EPA adopts standard for renewable fuel

EPA has adopted a standard requiring that 2.78% of the gasoline sold or dispensed to U.S. motorists in 2006 be renewable fuel. Authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the standard is the first step in EPA's renewable-fuels program, which aims to reduce vehicle emissions and strengthen U.S. energy security by doubling the use of fuels produced from American crops by 2012. Various renewable fuels can be used to meet the requirements of the program, including ethanol and biodiesel. Under the new standard, refineries, blenders, and importers are collectively responsible for meeting program requirements for 2006, and compliance will be calculated over the entire pool of gasoline sold to consumers. "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, illustrating that environmental progress and economic development can, in fact, go hand-in-hand," says EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.