Durbin: New Fuel Efficiency Standards Signed Into Law
Press Release
Durbin: New Fuel Efficiency Standards Signed Into Law
Fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks will increase for the first time in more than 20 years, putting the United States back on track toward a cleaner, more efficient and less oil-dependent energy future, United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today.
The new standards, often referred to as CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy), are included in the energy bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the President earlier this week.
"Continued reliance on foreign sources of oil, in a world with increasing competition for those limited resources, is a dangerous future for America. By increasing the fuel economy of our cars, we are reducing our dependence. It's a solution I've been advocating for years and it's long overdue," said Durbin. "The passage of the energy bill means a more secure future for America, a stronger economy driven by innovation, not oil, and a cleaner environment."
Cars and trucks will need to average 35 miles per gallon by 2020, up from the 27.5 miles per gallon average allowed for the past 22 years. New CAFE standards will save 18 billion gallons of gasoline per year in 2020 and help the nation avoid 206 million metric tons of greenhouse gases annuallythe equivalent of removing 30 million cars from the road in the year 2020.
The average fuel economy of our nation's cars and trucks has steadily declined since 1985 when the last fuel efficiency requirements ended, Durbin said. In 1975, when American cars were averaging 14 miles a gallon, Congress passed the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) law, which required manufacturers to double the fuel economy of their vehicles to nearly 28 miles a gallon in 10 years.
The energy bill also contains several provisions to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil, improve energy efficiency, and protect consumers at the gas pump. The bill will ratchet up the schedule for the use of renewable fuels in our cars and trucks from the level of 7.5 billion gallons by 2012, as passed in the 2005 Energy Bill, to 15 billion gallons by 2015 and 36 billion gallons by 2022. The legislation also will reduce energy consumption in federal buildings and improve energy efficiency in appliances
"This week, we made a substantial down payment on our commitment to slow global warming. The energy bill puts us on track to significantly reduce national gasoline consumption, extend our oil supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Durbin said.
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