Senator is House author of fuel economy standard update in 2007 energy bill

Washington (November 30, 2016) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) released the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that its technical analysis supports leaving current carbon pollution standards in place for cars and light trucks for model years 2022-2025. The fuel economy standards, announced in 2012, are on track to nearly double fuel economy and reduce carbon pollution.

The Obama administration’s 54.5 mpg standard was partially enabled by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which included fuel economy standards co-authored by then-Rep. Markey. That law included Senator Markey’s language that said the standard must be at least 35 mpg by 2020, and that the “maximum feasible standard” must be set every year. The bill was signed by President George W. Bush in December 2007.

“The EPA announcement that strong fuel economy standards should remain in place is the holiday season gift that will keep on giving,” said Senator Markey, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and chair of the Senate Climate Clearinghouse. “By keeping EPA standards in place, we can continue to push forward with the goals to save drivers money at the pump while reducing the carbon pollution at the heart of climate change.”

“The Obama administration’s fuel economy standards have put the American economy in the driver’s seat, reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and providing certainty for the automotive industry as it continues to build a more climate- and consumer-friendly vehicle fleet. Automotive industry ingenuity has made today’s cars and SUVs fuel-efficient computers on wheels, and we should not let lower gas prices lull consumers into buying less fuel-efficient vehicles that could roll back these important gains. The United States has joined the international community in committing to doing our fair share to address global warming in the Paris Climate Accord, and these fuel economy standards are a linchpin of our domestic plan to meet the climate change challenge.” 

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