REFINER Act
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The REFINER Act would require the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to produce and publicly release a comprehensive report on petrochemical refineries in the United States within 90 days of enactment.
The report would examine refinery contributions to energy security, capacity expansion opportunities, risks, the effect of government policies on refinery capacity, and recommendations for increasing that capacity — but the bill would not itself change any policy or mandate any new construction.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would require the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council — an advisory body that provides information to the federal government on oil and natural gas — to produce a report on petrochemical refineries in the United States. The report would have to examine refineries' role in U.S. energy security, including the reliability and affordability of liquid fuels and feedstocks. It would also require analyses and projections on current refinery capacity, opportunities to expand it, and risks to existing facilities. Additionally, the report would assess any federal or state executive actions, regulations, or policies that have contributed to declining refinery capacity, and offer recommendations for Congress and federal agencies to encourage capacity growth.
The bill does not itself change any law, fund any program, or require any agency to act on the report's findings. The National Petroleum Council would be required to submit the finished report to both the Secretary of Energy and Congress, and to make it publicly available.
Key provisions
- 1Would require the Secretary of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to produce a report on U.S. petrochemical refineries within 90 days of enactment.
- 2Would require the report to examine refineries' contributions to U.S. energy security, including liquid fuel supply reliability and consumer affordability.
- 3Would require analyses and projections on refinery capacity, opportunities for expansion, and risks to existing refineries.
- 4Would require an assessment of any federal or state executive actions, regulations, or policies that have caused or contributed to declining refinery capacity.
- 5Would require recommendations for federal agencies and Congress to encourage increased petrochemical refinery capacity, and mandate public availability of the report.
Who would be affected
The Department of Energy and its Secretary, who would be required to commission the study; the National Petroleum Council, which would conduct and publish it; petrochemical refinery operators whose facilities would be examined; and members of Congress and the public who would receive and have access to the final report.
Why it matters
For the petroleum-refining industry and policymakers, the report would create an official federal record of how government regulations and executive actions have affected domestic refinery capacity, and could lay groundwork for future legislative or regulatory changes. However, because the bill only mandates a study, it does not itself compel any policy shift or spending.
What would change
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Secretary of Energy must direct the National Petroleum Council to produce the report
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the REFINER Act would have no effect on the federal budget, with zero impact on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit over the 2025–2035 period.
H.R. 3109 would require the National Petroleum Council (NPC) — a federally chartered but privately funded advisory body — to produce a report to Congress and the Department of Energy on petrochemical refineries in the United States. Because the NPC is privately funded, CBO estimates the bill would not affect direct spending, revenues, or the deficit in any scoring window, including the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036. The bill does impose a private-sector mandate (as defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act) by requiring the NPC to prepare the report, but CBO estimates the compliance cost would be small and well below UMRA's 2025 threshold of $206 million. No intergovernmental mandate was identified.
How implementation would work
Within 90 days of enactment, the Secretary of Energy must formally direct the National Petroleum Council to prepare the report. The Council would conduct the required analyses and projections, then submit the completed report to both the Secretary and Congress. The Council must also make the report publicly available. The bill sets no further procedural steps, rulemakings, or enforcement mechanisms beyond the 90-day directive deadline.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Official CRS summary
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This bill requires the Department of Energy to direct the National Petroleum Council to publish a report on petrochemical refineries located in the United States. The report must include information concerning (1) the contributions of such refineries to U.S. energy security, (2) analyses and projections with respect to opportunities for expanding the capacities of the refineries and the risks to such refineries, (3) any federal or state executive actions that have contributed to a decline in their capacities, and (4) any recommendations to increase such capacities.
Legislative subjects
Electric power generation and transmission; Energy; Energy efficiency and conservation; Government information and archives; Industrial facilities; Oil and gas
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-267