The Bush administration has submitted legislation to Congress that would give regulators authority to require that passenger cars go further on a gallon of gas to reduce US dependence on foreign oil, documents showed on Wednesday. But an influential member of the House of Representatives, whose committee would consider any proposal to change fuel economy standards, did not offer a positive endorsement of the Transportation Department initiative.
"I am reviewing the president's proposal, which seems substantially similar to what was considered in the last Congress and did not go over well," said Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Neither chamber voted on the previous fuel mileage measure last year.
Dingell's committee is planning hearings on the new plan within the next few weeks.
"I remain open to considering all options dealing with the transportation sector, fuel economy, and emissions of carbon dioxide, including complete alternatives to the existing system," Dingell said.
The administration's proposal, submitted to Dingell's committee by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is a cornerstone of White House efforts to reduce US oil consumption.
President George W Bush said in his State of the Union address in January that he wants to reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent over a decade, or 4 percent annually beginning in 2009. However, the new plan did not include an annual mileage target.
Domestic and foreign automakers consider Bush's mileage goals ambitious.
Nicole Nason, administrator of the highway safety agency, said in a letter to Dingell the administration has the "expertise and experience" to raise fuel standards without automakers compromising safety by having to make lighter cars.
Some in Congress would like to set very high fuel targets for cars and a new one for sport utilities, pickups and light trucks. That is a scenario the US-based auto industry -- which generally makes vehicles that are less fuel efficient than their overseas rivals -- wants to avoid at all costs.
A spokeswoman for Nason did not return a call seeking comment on the legislative proposal.
Currently, passenger cars must average 27.5 miles per gallon under the federal government's 1970s-era Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standard. NHTSA approved new fuel standards for the SUV and pickup class last March -- 24 mpg by 2011.
US-based automakers, including General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., have long resisted higher fuel standards for cars. But the companies have said they would work with Congress and the administration on tougher requirements if the government changed the way it calculated performance.
Auto companies want a formula based on vehicle size and other attributes rather than requirements that simply assess fleetwide performance, a preference reflected in the administration's proposal.
The Bush administration plan sent to Congress that also includes a provision that would permit automakers, financial institutions and other investors to purchase or sell fuel economy credits, which it said could lower industry costs for complying with new performance standards.
Dingell said he had "some concern" about the credit-trading plan.
Bush has also called for greater use of ethanol and other alternative fuels and gasoline-electric hybrid cars to help reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy.
"I am reviewing the president's proposal, which seems substantially similar to what was considered in the last Congress and did not go over well," said Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Neither chamber voted on the previous fuel mileage measure last year.
Dingell's committee is planning hearings on the new plan within the next few weeks.
"I remain open to considering all options dealing with the transportation sector, fuel economy, and emissions of carbon dioxide, including complete alternatives to the existing system," Dingell said.
The administration's proposal, submitted to Dingell's committee by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is a cornerstone of White House efforts to reduce US oil consumption.
President George W Bush said in his State of the Union address in January that he wants to reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent over a decade, or 4 percent annually beginning in 2009. However, the new plan did not include an annual mileage target.
Domestic and foreign automakers consider Bush's mileage goals ambitious.
Nicole Nason, administrator of the highway safety agency, said in a letter to Dingell the administration has the "expertise and experience" to raise fuel standards without automakers compromising safety by having to make lighter cars.
Some in Congress would like to set very high fuel targets for cars and a new one for sport utilities, pickups and light trucks. That is a scenario the US-based auto industry -- which generally makes vehicles that are less fuel efficient than their overseas rivals -- wants to avoid at all costs.
A spokeswoman for Nason did not return a call seeking comment on the legislative proposal.
Currently, passenger cars must average 27.5 miles per gallon under the federal government's 1970s-era Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standard. NHTSA approved new fuel standards for the SUV and pickup class last March -- 24 mpg by 2011.
US-based automakers, including General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., have long resisted higher fuel standards for cars. But the companies have said they would work with Congress and the administration on tougher requirements if the government changed the way it calculated performance.
Auto companies want a formula based on vehicle size and other attributes rather than requirements that simply assess fleetwide performance, a preference reflected in the administration's proposal.
The Bush administration plan sent to Congress that also includes a provision that would permit automakers, financial institutions and other investors to purchase or sell fuel economy credits, which it said could lower industry costs for complying with new performance standards.
Dingell said he had "some concern" about the credit-trading plan.
Bush has also called for greater use of ethanol and other alternative fuels and gasoline-electric hybrid cars to help reduce dependence on foreign sources of energy.
No comments:
Post a Comment