Flex Fuel Fairness Act of 2025
The Flex Fuel Fairness Act of 2025 would require the EPA Administrator to adjust how fleet-average CO2 emissions are calculated for flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) when determining compliance with fleet-average CO2 standards. Specifically, it would allow manufacturers to assign FFVs a gram-per-mile CO2 value that is 31% lower than the CO2 value of the same make/model that is not an FFV. The Administrator could set even larger reductions if newer GREET model analyses (from Argonne National Laboratory) justify them. The Act ties this adjustment to the regulatory framework that governs fleet-average CO2 standards (40 CFR 86.1818-12) and directs a regulatory revision within 120 days of enactment. The GREET model is cited to justify potential greenhouse-gas reductions from ethanol blends like E85. In short, the bill would give FFVs a favorable credit in calculating fleet-average CO2 performance, potentially easing compliance for manufacturers and incentivizing the use of ethanol-blended fuels, with the exact credit subject to future GREET updates.
Key Points
- 1FFV credit mechanism: For fleet-average CO2 calculations under 40 CFR 86.1818-12, FFVs may be assigned a CO2 per mile value that is 31% lower than the same vehicle make/model that is not an FFV.
- 2Timeline: The EPA must revise CFR 86.1818-12 within 120 days after enactment to implement the 31% reduction.
- 3Optional larger reductions: The Administrator may set a larger reduction if newer GREET model results justify it (i.e., if updated GREET analysis indicates greater GHG benefits from FFVs).
- 4Basis in GREET: The bill cites GREET findings that E85 fuel made with average corn starch ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by about 37% per mile versus gasoline with no ethanol.
- 5Regulatory scope: Applies to the calculation of fleet-average CO2 standards and relies on existing definitions of FFVs and manufacturers as used in current Clean Air Act framework.