Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) as the Democratic lead on legislation to help lower gas prices in the West. The Western Refined Fuel Reserve (WRFR) Act would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a fuel reserve that would hold refined fuels for certain Western states, including Nevada, to utilize during emergencies.
Western states, including Nevada, have the highest gas prices in the country. Today, gas in Nevada costs $3.72 per gallon, 74 cents higher than the national average of $2.98 per gallon. This bipartisan legislation would mandate the creation of a Western Refined Fuel Storage Reserve to hold refined fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel exclusively for Western states to draw down during emergencies and supply disruptions. The refined fuel reserve would be modeled after the existing Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“Nevadans shouldn’t have to break the bank just to get to work, school, or the grocery store,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “But as we saw after the pandemic, the Silver State is just one supply chain disruption away from intolerably high gas prices. This bipartisan legislation would help stabilize prices throughout the West so we never have to see five-dollar gallons of gas again.”
“Families, first responders, farmers, truckers, and small businesses across the American West depend on reliable access to refined fuels every day,” said Senator Curtis. “Right now, our emergency tools are outdated—the Strategic Petroleum Reserve stores crude oil, not the fuels people actually use.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. Our bipartisan bill closes that gap and strengthens resilience in the region.”
Specifically, the WRFR Act would:
- Require DOE to establish the Western Refined Fuel Storage Reserve within six months;
- Set minimum storage capacity levels of five million barrels of gasoline, three million barrels of diesel, and two million barrels of jet fuel;
- Require maintaining at least 75 percent capacity for each product for the first five years;
- Authorize emergency drawdowns consistent with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; and
- Allow state and local governments to store non-federal products as appropriate.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported lowering costs for working families in Nevada. Following her consistent pushes to repeal the coffee tariffs, the Trump Administration decided to exempt certain imports not grown in the United States – like coffee – from the disastrous blanket tariffs. Cortez Masto has championed legislation to end taxes on tips and worked to address barriers in its implementation. She has introduced legislation to ensure Medicare can continue to negotiate the price of expensive cancer medications.
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