Iowa U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst on Tuesday introduced the bipartisan and bicameral Next Generation Fuels Act, a proposal that aims to leverage higher-octane fuels to improve engine efficiency and performance. Allowing the sale of fuels with greater octane levels would increase the amount of ethanol that can be utilized in the fuel supply, in turn lowering prices at the pump for consumers.
Joining Grassley and Ernst in introducing the Next Generation Fuels Act were Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Similar legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois and is cosponsored by all members of the Iowa congressional delegation, including Reps. Cindy Axne, Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
The proposed legislation establishes a minimum research octane number (RON) standard of 98 for gasoline, which is higher than the typical octane rating of 91 RON today. It also requires sources of the added octane value to reduce carbon emissions by at least 40 percent compared to baseline gasoline.
