The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on March 4, 2003 issued a proposed rulemaking determining that private fleet and local government fleet mandates are not necessary under the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) and therefore should not be imposed. DOE’s rulemaking stated that a alternative-fuel vehicle (AFV) purchase mandate "would make no appreciable contribution toward achievement of the 2010 replacement fuel goal” of 30 percent usage. DOE concluded that the number of private and local government fleets that would be covered by purchase mandates would be too small to generate a significant increase in alternative fuel usage. DOE also concluded that even if a substantial number of AFVs were acquired by fleets as the result of regulatory requirement, “there is no assurance that the AFVs acquired by covered fleets would actually use replacement fuel.” EPACT does not grant DOE authority to require the use of any particular type of fuel by vehicles acquired by private or local government fleets. EPACT, which was signed into law on Oct. 24, 1992, is aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The original legislation did not impose any statutory mandates on private or local government fleets, but did provide for two separate rulemaking procedures whereby the DOE could impose AFV purchase mandates if alternative fuel-use was not expected to meet certain goals, including the 30 percent usage goal by 2010.