Missouri Legislature Passes SB310 The Missouri Legislature passed SB 310 into law during the Spring '99 Session.  The bill extends the Ethanol Producer Incentive Fund  expiration date to December 31, 1007.  Additionally, the law directs the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to develop a plan for providing financial assistance to political  subdivisions to develop alternative fuel programs.  Once the Governor signs the bill and funding is allocated, MDNR will be able to work on implementing the program. P-Series Fuels   The New Alternative Fuel The U.S. Department of Energy, by publishing a Final Rule in the Federal Register, added "P-series fuels" to the regulatory  definition of "alternative fuel."  P-Series fuels are produced largely from renewable biomass such as agricultural materials, residues, paper and wood waste.  The patent for  the fuels is held by Pure Energy Corporation (PEC) who financed the fuels' research at Princeton.  PEC is partnering with the Tennessee Valley Authority to demonstrate production of the  fuels; the fuels are expected to be in mass production by 2005.   For more information visit Pure Energy's web site at  www.prue-energy.com. SLRCCP Nears Its Five Year    Anniversary The St.  Louis region was formally designated a Clean City on November 18, 1994 and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with USDOE and  thirty-two public and private organizations.  Each Clean City  is required to renew their MOU with USDOE upon their five year anniversary.  Stay tuned to Alternative Fuel Update for progress on this topic.

Proposed Rule on Private and Municipal Fleets Expected in August USDOE Assistance Secretary Dan Reicher announced at the 5th National Clean Cities Conference, held in  Louisville, KY May 23 - 26, that the agency continues to work on the Rule that would implement the private and municipal fleet AFV acquisition mandate. The Department expects to  release  information in August of 1999.  Ken Katz, Program Manager for USDOE's Alternative Fuel Transportation Program informed conference attendees that the agency is looking at a variety of ways to  implement the rule.  The Department is currently looking at flexible ways that fleets can meet the requirements such as through actual use of the alternative fuel on  which a vehicle has been  designed to operate. Biodiesel Fuel Use Credit  Available On May 19, 1999, the Department of Energy issued the Biodiesel Fuel Use Credit Interim Final Rule. The Interim Final  Rule sets up the mechanism  that allows fleets that are required to purchase certain percentages of AFVs under EPACT to meet up to 50 percent of their AFV acquisition requirements through the use of biodiesel (B20) in  vehicles weighing in excess of 8,500 lbs. gross vehicle weight.  The Energy Conservation Act of 1998 amended EPACT to allow for the credit.  The  Department expects to issue a final rule  by fall 1999.  The Federal Register notice can be viewed at: www.ott.doe.gov/documents/federal_register.shtml.