A new report by Environment New Mexico finds that
the automobile fuel economy provision in the Senate energy bill would
save New Mexico consumers $183 million dollars at the pump in 2020,
reduce oil consumption by 8,234 thousand barrels per day and would be
the equivalent of taking 99,606 cars off the road.
“Rising
energy prices are gobbling up consumer savings this Thanksgiving
season,” said Lauren Ketcham, an advocate with Environment New Mexico.
“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 New Mexico’s new report
“Driving Towards a New Energy Future”, shows that in 2020 alone New
Mexico consumers would save $183 million dollars at the pump in 2020
and reduce oil consumption by 8,234 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
Ketcham. “We have the technology to get to 35 mpg by 2020. It’s time
for Congress to pass a strong energy bill.”
