Gasoline Marketing

In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information on reformulated gasoline, including: (1) when reformulated gasoline could be made available and how it would be produced; and (2) the impacts of production and use of reformulated gasoline.

GAO found that: (1) reformulated gasoline has improved emissions characteristics; (2) government and industry officials agreed that reformulated gasoline would make a positive contribution to air quality by helping to reduce some vehicle emissions; and (3) reformulated gasoline offers advantages over other clean-burning alternative fuels because it can be distributed through the existing petroleum distribution system. GAO also found that negative impacts of reformulated gasoline could include: (1) increased production costs for refiners; (2) the financial failure of some small refiners and independent gasoline marketers; (3) increases in the consumer cost of gasoline; and (4) increased crude oil imports.