REFINER Act
The REFINER Act is a short, reporting-focused bill. It would require the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council (an advisory body connected to the Department of Energy) to produce a detailed report on petrochemical refineries in the United States. The report must assess how these refineries contribute to energy security, including reliable supply of liquid fuels and feedstocks and the affordability of fuels for American consumers. It must include analyses of current capacity, opportunities to expand capacity, and risks to US refineries; evaluate federal or state policies that may have reduced capacity; and offer recommendations to federal agencies and Congress on how to increase refinery capacity. The report must be made public within 90 days of enactment. There is no new funding or regulatory change in the bill—just a mandated, publicly released analysis to inform policy discussions.
Key Points
- 1Requires the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to produce a report within 90 days of enactment.
- 2The report must examine the role of US petrochemical refineries and their contributions to energy security, including reliability of liquid-fuel and feedstock supply and affordability for consumers.
- 3The report must include analyses and projections on (i) current US refinery capacity, (ii) opportunities to expand capacity, and (iii) risks facing US refineries.
- 4The report must assess federal or state actions, regulations, or policies that have caused or contributed to a decline in refinery capacity.
- 5The report must include recommendations for Federal agencies and Congress to encourage an increase in US refinery capacity and must be made publicly available.