North American Alternative Fuels Act
Key claim: Federal agencies would no longer have to require that alternative or synthetic fuels they buy for vehicles and other mobility uses have lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions no higher than conventional petroleum fuels.
Abstract
(S1100 · 113th Congress) North American Alternative Fuels Act - Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to repeal the requirement that any federal agency procurement contract for an alternative or synthetic fuel, including those from nonconventional petroleum sources, for any mobility-related use (except research or testing) specify that lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fuel must, on an ongoing basis, be less than or equal to such emissions from equivalent conventional fuel produced from conventional petroleum sources. Latest action (2013-06-06): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Why this matters
EISA §526 is the main federal procurement lever pushing agencies (notably DoD, the largest U.S. fuel buyer) away from high-carbon synthetic fuels like coal-to-liquids and oil-sands-derived jet fuel. Repeal proposals like the North American Alternative Fuels Act would reopen federal purchasing to those higher-lifecycle-emissions fuels, shifting both procurement costs and the emissions footprint of federal vehicle fleets. The 2013 bill’s failure to advance illustrates the recurring but so-far unsuccessful effort to loosen this clause.