What’s Your Take on Senate Energy Bill?
Whether the press release below is an objective account on the topic of fuel eonomy is subject to debate. The amount of fuel a vehicle consumes is not the only factor affecting this nation’s consumption of petroleum. For example, if we can reduce all vehicles’s consumption by 20% and over time our miles logged increase by 20% then we have solved almost nothing. Does this legislation really address a significant component to the energy issue? Tell us what you think.
MoreWhat.com staff
the press release:
Senate Commerce Committee Approves Historic Fuel Economy Legislation for Cars, SUVs, Trucks
Bill would reduce oil dependence, enhance energy security
WASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Energy Security
Leadership Council (ESLC), a project of Securing America’s Future Energy
(SAFE), expressed strong support for landmark fuel economy legislation
approved today by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of
the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan bill promises to achieve substantial
reductions in U.S. oil dependence by addressing consumption in the
transportation sector, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of total U.S.
oil demand.
The Ten-In-Ten Fuel Economy Act, which was reported out of the Commerce
Committee with support from a broad coalition of Republicans and Democrats,
would increase the fuel economy of all on-road vehicles.
“The Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act is a bold, bipartisan effort that will
greatly improve the national security of the United States by reducing our
oil dependence. The legislation deserves broad support.”
“The Energy Security Leadership Council commends Chairman Inouye, Vice
Chairman Stevens, Senator Dorgan, and Senator Snowe and other members of
the Committee who helped advance this important initiative to address a
profound economic and national security vulnerability. Senators Craig and
Feinstein also made major contributions to today’s victory,” remarked
General P.X. Kelley, USMC (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the US Marine Corps
and Co-Chair of the ESLC.
The bill incorporates four major provisions central to the ESLC’s
policy recommendations: presumptive and aggressive increases in vehicle
fuel economy; application of those required economy increases to all
on-road vehicles, including cars, SUVs, and medium and heavy trucks; an
attribute-based system that gives the National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to group vehicles by
like-attributes and then apply different standards for like vehicles; and
“off ramps” to protect consumers and manufacturers by allowing NHTSA to
relax the mandated increases if such improvements are economically
infeasible or unsafe.
The ESLC is an intensive effort by a collection of prominent business
leaders and retired military officers to build support for a comprehensive
policy to reduce U.S. oil dependence. SAFE is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit
organization committed to reducing America’s dependence on oil and
improving U.S. energy security in order to bolster national security and
strengthen the economy.
Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President and CEO of FedEx and an ESLC
Co- Chair, commented, “The Energy Security Leadership Council was pleased
to work with the members of the Commerce Committee and deeply appreciates
their efforts. The Ten-In-Ten Fuel Economy Act reflects key principles
central to improving U.S. economic and national security.
“As individuals who have been grappling with the challenges that oil
dependence poses to American prosperity and security, the Energy Security
Leadership Council is pleased to support the Ten-In-Ten Fuel Economy Act.
We look forward to working with members of the Senate in the coming weeks
to improve this important legislation and address the critical need to
increase domestic oil supply.”
SOURCE Securing America’s Future Energy
Related links:
# http://www.secureenergy.org/
May 10th, 2007 at 1:09 am
The energy bill sounds like a good start, but I would like to see Congress take this opportunity to pass a more far-reaching law that deals both with growing energy demand and climate change. One key provision of such a bill would be a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), requiring that a minimum percentage of electricity supply come from alternative clean energy sources like wind and solar. The job creation potential of wind is already starting to be felt. More background on the RPS and how you can support it available here.
Regards,
Thomas O. Gray
American Wind Energy Association
www.awea.org
risingwind.blogspot.com
May 11th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Wind farms appear to be the target of ‘not in my backyard’ complaints as well as objections over danger to certain wildlife. Based on reports I have seen, it offers reasonable bang for the buck. It certainly seems more practical to me than the E85 craze.
May 16th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
The senate bill is too little if not too late.
This, and any adminstration, has to face the might of the BIG OIL and BIG THREE AUTO lobbiests when attempting to budge CAFE standards for automobiles.
If I were investing in Chrysler as a private equity owner, I would clean up the waste and redirect the company and its resources to create high efficiency modes of transportation and blow by the proposed CAFE standards. Can you imagine how the other two US automakers would have to respond to remain competitive? If they don’t get it, tax heavily the consumer who selfishly burns fuel to drive gas-guzzling SUVs and stand in line 80 deep to pick up their kids after school. The consumer will ultimately get it and drive the market in the choice of fuel efficient vehicles.
The commitment to green energy is not strong enough. Tax the use of oil based energy heavily and apply the revenue as tax credits which should be issued on the basis of audited carbon balance and air quality credits for producers. That not only includes biofuels but coal technologies as well. More R&D expenditures need to be focused on nuclear energy and educational efforts need to be directed toward fear mongers and NIMBY nay-sayers. Force cities to adopt mass- and rapid-transit systems and quit passing out tax dollars to build more highways.
Today’s government taxes the consumer and gives it back to the fuel producers who pass it back on in the form of higher pump prices. If we are going to pay higher prices, then let’s have some better stewardship of the tax dollars and redirect them to ventures that are of greater value to America in the long term.