Alternative Fuel Designation Authority
Alternative fuels support the requirements of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) (Titles III and V) that cover Federal, state, and alternative fuel provider fleets. Federal fleets are also required to use alternative fuels under Executive Order 13149.
Section 301(2) of EPAct defines alternative fuels, and sets forth authority for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to add more alternative fuels to the list of authorized alternative fuels, which are defined in Section 301(2). DOE is authorized to add fuels to this list only if the following three criteria are met:
- The fuel is substantially nonpetroleum
- The fuel yields substantial energy security benefits
- The fuel offers substantial environmental benefits
Petitioning DOE
Parties can petition DOE to add alternative fuels to the list of authorized fuels. The following documents, available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs (Download Adobe Reader), offer guidance on how to submit a fuel petition.
- Guidelines for Submission of Petitions for Designation of Alternative Fuels under EPAct Sec. 301(2) (PDF 118 KB)
- Estimating Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Production and Use of Alternative Transportation Fuels for EPAct Petitions (PDF 1448 KB)
Petitioning DOE is an extensive regulatory process that involves full public disclosure. All documents and media submitted regarding the fuel will be placed in a docket (on this site, and in hard copy at DOE headquarters).
The U.S. Department of Energy will initially evaluate the materials to make sure the petition contains enough high-quality data and information to determine whether the three criteria can be met. If it does, DOE may decide to formally analyze the petition to determine that the petitioner's claims about the fuel are valid. This process includes performing a lifecycle analysis to determine energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions and evaluating the data for criteria pollutants. DOE will also study the petitioner's data on the fuel's toxicity, ecotoxicity, and biodegradability. In addition, DOE requires enough information to understand the fuel's production and use to evaluate potential energy security benefits.
The U.S. Department of Energy's evaluation may include public workshops and notices about DOE's activities, so that all interested stakeholders have the opportunity to participate in the process. Following this, DOE will decide whether to go forward with a rulemaking to designate the fuel as alternative under EPAct.
The rulemaking processes are open to the public and can take several years to pass the various hurdles and tests.
DOE designated P-Series as an alternative fuel in 1998. To learn more, read the P-Series Final Rule (PDF 51 KB).
Open Actions
The U.S. Department of Energy is currently reviewing petitions to decide on a rulemaking for Fischer-Tropsch diesel (FTD). The FTD petitions, as well as analyses, reports, notices, and other information, are available in DOE's Docket for Rulemaking on Fischer-Tropsch Diesel Fuels.
For more information on the Alternative Fuel Designation Authority, e-mail fuel_petitions@afdc.nrel.gov.