Obama Announces 54.5 mpg by 2025 Fuel Economy Standards
President Obama, announcing new fuel economy standards:
This agreement on fuel standards represents the single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Think about that.
The President’s announcement today, for fleet-wide fuel economy standards of 54.5 mpg by 2025, is the result of negotiations and compromise between the administration, automakers, and California (a state which has historically set standards higher than the rest of the country). More importantly, this decision is a sound investment in our national security. Earlier this week, ASP energy fellow Andrew Holland’s blog post presented the national security case for high fuel economy standards, arguing that our continued reliance on oil leaves our economy and our foreign policy extremely vulnerable to (oft unfriendly) oil producing regimes. Clearly, policy-makers understand the huge economic, health, and especially national security benefits to be gained by reducing our nation’s dependence on petroleum.
(To read the administration’s full report, Driving Efficiency: Cutting Costs for Families at the Pump and Slashing Dependence on Oil, click here)
Today’s announcement is a great step forward in unshackling our economy, and our interactions with the rest of the world, from the constraints of oil. Those who participated in this discussion—from policy-makers to automakers to environmental groups—should be lauded for their commitment to safeguarding our national security by making smart energy choices.
