[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 102 (Friday, July 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE TEAM (TO ENCOURAGE ALTERNATIVELY-FUELED VEHICLE 
             MANUFACTURING) UP FOR ENERGY INDEPENDENCE ACT

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                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 28, 2006

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, climate change threatens 
the security and stability of our planet. The temperature of the earth 
is increasing at a rate unseen in modern times. Climate forecasters 
predict that if greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the 
atmosphere at the current rate, temperatures may rise dramatically, 
weather patterns sharply shift, ice sheets shrink, and seas rise.
  Rising gas prices and instability in oil producing regions have 
reinforced the need for the United States to secure our energy 
independence. We can make progress by developing and distributing 
alternatively fueled vehicles. Through innovation as well as existing 
technology, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and promote 
energy efficiency and conservation to secure a safer future for our 
country and the environment.
  Alternatively fueled vehicles, such as those that use E85 ethanol 
fuel, could reduce our use of petroleum fuels by up to 40 percent, 
helping our country move towards sustainable energy independence. E85 
ethanol fuel can be produced from agricultural products grown here in 
the United States, so that money spent on fuel supports farmers in the 
Midwest, not countries in the Middle East.
  Congress must do more to make alternative fueled vehicles practical 
and accessible to every American. There are currently only six million 
E85-capable vehicles on U.S. roads, compared to approximately 230 
million gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, according to the National 
Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. Only 556 fuel stations in the entire country 
currently provide E85 fuel, with only four of these located in 
California.
  That is why I am introducing this bill to encourage manufacturers to 
provide a flex fuel opportunity to American consumers and to develop 
the infrastructure necessary for a cleaner energy future. We must do 
more to make alternatively fueled vehicles practical and accessible to 
everyone. The cost of producing flex fuel capable vehicles is minimal 
at the time of manufacture, but there are currently few incentives for 
the production of flex fuel vehicles and a lack of infrastructure to 
service them.
  My bill will encourage the production of more alternatively fueled 
vehicles by phasing in a tax penalty on the manufacture or import of 
new, non-flex fuel vehicles. However, since the cost to manufacture 
fleets that are flex fuel capable as compared to gasoline powered 
vehicles is nearly nil, it will be easy for manufacturers or importers 
to avoid these costs completely. Any revenues generated would be used 
to help independent gas station owners install alternative fuel 
equipment. This bill is a good first step towards securing our energy 
independence, and I hope that Congress will move quickly to pass this 
important legislation and help America move towards a more secure and 
sustainable future.




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