Alternative Fuel Program Stripped from Senate Energy Efficiency Bill

NPGA has been actively engaged in the Senate to influence legislation designed to boost, among other things, alternative fuel vehicle use and building code efficiency.  NPGA has been particularly involved in the Senate's work on the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill, which addresses both of those initiatives.

NPGA has been actively engaged in the Senate to influence legislation designed to boost, among other things, alternative fuel vehicle use and building code efficiency.  NPGA has been particularly involved in the Senate's work on the Shaheen-Portman energy efficiency bill, which addresses both of those initiatives.

NPGA has learned this week that the alternative fuel vehicle provision in the Shaheen-Portman bill will be removed.  The provision would have increased the federal government's use of natural gas and electric vehicles.   Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-OH), the bill's sponsors, unexpectedly decided to remove the vehicle program language for all fuels after the Congressional Budget Office determined it would cost taxpayers $350 million over the next ten years.  Both Senators are committed to keeping this legislation cost neutral, and, as a result, this provision presented too large a hurdle to overcome.

As you may recall, NPGA had been working closely with Senate offices to expand the alternative fuels covered by the vehicle provision, which in its original form only covered natural gas and electric vehicles.  NPGA was confident that the Senate would pass an amendment to the bill to make the vehicle program technology neutral - which would have included propane vehicles.  While this amendment is now no longer in play, the time spent working on this provision with Senate offices was a tremendous opportunity to discuss parity with natural gas and to educate staff and Senators about propane autogas.