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Bush signs bill raising auto fuel standards
Washington (AFP) Dec 19, 2007 US President George W. Bush signed a bill Wednesday that raises fuel efficiency standards for the first time since 1975 and offers sweeping support for biofuels, in a bid to cut US reliance on foreign oil. Bush inked the legislation after the Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the legislation in a 314-100 vote on Tuesday, a week after the Senate approved the bill 86-8 following a compromise with minority Republicans. "President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which will improve vehicle fuel economy and help reduce US dependence on oil," the White House said in a statement. The bill, which is now law, contains a renewable fuel standard and fuel economy provisions that respond to the president's 'Twenty In Ten' vision. In his State of the Union address to Congress in January, Bush urged slashing US gasoline consumption by 20 percent in the next 10 years. The bill requires the auto industry to reduce fuel consumption in most cars and light trucks by 40 percent, raising the fuel efficiency standard to 35 miles per gallon (15 kilometers per liter) by 2020. The current Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard is around 27.5 miles per gallon for cars and just over 22 miles per gallon for light trucks. The bill also calls for a sixfold increase in the use of ethanol, a biofuel, to 136 billion liters per year by 2022. The provision is a boon to US farmers as the United States uses corn to produce ethanol. In addition, the legislation sets new energy efficiency standards requiring the use of more electricity-efficient light bulbs and appliances. Pressure for action on energy policy has been mounting as Americans become increasingly frustrated at rising gasoline prices, amid warnings that the United States must wean itself of foreign oil from the unstable Middle East. Democrats stressed the bill would allow Americans to save between 700 and 1000 dollars per year in gasoline. US carmakers appeared to welcome the bill's passage despite their long-standing opposition to any change in current fuel economy standards. Bush and Republican lawmakers agreed to support the bill after Democrats gave up a provision that would have ended the oil industry's 13.5 billion dollar tax breaks. Related Links Car Technology at SpaceMart.com
German carmakers up in arms over EU emission limits
Frankfurt, Germany (AFP) Dec 18, 2007German carmakers were on tenterhooks Tuesday on the eve of an expected European Union announcement on carbon dioxide limits, predicting industrial woe if the measures went ahead. |
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