NACS Establishes The Fuels Institute

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, today announced the formation of The Fuels Institute, a non-profit, research-oriented think tank dedicating to evaluating market issues related to consumer vehicles and the fuels that power them.

The Fuels Institute will commission and publish comprehensive, fact-based research projects addressing issues that will help inform both business owners considering long-term fuel investment decisions, and policymakers considering legislation and regulations affecting the market.

“Our industry sells 80 percent of the fuel purchased in the country,” said John Eichberger, NACS’ vice president of government relations. “It is our responsibility to communicate how issues affect the fuels system, especially at the retail level, so that decisions can be made that ultimately benefit consumers and, by extension, retailers.”

The governing structure of The Fuels Institute will incorporate a diverse set of stakeholders, including fuel retailers, fuel producers and refiners, alternative and renewable fuel producers, automobile manufacturers, environmental advocates, consumer organizations, government entities and more, NACS stated.

Bill Douglass, managing partner of Sherman, Texas-based W. Douglas Ltd. and former NACS chairman of the board, will serve as The Fuels Institute's inaugural chairman.

“We need to create a market in which consumers can safely, conveniently and affordably purchase the fuels that they desire,” added Eichberger. “Unfortunately, decisions that affect the market are being made in a vacuum, without coordination among the affected stakeholders. The Fuels Institute will rectify this problem by incorporating the perspective of diverse interests, identifying the challenges facing market innovation and delivering fact-based answers to business owners and policymakers.”

Alexandria, Va.-based NACS represents 2,200 retail and 1,600 supplier member companies that do business in nearly 50 countries.