There’s more “oil” in Detroit than in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, aptly notes David Nemtzow, president of the Alliance to Save Energy. If fuel economy (CAFE) standards for light trucks were raised to 27.5 mpg like other passenger cars, we would save 2.1 million barrels of oil per day. This is twice Refuge peak production capability, and twice what the pipeline ships now, according to the U.S. Geological Society.
A new report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) puts average fuel economy for vehicles at its lowest point in 21 years. And U.S. citizens paid about $4 trillion from 1979 to 1991 for oil price shocks. This is almost as much as Americans spent on national defense during that period and more than interest payments on the national debt.
The Energy Information Administration places the transportation sector as the second largest energy consumer in the U.S. It accounted for 67 percent of U.S. oil consumption and 26 percent of U.S. energy consumption in 2000.
On October 10, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) asked Senator Jeff Bingaman
(D-NM), Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to stop plans to mark-up the energy bill. He asked Sen. Bingaman to prepare an energy bill that could go directly to the Senate floor, most likely to prevent a bill allowing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from going to the floor.
The Department of Energy budget for Fiscal Year 2002 is 11 percent higher than 2001. $913 million has been appropriated to drill for “oil” from Energy Efficiency. Most of the money goes to low-income weatherization assistance ($230 million, + 50%) and state energy programs ($45 million, +18%).
Energy Star program funding gets a boost from $2.2 million to $3 million, and industrial best
practices get an increase of 7 percent. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) got a $2 million cut, much smaller than was expected. In the end, Congress restored the core research and development programs the Bush Administration proposal would have cut.
House Committee press release: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Full EPA report: http://www.fueleconomy.gov
Alliance to Save Energy: [sorry this link is no longer available]Daschle Stops Panel’s Consideration of Energy Bill:
[sorry this link is no longer available]
International Herald Tribune Op-Ed: For a Less Vulnerable Energy System, Switch to Renewables: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Source: e-FFICIENCY NEWS: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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