Politics

35.5 Miles Per Gallon By 2016

By Karina

Today, President Obama announced a National Fuel Efficiency Policy, which will include the first nationwide standards for vehicle fuel mileage and emissions–raising standards to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This will result in reducing oil consumption by approximately 1.8 billion barrels over the life of the program and has the environmental impact of taking 177 million of today’s cars off the road.

Speaker Pelosi:

President Obama and Congress are working together in a comprehensive way to create new jobs by spurring a clean energy economy and exporting American innovation to the rest of the world.

Today?s announcement builds on Congress? increase of fuel efficiency standards two years ago, speeds us toward meeting the goal of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2020, and establishes the first-ever national standard for global warming pollution from cars and trucks. These efforts will save consumers money at the pump, strengthen our national security by making America more energy independent, and cut global warming pollution that is causing a climate crisis.

I applaud President Obama for his aggressive action today and look forward to working with him to enact landmark clean energy legislation that will create millions of new American jobs and entire new industries, lower energy costs for families and businesses, and combat climate change.

Chairman Ed Markey, co-author of the original 35 mpg standard adopted by Congress in 2007:

With this historic announcement, President Obama is firing on all cylinders by getting the automakers to simultaneously agree to higher fuel economy standards and drop their litigation against California. As someone who has pushed for stronger fuel economy standards for decades, the difference between then and now is like being stuck in stop-and-go traffic and hitting every green light on your way home.

Combining today’s announcement with a comprehensive clean energy plan being considered by Congress this week will deliver a one-two punch against America’s dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

Instead of fighting an uphill battle to increase fuel economy, as Congress did under the Bush administration, we are now working hand-in-driving-glove with the Obama team. For years, the auto industry claimed it would be impossible for them to implement the fuel efficiency standards that they have just agreed to. Their change of heart reflects not only how much has changed in the auto industry, but how much has changed in Washington.

Full post as published by The Gavel on May 19, 2009 (boomark / email).