“The Obama administration's new fuel economy rules may not have as much impact for technology as the NASA "Curiosity" Rover on Mars, but they’re a close second,” Heather White, Environmental Working Group's chief of staff and general counsel, said in response to the administration’s announcement that new cars and light trucks must have an average efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.
“By doubling mileage per gallon over the next decade,” White said, “we will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, protect public health by reducing air pollution, save money at the pump and protect the environment. The administration deserves a lot of credit for working with automakers, unions and environmentalists to ensure that we use technology as a driving force to move toward a clean energy future.”
“Advancing fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon standard is a far better way to improve the energy profile of the transportation sector than corn ethanol,” White said. “In 2010, EWG research showed that taxpayers spent a whopping $17 billion to subsidize ethanol from 2005 to 2009. As our report says, in return, all the taxpayers got for their money was a reduction in oil consumption equal to an unimpressive 1.1 mile-per-gallon increase in vehicle fuel economy. In contrast, today's action by the administration will save Americans $1.7 trillion at the gas pump over the lifetimes of the cars and trucks that meet the new rules.”
