New Truck Efficiency Standards Can Go a Long Way toward a Cleaner Energy Future

WASHINGTON (June 19, 2015) – The Obama Administration’s proposed fuel-efficiency and carbon pollution standards for heavy trucks announced today will cut fuel bills, curb carbon pollution, and spur manufacturing innovation.

The following is a statement by Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Making our trucks go farther on less fuel will limit climate change and oil dependency while saving consumers and businesses money, and spurring innovation. We will be pushing the administration to require compliance sooner, in order to deliver these benefits more quickly.”

A February 2014 Presidential directive required agencies to develop the next phase of heavy truck standards. The new standards have been over a year in the making, and won’t fully take effect until 2027, which provides truck makers a generous twelve-year lead time to comply.

Today’s announcement marks the second phase of efficiency and carbon pollution standards for heavy trucks, as first required by Congress under the bipartisan Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Phase 1 standards were adopted in 2011; they are to be fully implemented between 2014 and 2018 and will achieve approximately a 16 percent reduction in fuel use and carbon pollution from 2010 new truck levels. NRDC estimates the proposed phase 2 standards will result in about a 40 percent cut for a typical tractor-trailer, raising the on-road fuel economy from about 6 mpg to at least 10 mpg.

Read more about today’s announcement at this blog by NRDC Vehicles Director Luke Tonachel: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/ltonachel/.
 

 

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