Breaking: Senate votes to raise car fuel standards (UPDATE added)

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/21/breaking-senate-votes-to-raise-car-fuel-standards/

Breaking: Senate votes to raise car fuel standards.

“The Senate voted Thursday to increase fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon for cars and SUVs, the first significant boost demanded of automakers in nearly 20 years.”

The agreement was announced at a news conference and then quickly adopted by the Senate without a roll call vote. It scaled back tougher standards already in the Senate’s energy bill but was still considered strong enough to have wide support from environmentalists.

“It closes the SUV loophole,” declared Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., referring to current requirements that allow much less stringent fuel efficiency standards for SUVs and pickup trucks than for cars. “This is a victory for the American public.”

UPDATE: Feinstein has released a statement on the vote: “The compromise legislation raises the fleetwide average fuel economy standards for all cars, trucks and SUVs by 10 miles per gallon over 10 years — or from 25 to 35 miles per gallon by Model Year 2020.” By 2025, the fuel economy increases for cars and light-duty trucks would:

— Save between 2.0 and 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, nearly the amount of oil imported today from the Persian Gulf.

— Achieve up to 18 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from anticipated levels, or the equivalent of taking 60 million cars off the road in one year.

— Save consumers $79-98 billion at the pump, based on a $3.00 gas price.

Read the full release, with many more details, HERE:

Feinstein Statement On Fuel Economy Increase
http://thinkprogress.org/feinstein-release/

[BlooInBloo]

1. Lemme guess: +1/10 of 1 mpg over the next 2000 years?

[Jim Warren]

2. In other Senate news

Republicans block tax increases for oil companies

Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a $32 billion package of tax breaks for renewable energy that would have been financed mostly by new taxes on major oil companies.

Democrats came three votes short of overcoming a threatened GOP filibuster that was keeping the measure from being attached to a broader energy bill. Republican senators argued that the nearly $29 billion in additional taxes on major oil companies would have led to reduced production and higher gasoline prices.

Because of Republican opposition, Democrats needed 60 votes to allow the $32 billion tax package to come up for a vote, but fell short, 57-36. With a number of senators not voting, Democrats could resurrect the measure later, though there was no immediate indication of that.
http://www.wstm.com/Global/story.asp?S=6691628&nav=menu133_6

[taught_me_patience]

3. too little too late.

peak oil is real folks. By 2020, we are going to be longing for the days when gas was "$3.00/g" (it'll be well over $5 by then).

[Jim Warren]

5. 2020?

My guess would be closer to $10.

[taught_me_patience]

6. Yep

"WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Thursday to require average fuel economy of 35 miles per gallon for new cars, pickup trucks and SUVs by 2020, raising efficiency standards that have not changed significantly for nearly two decades."

So if my math is correct... it's been 20 years since the last time fuel standards were raised and it will be 13 years before this takes full effect. Essentially 33 years between raising fuel standards? WTF!?!?!

[kestrel91316]

7. You got that right.

[fujiyama]

8. Agree completely

This is so pathetic...2020 and all we get is a mandated increase of 10 miles?

And what's even more pathetic is we need a LAW to do this? The automakers are fucking useless.

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

4. You mean they didn't have to vote yes or no? They just did it by voice vote?

This type of stuff drives me crazy.