Copyright 2002 The Washington Post


The Washington Post
February 19, 2002 Tuesday
Final Edition
SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A14

LENGTH: 444 words

HEADLINE: The Senate's Turn on Cars

BODY:


WHEN THE HOUSE passed its version of energy legislation last summer, lawmakers missed a chance to reduce American consumption of foreign oil. They rejected an effort to significantly toughen federal auto fuel efficiency standards. Now it's the Senate's turn: Its energy bill is scheduled for debate after members return from the President's Day recess. Stronger standards are long overdue: It's up to the Senate to insist on them.

Fuel efficiency standards, which require the passenger car fleet to average 27.5 miles per gallon and the light truck and sport utility fleet to average 20.7 miles per gallon, haven't changed since 1985. The car standard is set by law; the Transportation Department is supposed to set the light truck standard by regulation, but from 1995 through 2001 Congress blocked the department from even considering any change in the standard. Meanwhile, trucks and SUVs claimed a bigger and bigger share of the market, meaning that the overall efficiency of the vehicle fleet headed south. Now it's at the lowest level in 20 years. Oil imports over the same time headed in the other direction; currently imports stand at roughly 10 million barrels per day, about half the nation's total consumption. Roughly 40 percent of that goes to fuel cars and light trucks. Lawmakers say they're concerned about growing reliance on overseas oil; well, here's one way to reverse the trend.

Tighter fuel efficiency standards are not a perfect answer. It will take some years under any proposal before new standards translate into vehicles in showrooms. Many drivers will take advantage of better efficiency by driving more, covering more ground for the same cost. That's why a better solution would be a higher gas tax, which would give drivers an immediate incentive to conserve and to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles, while also giving carmakers an incentive to improve efficiency. But there's no sign of the political will to embrace that choice.

Meanwhile, the technology exists to significantly increase efficiency. If it is put to use it will cut oil consumption even after accounting for increased driving. Proposals now under discussion in the Senate could produce savings of between 1.6 million and 2.5 million barrels per day by 2020, according to estimates by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Higher standards would also help combat global warming by reducing emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. President Bush noted the value of this tool in his global warming policy last week, but his administration hasn't yet come up with new proposals. The Senate can endorse meaningful standards: It shouldn't let this opportunity slip by.

LOAD-DATE: February 19, 2002