U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-Utah) has introduced the Western Refined Fuel Reserve (WRFR) Act, a bill aimed at creating a dedicated reserve of refined fuels for areas west of the Rocky Mountains. The legislation seeks to provide additional security for Western communities by establishing storage for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel that can be accessed during emergencies.
Curtis stated, “Families, first responders, farmers, truckers, and small businesses across the West depend on reliable access to refined fuels every day. Right now, our emergency tools are outdated for Western realities. 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. This bill closes that gap and strengthens our region’s resilience.”
The proposed reserve is intended to address gaps in current emergency fuel provisions by focusing on refined products rather than crude oil. According to Curtis’s office, this would allow for quicker response times in supplying fuel during disruptions caused by natural disasters or other emergencies.
Additional information about the bill text and summary is available online.
