http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11494 Planet Ark US House panel set to boost vehicle fuel standards
USA: July 11, 2001 WASHINGTON - The House energy and air quality subcommittee is expected to approve an energy efficiency and conservation bill this week that will include language supporting higher fuel standards for sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and other light trucks, the panel's chairman said yesterday. "I do think we will have a CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) component of this bill before it goes to the full committee," said Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Texas. The current CAFE standards, set by Congress in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo, require passenger cars to get an average 27.5 miles per gallon and light trucks 20.7 miles. Barton made the announcement yesterday afternoon during a hearing that allowed other lawmakers on his panel to make opening statements on the legislation. With the gasoline-guzzling summer driving season almost half over and Congress a few weeks from a month-long recess, lawmakers are finally getting around to acting on legislation to implement a comprehensive national energy policy. The House subcommittee begins debating its bill on Wednesday afternoon to encourage conservation efforts and promote energy efficiency. The panel's work may also continue on Thursday. The measure before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's energy and air quality subcommittee promotes nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, clean coal, steady gasoline supplies and federal program that cut energy use in appliances. The legislation at the moment does not include language to raise the fuel mileage of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and other light trucks. However, Barton said he expects other lawmakers on the subcommittee will offer such an amendment to the bill. The subcommittee's ranking Democrat, Rick Boucher of Virginia, said he supports the legislation. Rep. Billy Tauzin of Louisiana, who chairs the full Energy and Commerce Committee, also said he expects the final bill will address fuel efficiency standards. "We haven't thought critically about our energy use, and we haven't had a comprehensive national energy plan to get us through the next decade and beyond," he said. LIGHT TRUCKS ESCAPED HIGH FUEL STANDARD Light trucks were allowed to have lower mileage when the CAFE standard were adopted in the 1970s because at the time they were used mostly by farmers and businesses. However, today the category includes SUVs, pickups and minivans that account for about half the vehicles sold in the United States. As part of its new national energy plan, the Bush administration is waiting for a CAFE study from the National Academy of Sciences to be released at the end of this month before deciding whether to change the fuel standards. Meanwhile, President George W. Bush will send top members of his administration across the country next week to hold town hall meetings to rally public support for his energy proposal. Vice President Dick Cheney will preside over a town hall meeting in Pittsburgh on Monday. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham will be in Chicago, Interior Secretary Gale Norton in Minnesota and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta in Ohio. Bush's energy proposal has been criticized for focusing too much on new oil and natural gas production, and not including enough conservation measures. Bush's poll ratings on the environment have fallen in the weeks since the plan was outlined in May. A cornerstone of the administration's new policy, giving energy firms access to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, was in trouble in Congress from the beginning. The newly Democratic-controlled Senate has said it will block any move to open the area to drilling. Meanwhile back on Capitol Hill, a group of moderate and conservative House Democrats unveiled their own plan yesterday to overhaul the nation's energy policies. The plan from the so-called Blue Dog Democrats proposes tax incentives to increase production of both tractional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources like wind and solar. The plan also encourages consumers and producers to invest in energy efficient products. The coalition does not have comprehensive legislation to implement its plan, but instead will support individual bills already introduced that reflect the group's energy goals. Story by Tom Doggett REUTERS NEWS SERVICE Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
