Arizona House Majority Whip Julie Willoughby praised a recent Trump Administration decision that recognizes the impact of international emissions on Arizona’s ability to meet federal air quality standards and grants the Phoenix metropolitan area relief from stricter federal requirements, according to a statement released by Willoughby.
The decision allows Arizona to challenge the requirement for a boutique summer gasoline blend in Maricopa and Pinal counties, which Willoughby said increases fuel costs for families. For several months, she has worked with local and federal officials on reforms to reduce these costs while maintaining compliance with air quality standards. In January, she sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to begin discussions on permanent changes.
“The main reason drivers in Maricopa and Pinal counties pay more for gas in the summer is that these areas are forced to use a special boutique blend made only for Arizona,” Willoughby said. “It costs more to produce, limits supply, and leaves our state more vulnerable to price spikes. The question is whether this requirement is still doing anything meaningful to improve air quality. If it is not, then Arizona families are being forced to pay more for little to no benefit.” She continued, “Industry is cleaner today than it was when Arizona’s blend was last updated, and fuel standards nationwide have changed significantly since then. There is a strong possibility Arizona can move to a lower-cost fuel option without sacrificing air quality. If the evidence supports that conclusion, we should act immediately.” According to Ballotpedia, Willoughby was elected in 2022 as a Republican representative for Arizona’s 13th House District.
Willoughby introduced five measures aimed at addressing fuel costs, including HB 2400 (to suspend the state’s 18-cent gas tax on summer fuel), HB 2401 (to require regular review of lower-cost fuel options), HB 2696 (to prioritize study of alternative blends), and HB 2955 (to require an immediate switch once EPA approval is obtained). She said changing the blend requires submitting a request to revise Arizona’s State Implementation Plan with supporting modeling data that accounts for emissions from outside state borders.
In February, Willoughby asked the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) to model whether switching from the current boutique gasoline blend with Reid Vapor Pressure of 7.0 pounds per square inch (psi) to one with an RVP of 7.4 psi would affect ozone concentrations in Phoenix. Preliminary modeling completed in March found that such a switch would increase maximum ozone concentration between zero and 0.01 parts per billion depending on which model was used.
“That is a negligible impact and more than enough reason to move this conversation forward,” Willoughby said. “Just as important, Governor Hobbs’ administration already has these results…If Governor Hobbs is serious about lowering fuel costs, she should direct her agency to act immediately.” She concluded: “The modeling is favorable. The facts are lining up in Arizona’s favor. We should seize this opportunity and make the case for lasting gas affordability now,” according to the official roster page.
