DALLAS & WASHINGTON--May 15, 2013: Celanese Corporation , a global technology and specialty materials company, has endorsed the Domestic Alternative Fuels Act of 2013, which was introduced today by Representative Pete Olson (R-TX) on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The bill would amend section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act to allow fuel blenders to use domestic alternative fuels to satisfy their obligations under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Specifically, the bill would allow ethanol produced from natural gas to help meet the current RFS requirement in addition to conventional biofuel (corn-based ethanol).
Rep. Olson's bill, the Domestic Alternative Fuels Act of 2013, is co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) and has bipartisan support in the United States House of Representatives. Rep. Olson and Rep. Costa are joined by 15 original co-sponsors, including: Rep. Barton (R-TX), Rep. Cole (R-OK), Rep. Crawford (R-AR), Rep. Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Fahrenthold (R-TX), Rep. Flores (R-TX), Rep. Green (D-TX), Rep. Griffin (R-AR), Rep. Hall (R-TX), Rep. Morino (R-PA), Randy Neugerbauer (R-TX), Rep. Poe (R-TX), Rep. Schrader (D-OR), Rep. Vela (D-TX), and Rep. Welch (D-VT).
John Fotheringham, General Manager of Celanese's Advanced Fuel Technologies business, issued the following endorsement of this legislative development.
"The United States needs an 'all-of-the-above' energy policy that develops and utilizes every available source of American energy. With such a policy, all cost-efficient and environmentally advantaged liquid fuel solutions will be allowed to compete with existing ethanol technology. Rep. Olson's bill promotes the use of the United States' abundant natural resources, free market economics and technical innovation to achieve America's critical energy security goals and drive economic growth as well as job creation for years to come."
Ethanol Production from Alternative Sources
Many companies are developing advanced technologies to produce ethanol from non-biomass feedstocks. Celanese has developed an innovative and advantaged technology that produces commercial scale volumes of ethanol from natural gas. This advanced technology, called Celanese TCX Technology, is the company's proprietary process for the production of fuel- and industrial-grade ethanol.
Celanese is helping to meet the world's increasing need for consistent, high-quality ethanol with its innovative Celanese TCX ethanol process technology. Using basic hydrocarbons -- not food crops -- as feedstock, the innovative Celanese thermochemical process technology is built on the company's industry-leading acetyl platform and integrates new technologies. Celanese TCX process technology is ideal for producing ethanol for the fuels market as well as industrial-grade applications such as paints, coatings, inks and pharmaceuticals.
Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in most major industries and consumer applications. With sales almost equally divided between North America, Europe and Asia, the company uses the full breadth of its global chemistry, technology and business expertise to create value for customers and the corporation. Celanese partners with customers to solve their most critical needs while making a positive impact on its communities and the world. Based in Dallas, Texas, Celanese employs approximately 7,600 employees worldwide and had 2012 net sales of $6.4 billion.
