HOUSTON--
A new report by Environment Texas finds that the automobile fuel economy
provision in the Senate energy bill would save Texas consumers $2 billion
dollars at the pump in 2020, reduce oil consumption by 99 thousand barrels per
day and would be the equivalent of taking 1.2 million cars off the road.
“Rising
energy prices are gobbling up consumer savings this Thanksgiving
season,” said Colin McKellips, Environment Texas Field Associate. “With
oil approaching $100 a barrel, it is
past time for Congress to take action and pass an energy bill that
increases
fuel economy and requires renewable electricity to save consumers money
on
their energy bills.”
Environment
Texas’ new report “Driving Towards a New
Energy Future”, shows that in 2020 alone Texas
consumers would save 2 billion dollars at the pump in 2020 and reduce oil
consumption by 99,600 barrels of oil a day.
The
savings of the CAFE provision
would be even more significant nationwide. The Senate bill would:
- reduce our national energy consumption by 1.2 million
barrels per day in 2020,
- save American consumers $26.5 billion dollars; and
- be the greenhouse gas pollution reduction
equivalent of taking 14 million cars off the road.
This
summer the Senate passed the first new corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) legislation
in more than 30 years. Unfortunately, the House energy bill did not contain the
same provision. As Congress works to come up with a final energy bill, the CAFE
provisions and a renewable electricity standard must be combined with
efficiency provisions to create a bill that would put America on the path toward a new
clean energy future.
“It
is time for the auto industry to make our cars go farther on a gallon of gas
instead of making the same tired excuses about how they can’t do it,” said McKellips.
“We have the technology to get to 35 mpg by 2020. It’s time for Congress to
pass a strong energy bill."
###
