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Apr 1, 2006 12:00 PM

Starting in 2006, Americans will be gassing up with nearly 3% of clean-burning, domestic renewable fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol under new standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the standard is the first step in EPA's Renewable Fuels Standard Program, which is designed to reduce vehicle emissions and strengthen United States energy security by doubling the use of fuels produced from American crops by 2012.

”This investment in renewable fuels made from domestic crops will support American agriculture and replace fossil fuels with an increasing amount of cleaner-burning alternatives,” according to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.

The regulation explains how industry will comply with the Energy Policy Act's default provision requiring that 2.78% of the gasoline sold or dispensed to US motorists in 2006 be renewable fuel.

This regulation is intended to provide market certainty for smooth implementation of the program in 2006 as EPA expands the program.

Many of the act's other provisions regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard Program for 2007 and beyond will be implemented in subsequent regulations, EPA said.

The program will significantly increase the volume of renewable fuels blended into motor vehicle fuels. Various renewable fuels can be used to meet the requirements of the program, including ethanol and biodiesel.

Under this standard, refineries, blenders, and importers would collectively be responsible for meeting program requirements for 2006, where compliance would be calculated over the entire pool of gasoline sold to consumers.

Access www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels for more information.