Washington, DC—The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released the following statement from Avi Mersky, senior transportation researcher, in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s revised standards for cars and light trucks through model year 2026:
“The standards announced today will reverse much of the damage of the Trump administration’s rollback and save consumers money. They are more stringent than the proposed version and will enable the administration to develop more-ambitious rules next year to meet the president’s climate pledges.
“In particular, the new rule envisions significant electric vehicle sales by 2026, and the administration will need to embrace that imperative as it begins developing the next standard.
“While today’s standards improve substantially upon the proposal, loopholes in the standards mean that the emissions reductions will be about a quarter lower than they otherwise would be. An all-hands-on-deck approach for the climate will mean doing away with these giveaways next time.”
ACEEE submitted comments to EPA in September on its proposed standards, calling for the agency to set the standards at a more stringent level and remove a number of proposed incentives, credits, and multipliers that would reduce their effective stringency.
ACEEE’s independent research and advocacy depend on the support of foundations, businesses, and individuals committed to a cleaner, more affordable energy future for all Americans.