Congress increases fuel efficiency standards
On Dec. 13,
with the support of Maryland Sens. Benjamin Cardin and Barbara
Mikulski, the Senate passed a bipartisan energy bill that, if enacted,
represents the first time in more than 30 years that Congress has acted
to increase fuel efficiency.
The bill will increase fuel
efficiency standards fleetwide to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, which
will save 1.1 million barrels of oil per day and save consumers $22
billion in 2020. By 2030, these standards will reduce annual global
warming emissions by 424 million metric tons a year, the equivalent of
taking 77 million of today’s cars off the road.
The threat of
a veto by the president and a filibuster by Senate Republicans led
Senate leaders to drop a renewable electricity standard (RES) from the
bill. An energy bill including an RES passed the House twice this year
and garnered a majority in the Senate, but it fell short of the 60
votes needed for cloture.
The Maryland Clean Cars Act will reduce smog-forming pollution by 3,600 tons, and global warming pollution by 4.4 million tons per year.
