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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Greg Vitali
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Vitali testifies in support of increased fuel efficiency standards
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 19 – State Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, today testified at a hearing in support of proposed new standards for cars and light trucks that would nearly double the average fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon.
The standards proposed by the Obama administration would cover model years 2017 to 2025. The federal Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held the hearing to take comments on the proposal.
"By adopting these standards we would combat climate change, reduce Americans’ dependence on foreign oil and save consumers money," Vitali said.
Vitali said the cars and light trucks affected by these standards account for 4 percent of the world's greenhouse gasses. He added that it is vital these new standards be put in place because Congress has failed to act on other measures to fight climate change, such as cap and trade or a carbon tax.
Vitali said the new standards would reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil by saving four billion barrels of oil over the lives of vehicles sold from 2017-2025 That's more than double what America imported from OPEC in 2010.
Operation Free, a coalition of veterans groups, supports the regulations because the dependence on foreign oil entangles America with hostile countries and indirectly funds the nation’s enemies.
According to the Sierra Club, the new standards would save Americans more than $4,000 over the life of an average 2025 vehicle, even after paying for new technology. It also would create 484,000 jobs economy wide, including 43,000 in the auto industry, according to the Sierra Club.
The rules were proposed Dec. 1. The comment period ends Feb. 13.
This is the second time the Obama administration has proposed raising fuel standards. It already increased standards for vehicles manufactured between 2012 and 2016 to 35.5 miles per gallon.
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