Finally some good news coming out of Washington:
“Southwest Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt today reintroduced legislation, the Boutique Fuel Reduction Act of 2009, to lower gas prices by simplifying our nation’s increasingly complex gasoline supply.”
Boutique fuels are “specialized blends produced for a specific state or area of the country to meet state and local air quality requirements. These unique fuels present serious challenges to the fuel distribution system and, especially in times of disruption, may have the potential to result in local supply shortages.”
Congressman Blunt remarked,
“Current mandates require special blends of gas from state to state or city to city. This complicates the supply chain and often causes unexpected price hikes if that boutique blend is in short supply.”
While gas prices have fallen dramatically since August, Obama’s energy team may have plans in store to raise it above its record levels. Despite the fact that Congressional restrictions on energy leasing in 85 percent of America’s territorial waters, which contain an estimated 19 billion barrels of oil and 84 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, were allowed to lapse in October, Obama’s nominee for secretary of the interior, Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo.,
“was on record as opposing lifting the offshore moratorium even if gasoline were to reach $10 a gallon. The Interior Department runs the federal energy-leasing programs. As secretary, Salazar would have the power to slow such leasing to a crawl, with or without the help of Congress.”
Furthermore, Steven Chu, nominee for energy secretary, wants to increase gasoline taxes so American prices will reach European levels.
Congressman Blunt’s legislation offers some encouraging news that will help consumers in what could be a challenging four years on the energy front and what could be a nightmare for drivers.
