Industry Groups Press Treasury to Strengthen Consumer Protections in Clean Fuel Tax Credit Rule

Two of the United States' leading fuel industry associations have called on the Treasury Department to ensure that the finalized 'Section 45Z' Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit delivers tangible benefits to end consumers, including those operating in the maritime and commercial transport sectors. According to a PR Newswire release dated May 27, 2026, NATSO — which represents truck stops and travel centers across the country — and SIGMA: America's Leading Fuel Marketers jointly testified before the Treasury Department, urging officials to incorporate transparency mandates into the final rule governing the 45Z credit. The credit is designed to incentivize the domestic production of clean fuels, including biofuels that are increasingly relevant to both road and marine applications. The associations argued that without clear transparency requirements, the financial benefits of the tax credit risk being absorbed upstream in the supply chain, failing to reduce costs at the point of sale for commercial operators and consumers. For the maritime industry, where alternative and low-carbon fuels are a growing focus amid tightening emissions regulations, the structure of such incentives can directly influence the commercial viability of cleaner fuel adoption. Biofuels eligible under the 45Z framework — including hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and other advanced biofuel blends — are already being evaluated and deployed by vessel operators seeking to reduce their carbon footprint in compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) decarbonization targets and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. The 45Z Clean Fuel Production Tax Credit, established under the Inflation Reduction Act, replaced earlier biofuel incentive structures and is intended to reward fuel producers based on the lifecycle emissions intensity of their products. Industry stakeholders have raised concerns that the rule's implementation details will determine whether the credit functions as a genuine market stimulus or primarily benefits producers without flowing through to buyers. The outcome of Treasury's rulemaking process is being closely watched by fuel distributors, fleet operators, and port authorities that manage bunkering and landside fuel infrastructure. A final rule that mandates pricing transparency could support broader adoption of cleaner fuels across both the trucking and maritime sectors, contributing to national decarbonization goals. No timeline for the final rule's publication has been announced by the Treasury Department at this stage.