04/30/2008 08:54 AM

Page: 1  | 2  | 3

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: April 30, 2008

Page 1

• Proposed New Standards to Increase Fuel Economy by 25% by 2015
• EPA Establishes New Energy Star Criteria for Set-Top Boxes
• American Architects Name Top Ten Green Buildings for 2008
• Los Angeles Approves an Aggressive Green Building Ordinance
• Maryland Approves Wide-Ranging Clean Energy Bills
• Austin Energy Maintains U.S. Lead in Green Power Sales
• Researchers Note Rising Levels of Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases

Proposed New Standards to Increase Fuel Economy by 25% by 2015

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed new fuel economy standards last week that will result in a 25% increase in fuel economy by 2015. The proposed new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards apply to cars and light trucks-pickups, vans, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs)-starting with vehicles in model year 2011, most of which will go on sale in late 2010.

The proposed standards increase fuel economy by 4.5% per year for five years, ending with model year 2015. For passenger cars, the proposal would increase fuel economy from the current 27.5 miles per gallon (mpg) to 35.7 mpg by 2015. For light trucks, the proposal calls for increases from 23.5 mpg in 2010 to 28.6 mpg in 2015. The proposed standards are the first step in implementing a 40% increase in fuel economy by 2020, as mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. See the DOT press release and the article from this newsletter on the energy act.

If the new standards are put in place as proposed, they will save nearly 55 billion gallons of fuel while cutting roughly 521 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Drivers that buy the new vehicles covered by the standards will collectively save more than $100 billion in fuel costs over the lifetime of the vehicles.

The DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will accept comments on the proposed standards for 60 days after their publication in the Federal Register. In addition, the NHTSA is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the potential environmental impacts of the proposed standards and is seeking suggestions on the environmental issues and reasonable alternative to be addressed in the EIS. The NHTSA is also requesting information from automakers on how they plan to meet the proposed rules. See the full proposal and related documents on the NHTSA Web site.

Although the new standards will mandate increases in fuel economy starting in late 2010, the current record-high prices for gasoline and diesel fuel are causing consumers to emphasize fuel economy now, and that shift in mindset is already influencing automakers' production plans.

On Monday, General Motors Corporation (GM) announced that it will cut production of its full-size trucks by eliminating one production shift at four North American assembly plants: three that build full-size pickups and one that builds SUVs. The changes will cause GM to produce 138,000 fewer full-size trucks this year. On Tuesday, GM launched a new edition of its Chevrolet Cobalt, called the XFE for "Xtra Fuel Economy." Available in manual-transmission versions of both the sedan and the coupe, the Cobalt XFE will achieve an estimated 25 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway through the combination of a revised engine calibration, low-rolling-resistance tires, and a higher gear ratio in the fifth gear. The Chevrolet Cobalt XFE is on sale now.

The American Automobile Association's "Fuel Gauge Report" listed new record highs for motor fuels on Tuesday, with the national average for regular gasoline hitting $3.607 per gallon and diesel fuel hitting $4.244 per gallon. See the GM press releases on the production cuts and the Cobalt XFE, and for the latest fuel prices, see the Fuel Gauge Report.

EPA Establishes New Energy Star Criteria for Set-Top Boxes

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized new Energy Star requirements for set-top boxes on April 23. Starting on January 1, 2009, new cable, satellite, and telecom set-top boxes that carry the Energy Star must be at least 30% more efficient than conventional models. The requirements will tighten further in 2011. The new Energy Star requirements for set-top boxes are the logical follow-up to the new Energy Star requirements for televisions, which will take effect on November 1. The Energy Star program is a joint effort of DOE and the EPA. See the EPA press release.

The EPA will also partner with the cable, satellite and telecommunications companies to encourage them to deploy more Energy Star-qualified set-top boxes. Starting in 2009, partners in the program will have to assure that either half of their new set-top boxes carry the Energy Star or that at least 10% of the set-top boxes used by their subscribers are Energy Star-qualified. The latter option increases to 25% of the set-top boxes in 2010. The partners must also assure that the set-top boxes work as intended and must educate their customers about the benefits of Energy Star-qualified set-top boxes. See the new set-top box specifications and partner requirements on the Energy Star Web site.

 next »