Advanced Clean Fuels Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-1297
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2007-05-03 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Air pollution control
Alternative energy sources
Biomass energy
Cellulose
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Commerce
Consumer education
Economics and Public Finance
Electric power production
Emissions trading
Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Gasoline
Government Operations and Politics
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Labeling
Law
Marketing
Motor vehicle pollution control
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Standards
Transportation and Public Works
Water pollution control

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: 
Advanced Clean Fuels Act of 2007 - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) establish a methodology for use in determining the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of transportation fuel in commerce; (2) determine a fuel emission baseline; (3) establish a transportation fuel certification and marketing process concerning specified fuels; and (4) establish a requirement applicable to each fuel provider to reduce the average lifecycle GHG emissions per unit of energy of the aggregate quantity of transportation fuel produced, blended, or imported by the fuel provider to a specified level.

Authorizes an electricity provider to participate in the advanced clean fuel program under this Act if the provider: (1) provides and separately tracks electricity used for transportation; and (2) generates more than 15% of the electricity it sells from renewable energy sources.

Requires the regulations promulgated to carry out such program to permit fuel providers to receive credits for achieving greater reductions in lifecycle GHG emissions.

Revises provisions concerning the applicable volume of renewable fuel in gasoline, including by: (1) directing the Administrator to require the aggregate quantity of transportation fuel sold to contain such volume of renewable fuel that will result in the specified total minimum volume for 2011-2025 (currently there are applicable volumes of renewable fuel in gasoline for 2006-2012); (2) requiring the Administrator to ensure that gasoline containing renewable fuel does not result in average per gallon motor vehicle emissions of air pollutants in excess of 2007 emission levels or in a violation of any motor vehicle emission or fuel content limitation under the Clean Air Act; (3) requiring that the determination of the total applicable volume for 2026 and thereafter be based on a review of the implementation of the advanced clean fuel volume standard during 2011-2025 (currently the Administrator is required to determine the applicable volume for 2013 and thereafter); and (4) repealing provisions concerning the required volumes of renewable fuel that are derived from cellulosic biomass.

Requires the Administrator to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on whether the total applicable volume of renewable fuel set forth for 2011-2025 or the advanced clean fuel performance standards for any year would reasonably be anticipated to result in one or more adverse lifecycle impacts or to be technically infeasible.

Requires the Administrator to establish: (1) a voluntary renewable fuels labeling program to promote consumer awareness of renewable fuels; and (2) a grant program to provide for research support concerning sustainable markets and technologies that produce and use woody biomass and other cellulosic biomass for the production of thermal and electric energy, biofuels, and bioproducts.

Authorizes the Administrator to control or prohibit the manufacture or sale of any motor or nonroad vehicle fuel or fuel additive an emission product of which causes or contributes to air or water pollution (currently, air pollution) that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger the public health or welfare.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Introduced in Senate