Rep. Courtney Calls for Boosting Auto Efficiency Standards Sooner

Press Release

Congressman Joe Courtney addressed a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Mary Peters, urging the agency to move implementation of new fuel efficiency standards for our nation's automobiles up five years to decrease consumption and fuel prices and to use more accurate gasoline pricing projections.

Congressman Joe Courtney believes that America's automobile industry can be a greater part of our nation's energy solution if it moves more quickly to implement congressionally mandated higher fuel efficiency standards to 2015, rather than by 2020 as predicated by the Energy Independence and Security Act, which was signed into law in 2007.

According to analysts, implementing the higher fuel economy standards five years earlier would save 300,000 barrels per day by 2020, which is more than the oil that can be produced, according to some estimates, from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) by 2025.

"Combining the innovative spirit of America's automotive workforce and the new technologies that already exists, our nation can reduce its dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuel sooner and lower costs for consumers," stated Courtney. "Not only will this reduce consumption, but it will make our struggling industry more competitive globally."

Congressman Courtney has often called for an overhaul of our nation's energy policy. The Congressman believes that comprehensive energy reform should include expanded domestic oil production on available federal lands, increased use of solar and wind technologies, greater fuel efficiency for our cars and trucks, and other sources of clean, renewable energy.

Below is the text of Congressman Courtney's letter:

The Honorable Mary Peters
Secretary, Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Secretary Peters:

I am writing today on behalf of my constituents in Connecticut's Second Congressional District to urge the Department, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to set higher fuel economy targets and use realistic gasoline prices when finalizing the rulemaking for interim fuel economy standards.

In 2007, I was pleased to support the Energy Independence and Security Act (P.L. I 10-140), which increased fuel economy standards to 35mpg by 2020. It represents a real ability to reduce oil consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and save money.
However, I believe we have the ability and willingness among the American people to reach this target sooner.

Our country consumes about 25 percent of the world's oil and produces more than 20 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. It is imperative that we take steps now to reduce our consumption of oil as a matter of economic, environmental and national security.

In testimony before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global
Warming in June 2008, Acting Under Secretary for Policy, Tyler Duvall, testified that the proposed interim standards of 31.5mpg by 2015 would increase fuel economy by 4.5 percent and save nearly 55 billion gallons of fuel long-term. While I applaud the
Department's effort to move this rulemaking forward, I believe this country can go further and must use accurate pricing to reflect consumer demand. It is my understanding that the Department is using unrealistic projections of gasoline prices in the $2.50 range.

According to some analysts, if the U.S. were to reach the target of 35mpg by 2015, our country would already save an additional 300,000 barrels of oil per day by 2020, and that amount is more than what the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says could be recovered from the Outer Continental Shelf - 220,000 barrels of oil per day in 2025.

I recognize that this is an ambitious target for the Department and the auto industry, but with investment now, our country can reduce its oil consumption sooner. I thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

JOE COURTNEY
Member of Congress

Source