Trenton
– Today, with the support of New Jersey Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Bob
Menendez, the Senate passed a bipartisan energy bill that, if enacted,
represents the first time in more than thirty years that Congress has
acted to increase fuel economy.
“After more than thirty years,
Congress is finally poised to reduce our dangerous oil addiction,” said
Doug O’Malley, Environment New Jersey’s field director. “Both New
Jersey Senators deserve strong credit for breaking the decades-long log
jam on fuel economy.”
The bill will increase fuel economy
standards to 35 miles per gallon fleetwide by 2020, which will save 1.1
million barrels of oil per day and save consumers $22 billion in 2020.
By 2030, these standards will reduce annual global warming emissions by
424 million metric tons a year, the equivalent of taking 77 million of
today’s cars off the road.
The threat of a veto by President
Bush and a filibuster by Senate Republicans led Senate leaders to drop
a renewable electricity standard (RES) from the bill. An energy bill
with a renewable electricity standard passed the House twice this year
and garnered a majority in the Senate but fell short of the 60 votes
needed for closure.
The House RES would have required that
utilities generate 15 percent of their electricity from renewable
energy such as wind, solar, or biomass, or through energy efficiency
savings by 2020. Senate leaders were also forced to drop a package of
tax credits that would have shifted billions of dollars from the oil
industry to clean, renewable energy sources including wind, solar and
geothermal technologies.
“Increasing our use of clean renewable
energy is essential for a clean energy future,” O’Malley said. “While
we are disappointed that a renewable electricity standard was not
included in the energy bill, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid
are committed to getting it done and we look forward to working with
them soon.”
The Senate bill also contains beneficial reforms to
Department of Energy (DOE) authority to issue energy efficiency
standards for appliance and equipment products, and establishes new
efficiency standards for products such as light bulbs, dishwashers and
clothes washers. The lighting standard alone would reduce global
warming pollution by 100 million metric tons in 2030 relative to DOE
projections. The bill also will save taxpayers money by increasing
efficiency in federal government buildings. A provision to tighten
federal building codes was dropped from the House bill.
While
the bill’s fuel economy increase is identical to that called for in the
President’s 2007 State of the Union address, the White House has
threatened to veto the bill unless states and the EPA are preempted
from regulating global warming pollution from cars.
“The
President called for an increase in CAFE in his 2007 State of the Union
address and Congress is going to deliver it to him,” said O’Malley.
“The White House should stop trying to trample on states’ rights and
sign this bill to deliver much-needed oil savings for New Jersey.”
