PRINTER'S NO. 424
No. 402 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY D. S. HAYES, BOWSER, JONES, WILSON, J. L. WRIGHT, JR.,
L. E. SMITH, REED, HASAY, NOYE, YAHNER, WENGER,
A. C. FOSTER, JR., WILT, HELFRICK, MACKOWSKI AND
W. W. FOSTER, FEBRUARY 20, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, FEBRUARY 21, 1979
AN ACT
1 Making an appropriation to the Pennsylvania State University for
2 certain energy related research.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Legislative findings.
6 The United States presently imports large amounts of foreign-
7 produced crude oil. These imports are a drain on America's
8 balance of trade and tend to make the United States more
9 dependent on foreign powers. It is the General Assembly's belief
10 that renewable resources in the United States can provide a
11 sufficient source of alcohol suitable for blending with gasoline
12 to decrease the need for imported oil.
13 Section 2. Definitions.
14 The following words and phrases as used in this act shall
15 have the meanings given them in this section unless the context
16 clearly indicates otherwise:
17 "Alcohol." Methanol, ethanol, or any other alcohol which is
1 produced from renewable resources and which is suitable for use
2 by itself or in combination with other fuels as a motor fuel.
3 "Alcohol-blended fuel." Any fuel consisting of a mixture of
4 gasoline and alcohol motor fuel.
5 "Alcohol motor fuel." Alcohol produced for use as a motor
6 fuel.
7 "Motor fuel." Any substance suitable as a fuel for self-
8 propelled vehicles.
9 Section 3. Appropriation.
10 The sum of $250,000 or as much thereof as may be necessary is
11 hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania State University to
12 conduct research in the area of converting agricultural and
13 forest products into alcohol to be used as alcohol-blended or
14 alcohol motor fuels, to determine how the Commonwealth's farms
15 and forests can fit into a national program of gasohol
16 production, to determine how vehicles and machines used for
17 agricultural purposes can be converted from all petroleum based
18 motor fuels to alcohol-blended or alcohol fuels and to determine
19 the degree to which Pennsylvania's net State income will be
20 augmented by the transfer from dependence on foreign oil for use
21 as motor fuel to the use of alcohol-blended fuels produced from
22 Pennsylvania farm and forest resources.
23 Section 4. Reports.
24 The university shall submit a report detailing its research,
25 findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the
26 Governor at the conclusion of the study and at such other times
27 as the university deems advisable.
28 Section 5. Effective date.
29 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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