Earlier today, President Bush
signed a bipartisan energy bill that represents the first time in more than
thirty years that Congress has acted to increase fuel economy. Speaker Pelosi
and Majority Leader Reid, along with Chairman Dingell and Chairman Markey,
deserve tremendous credit for breaking the decades-long log jam on fuel
economy.
We want to thank the eight
members of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation who voted for the bill,
including Senators Feingold and Kohl, Representatives Obey, Kind, Baldwin,
Moore, Petri and Kagen. We are
disappointed that Representatives Ryan and Sensenbrenner voted against.
The bill will increase fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon fleetwide
by 2020, 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 bill also contains
beneficial reforms to Department of Energy (DOE) authority to issue energy
efficiency standards for appliance and equipment products, and establishes new
efficiency standards for products such as light bulbs, dishwashers and clothes
washers. The lighting standard alone would reduce global warming pollution by
100 million metric tons in 2030 relative to DOE projections. The bill will save
taxpayers money by increasing efficiency in federal government buildings. A
provision to tighten federal building codes was dropped from the House bill.
We are thrilled that this
Congress has turned a corner on energy policy by delivering long-overdue oil
savings for America, but we are disappointed the President has blocked progress
on renewable energy. The original House-passed energy bill contained popular
renewable electricity standards now in place in Wisconsin and 24 other states
as well as provisions to close tax loopholes for Big Oil to fund renewable
energy projects. White House opposition
to the renewable electricity standard and to the tax package helped lead to
these provisions being dropped on the Senate floor.
We look forward to taking the
next step toward a new energy future by passing renewable energy standards and
incentives when Congress returns in 2008, and urge the President to make
signing a renewable energy bill a cornerstone of his final year in office.
30-30-30
Wisconsin Environment is a statewide,
non-partisan, non-profit environmental advocacy organization.
