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Summary Provided by Congressional Research Service
Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025
This bill amends the Clean Air Act to address the limitations on Reid Vapor Pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) that are placed on gasoline during the summer ozone season. Specifically, the bill applies the waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure requirements that is applicable to gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (E10) to gasoline blended with up to 15% ethanol (E15). This change allows gasoline that is blended with 10% to 15% ethanol to be sold year-round.
Currently, states may be excluded from the waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure requirements by submitting documentation supporting that the waiver would increase air pollution. The bill nullifies existing state exclusions, but states may submit documentation after enactment of the bill to be excluded going forward.
The bill also modifies the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, which requires transportation fuel sold or introduced into commerce in the United States to contain minimum volumes of renewable fuel. Under the existing program, obligated parties, such as small refineries, must satisfy the volume obligations by either blending renewable fuels into their gasoline or diesel fuel products or by acquiring credits that represent the required renewable fuel volume. The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to return compliance credits to small refineries under certain circumstances.
Latest available text
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the "Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025".
2. Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2024
(a) Ethanol waiver -
(1) Existing waivers - Section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(f)(4)) is amended—
(A) by striking "(4) The Administrator, upon" and inserting the following:
(4) Waivers -
(A) In general - The Administrator, on
(B) in subparagraph (A) (as so designated)—
(i) in the first sentence—
(I) by striking "of this subsection" each place it appears; and
(II) by striking "if he determines" and inserting "if the Administrator determines"; and
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking "The Administrator" and inserting the following:
(B) Final action - The Administrator
(C) by adding at the end the following:
(C) Reid vapor pressure - A fuel or fuel additive may be introduced into commerce if—
(i)
(I) the Administrator determines that the fuel or fuel additive is substantially similar to a fuel or fuel additive utilized in the certification of any model year vehicle pursuant to paragraph (1)(A); or
(II) the fuel or fuel additive has been granted a waiver under subparagraph (A) and meets all of the conditions of that waiver other than any limitation of the waiver with respect to the Reid Vapor Pressure of the fuel or fuel additive; and
(ii) the fuel or fuel additive meets all other applicable Reid Vapor Pressure requirements under subsection (h).
(2) Reid vapor pressure limitation - Section 211(h) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(h)) is amended—
(A) by striking "vapor pressure" each place it appears and inserting "Vapor Pressure";
(B) in paragraph (4), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking "10 percent" and inserting "10 to 15 percent"; and
(C) in paragraph (5)(A)—
(i) by striking "Upon notification, accompanied by" and inserting "On receipt of a notification that is submitted after the date of enactment of the ""Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025"", and is accompanied by appropriate";
(ii) by striking "10 percent" and inserting "10 to 15 percent"; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following: "Upon the date of enactment of the ""Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025"", any State for which the notification from the Governor of a State was submitted before the date of enactment of the ""Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025"" and to which the Administrator applied the Reid Vapor Pressure limitation established by paragraph (1) shall instead have the Reid Vapor Pressure limitation established by paragraph (4) apply to all fuel blends containing gasoline and 10 to 15 percent denatured anhydrous ethanol that are sold, offered for sale, dispensed, supplied, offered for supply, transported, or introduced into commerce in the area during the high ozone season.".
(b) Generation of credits by small refineries under the renewable fuel program - Section 211(o)(9) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(9)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(E) Credits generated for 2016–2018 compliance years -
(i) Rule - For any small refinery described in clause (ii) or (iii), the credits described in the respective clause shall be—
(I) returned to the small refinery and, notwithstanding paragraph (5)(C), deemed eligible for future compliance years; or
(II) applied as a credit in the EPA Moderated Transaction System (EMTS) account of the small refinery.
(ii) Compliance years 2016 and 2017 - Clause (i) applies with respect to any small refinery that—
(I) retired credits generated for compliance years 2016 or 2017; and
(II) submitted a petition under subparagraph (B)(i) for that compliance year that remained outstanding as of December 1, 2022.
(iii) Compliance year 2018 - In addition to small refineries described in clause (ii), clause (i) applies with respect to any small refinery—
(I) that submitted a petition under subparagraph (B)(i) for compliance year 2018 by September 1, 2019;
(II) that retired credits generated for compliance year 2018 as part of the compliance demonstration of the small refinery for compliance year 2018 by March 31, 2019; and
(III) for which—
(aa) the petition remained outstanding as of December 1, 2022; or
(bb) the Administrator denied the petition as of July 1, 2022, and has not returned the retired credits as of December 1, 2022.