Sen. John Curtis has introduced legislation to establish a dedicated stockpile of refined fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and locate it west of the Rocky Mountains.
The Utah Republican said the bill, the Western Refined Fuel Reserve Act, will “protect Western communities, military readiness, and regional economies from fuel shortages during emergencies.”
“Families, first responders, farmers, truckers, and small businesses across the West depend on reliable access to refined fuels every day,” Mr. Curtis said in a statement. “Right now, our emergency tools are outdated for Western realities. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve stores crude oil — not the fuels people actually use — in a crisis, time lost to refining and transporting fuel can mean real hardship. This bill closes that gap and strengthens our region’s resilience.”
The existing Strategic Petroleum Reserve is the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil, according to the Department of Energy. One reason for its establishment was to reduce the impact of disruptions in petroleum product supplies.
Mr. Curtis argues that because the current reserve only holds crude oil, it creates vulnerabilities during emergencies due to time constraints and transportation bottlenecks.
Because of declining regional refining capacity, infrastructure limitations and geological risks such as earthquakes, he believes that this bill addresses energy security gaps specific to the Western U.S.
The current reserve is authorized to store a capacity of 714 million barrels of crude oil. The legislation would add 10 million barrels of petroleum products: a minimum storage capacity of 5 million barrels of gasoline, 3 million barrels of diesel and 2 million barrels of jet fuel.
The government would be required to maintain at least 75% capacity for each product for the first five years.
Such refined fuels may be withdrawn to respond to emergencies and supply disruptions, among other reasons.
Amid relatively low oil prices, the Department of Energy said in October it is looking to buy 1 million barrels of crude oil for its existing reserve to help replenish its stockpile.
As of Dec. 5, it is holding nearly 412 million barrels of crude oil, up about 3 million since late October.
The Trump administration has been looking to replenish the reserve, as President Trump’s tax and spending bill included about $171 million for oil purchases and maintenance.
Annual reports to Congress on operations and recommendations would be required, including storage details and mechanisms used to support the fuel storage.
If enacted, the Department of Energy would be required to establish the Western Refined Fuel Storage Reserve within six months.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.