WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) began the public comment period on its plans for reducing gasoline use in federal agencies’ fleets and increasing their use of alternative fuels. The proposal was published in the federal register on March 12, 2012.

The DOE’s proposed rules relate to implementing Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), which amended the Energy Policy and Conservation Act and directed the U.S. Secretary of Energy to issue implementing regulations that will bring about these changes.

The original rule sets gasoline reduction targets of 20 percent by 2015 (which started in 2010). The new proposal sets guideline for milestones, but requires agencies to detail how they would reach the milestones and overall, mandatory reduction targets. The bill would also require each agency to update their respective plan each year. In addition, each federal organization with a fleet would have to increase its alternative-fuel fuel use by 10 percent 2015, relative to a 2005 baseline, as required by EISA.

You can read the proposal in the federal register here.

By Greg Basich