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Fuel Efficient Vehicles

I was so excited when I heard that President Bush signed into law this month, legislation that will bring more fuel-efficient vehicles into auto showrooms and require wider use of ethanol, calling it "a major step" toward energy independence and easing global warming.

The legislation signed by Bush at a ceremony at the Energy Department requires automakers to increase fuel efficiency by 40 percent to an industry average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. It also ramps up production of ethanol use to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022.

Bush said the new requirements will help "address our vulnerabilities and dependency" on foreign oil by reducing demand for gasoline and diversifying the nation's fuel supply.

Bush noted that earlier this year he had proposed a plan to cut gasoline use by 20 percent over the next 10 years. But the president has long opposed arbitrary numerical standards for vehicle fuel economy.

The legislation increases the federal standard automakers must meet to an industry wide 35 mpg for passengers cars, SUVs and small trucks. The standard for cars today is 27.5 mpg and for trucks and SUVs 22.2 mpg.

It requires refineries to increase the use of ethanol from about 6 billion gallons a year this year to 36 billion gallons by 2022 and mandates that by then at least 21 billion gallons are to come from feedstocks other than corn.

"I firmly believe this country needs to have a comprehensive energy strategy," said Bush before signing the bill. He referred to the need for more nuclear energy and domestic oil production - issues that the new energy bill ignores.

The bill also calls for improved energy efficiency of appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and dishwashers, and a 70 percent increase in the efficiency of light bulbs. It also calls for energy efficiency improvements in federal buildings and construction of commercial buildings.

The new lighting standards alone are projected to lower consumers' annual electricity bills by $13 billion in 2020, remove the need for 60 mid-size power plants and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas, by 100 million tons a year, said the advocacy group Alliance to Save Energy.

HOPE Lending LLC announced our commitment earlier this year to Going Green. To learn more about how you can help follow Green is Good.

Posted by Melissa Olson ~ HOPE Lending LLC on 12/26/2007 08:03 PM

Comments (7)

hope lending llc, bellevue wa mortgage, global warming, going green

This post has been included in Washington Information

7 Comments on Fuel Efficient Vehicles

DEC

2007

A great post, I wonder who is behind the push for energy efficiency?

Thank you Matt. Hopefully, many of us are behind the push.

I am all for fuel efficiency. I do not think that ethanol is the way to go. Just because we can do it does not make it a good idea. To think that we can replace petroleum with agriculture is misguided. It will increase the cost of food. I wish he had put more of an emphasis on hydrogen and solar.

Hey Melissa,

Very interesting post. I do believe that the US needs to be very agressive on conserving all types of energy.

Sean Allen

Wayne - great point which I think I agree. I'm not sure what consequences we'll see, but at least we're seeing change.

Sean - thank you for sharing your perspective.

DEC

2007

Great. The government acts to take away my incandescent light bulbs and make my trucks and SUV's smaller and less safe. Ethanol is junk science and has only served to raise the price, affecting the poor in Central America who rely on corn as a part of their diet. Plus, Ethanol cars get awful gas mileage. Check out the government ratings on www.fueleconomy.gov for E-85 vehicles and tell me how that help anyone. I say drill in ANWAR but that makes too much sense and there's a endangered wilderness gnat that might be affected.

In the spirit though, I myself am taking my business Green this year, as we will make more Green than we ever have before. That's what going green is all about, right?

DEC

2007

Jonathan - I didn't get any understanding that the government is making my truck smaller and less safe. I would prefer to see more improvements in the solar use, but I'm happy to see whatever effort being made. At least it shows progress and thought for improvement.

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