Fulfilling Another Pledge, Congressman Murphy Votes to Make Alternative Fuels Easier to Access and Use

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy voted to make alternative fuels easier to access and use. With the United States more dependant than ever on foreign sources of oil and gas prices at near-record highs, Congressman Murphy voted for this measure in order to work toward a more diverse fuel supply. The legislation, known as the Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act, is a bill designed to make biofuels, like E85 ethanol, easier to access and use. The bipartisan bill passed the House by a vote of 400-3.

“Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is vital to our national security and economic security,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “By diversifying our fuel supply we can create good paying jobs here in America and stop doing business with countries in the most unstable region on the planet. One of the biggest benefits, however, is that this bill works toward providing more fuel choices for 8th district families.”

The bill that Murphy supported today, H.R. 547, initiates a research and development program to make biofuels more compatible with present-day infrastructure. Many biofuels have different physical and chemical properties that make them incompatible with existing petroleum-based infrastructure. As a result, tank and pipeline corrosion, sediment buildup and/or clogged filters are among the issues that can arise.

The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in consultation with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to research and develop new technologies that would allow retailers to offer biofuels using existing infrastructure, rather than refurbishing or building new infrastructure—essentially, putting the fuel in consumers’ tanks at a savings to both retailers and consumers.

# # #

Contact: Adam Abrams, (202) 225-4276