# Understanding the COST Act

The COST Act is essentially asking the federal government to do its homework before making a big decision about vehicles. Right now, the government owns and operates thousands of cars and trucks. This bill requires two separate studies to figure out whether it makes financial sense to replace the smaller vehicles in that federal fleet with either electric vehicles or ethanol-based flex-fuel vehicles instead of keeping traditional gasoline cars.

The first study, which the Government Accountability Office will conduct, focuses purely on costs. It will calculate how much money it would take to replace all the light-duty gasoline vehicles in the federal fleet with electric vehicles (including plug-in hybrids) or with flex-fuel vehicles that run on E85, a fuel blend that's 85 percent ethanol. This analysis also needs to include the cost of building the charging stations or fuel infrastructure needed to support whichever option is chosen. The results have to be published online within a year so the public can see what they found.

The second study, led by the Department of Energy, takes a different angle by looking at environmental impact rather than just money. It will compare the total lifetime greenhouse gas emissions from three types of vehicles: regular gasoline cars, E85 flex-fuel vehicles, and battery electric vehicles. This helps answer the question of whether switching vehicles would actually be better for the environment when you account for everything involved in making and powering them.

For most Americans, this bill doesn't directly change anything in their daily lives. It's really about informing future government decisions. However, the results could influence whether federal agencies eventually transition to electric or alternative-fuel vehicles, which could have ripple effects on the market for these technologies and potentially affect prices or availability for regular consumers down the road.

COST Act

Comparison of Sustainable Transportation Act or the COST Act This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a cost analysis of replacing certain federally owned or operated vehicles with electric vehicles or flex-fuel ethanol vehicles. In addition, the bill requires the Department of Energy to conduct an analysis of the overall greenhouse gas impacts of the following types of vehicles: (1) a conventional gasoline vehicle, (2) an E85 (a fuel containing 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) capable flex-fuel vehicle, or (3) a battery electric vehicle.