Obama administration delays fuel efficiency standards announcement
The Obama administration has confirmed it is to delay the announcement of finalised fuel efficiency rules by several weeks, insisting that it needs more time to complete “historic” new fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards.
In July, President Obama announced demanding new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks that will require manufacturers to deliver an average fleet efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, an improvement of five per cent a year between 2017 and 2025.
The new standards were developed following lengthy negotiations with auto manufacturers and were hailed by Obama as “the single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil”.
The details on how the new standards will be calculated and enforced were scheduled to be released by regulators before the end of September, but the Department of Transport and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday that they would need more time to finalise the rules.
Officials said an announcement could now be expected in mid-November, adding that the delay would not impact the deadline for issuing finalised rules by July next year.
The EPA was quick to downplay any suggestion that the delay could lead to a watering down of the new standards, issuing a statement insisting that the delays were simply the result of several different agencies being required to work together on complex regulations.
“Given the historic nature of this joint rule between EPA and DOT, as well as the necessary coordination with California, it was recently determined that additional time was needed and we expect to issue a proposal for MY 2017-2025 vehicles by mid-November,” it said.
The announcement comes just weeks after the EPA similarly revealed that it would not meet an end of September deadline for issuing new greenhouse gas emissions standards for power plants.
Although again the watchdog insisted the standards would not face the same fate as new ozone standards, which were repeatedly delayed before being controversially shelved indefinitely by the president during the summer.
In July, President Obama announced demanding new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks that will require manufacturers to deliver an average fleet efficiency of 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, an improvement of five per cent a year between 2017 and 2025.
The new standards were developed following lengthy negotiations with auto manufacturers and were hailed by Obama as “the single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil”.
The details on how the new standards will be calculated and enforced were scheduled to be released by regulators before the end of September, but the Department of Transport and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced yesterday that they would need more time to finalise the rules.
Officials said an announcement could now be expected in mid-November, adding that the delay would not impact the deadline for issuing finalised rules by July next year.
The EPA was quick to downplay any suggestion that the delay could lead to a watering down of the new standards, issuing a statement insisting that the delays were simply the result of several different agencies being required to work together on complex regulations.
“Given the historic nature of this joint rule between EPA and DOT, as well as the necessary coordination with California, it was recently determined that additional time was needed and we expect to issue a proposal for MY 2017-2025 vehicles by mid-November,” it said.
The announcement comes just weeks after the EPA similarly revealed that it would not meet an end of September deadline for issuing new greenhouse gas emissions standards for power plants.
Although again the watchdog insisted the standards would not face the same fate as new ozone standards, which were repeatedly delayed before being controversially shelved indefinitely by the president during the summer.
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