[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16289]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ALTERNATIVE FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleague from 
Colorado, Senator Salazar, to inform our colleagues of our efforts to 
expand the availability of alternative fuel infrastructure to assist 
American consumers who are increasingly looking to buy automobiles that 
can run on alternative fuels such as biodiesel, E-85 ethanol, natural 
gas, and other such fuels.
  American automakers--Ford, GM, Daimler Chrysler--alternative energy 
groups, and environmental organizations have all expressed to Congress 
that the leading hurdle to allowing consumers greater access to 
vehicles that run on alternative fuels is the fact that there just 
aren't enough refueling stations across the country.
  For instance, while there are over 6 million flex-fuel vehicles 
nationwide that can run on either gasoline or E-85 ethanol, less than 1 
percent of all gas stations provide consumers with the option of 
fueling up with an alternative fuel that is American made, cleaner for 
the environment, and reduces our Nation's overreliance on foreign 
sources of oil.
  On Monday of this week, the House of Representatives, by a vote of 
355 to 9, overwhelmingly passed a bill by Congressman Mike Rogers from 
Michigan--H.R. 5534--that authorizes grants up to $30,000 for gas 
stations, and other eligible entities under the Clean Cities Program at 
the Department of Energy--including Government entities--that place in 
service alternative fuel infrastructure.
  Subject to annual appropriations, Congressman Rogers' bill authorizes 
the use of penalties that are collected annually from foreign 
automakers who violate the CAFE standard for fuel efficiency.
  This House-passed bill is currently being held at the Senate desk and 
Senator Salazar and I, along with Senators Talent and Hagel, have a 
substitute amendment that has the support of the majority leader and 
has been cleared by the chairman of the Commerce Committee. Again, I 
reiterate that this is simply an authorization and has no mandatory 
spending.
  Our goal is to pass this substitute proposal by unanimous consent and 
send it back to the House of Representatives--which has indicated that 
they are prepared to pass the modified proposal so it can be enacted 
into law.
  Mr. President, for the information of my colleagues, while the Senate 
is currently debating a bill to expand the availability of oil and 
natural gas that is located off the coast of the U.S., we shouldn't 
miss the opportunity to pass a modified version of the alternative fuel 
grant legislation that the House overwhelmingly passed earlier this 
week.

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