Transportation and Fuels

This briefing examines U.S. vehicle emissions and fuel-economy standards (CAFE requirements, California's EV mandate, and regulatory credits) alongside evidence that new U.S. light- and medium-duty vehicles account for a modest, declining share of global CO2 emissions.

This briefing tracks U.S. gasoline and refined-product prices and the factors driving them: crude costs, Renewable Fuel Standard compliance credits (RINs), regional formulation rules, and supply disruptions such as the Strait of Hormuz closure, along with their links to freight, air travel, and vehicle demand.

This briefing examines the Renewable Fuel Standard's compliance costs, which EPRINC estimates add roughly 27 cents per gallon of transportation fuel (nearly $53 billion annually to U.S. consumers) alongside its effects on refiner margins, ethanol blend rates, and RIN prices.

U.S. Gulf Coast refineries account for 55% of national refining capacity and remain optimized for medium and heavy sour crudes, sustaining reliance on imports from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela even amid abundant domestic light crude.