPP) has been debated at length for several months, its legal failings finally came under the microscope during oral argument in W Virginia et al. v EPA et al. in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on September 27.
One key component called for in nearly every recipe for clean, low-sulfur gasoline is alkylate. Alkylate is high in octane, low in sulfur and has zero aromatics which all help to lower vehicle emissions and tailpipe pollution.
