Obama Orders Fuel Efficiency Standards for Trucks
Tesla to Revive California Auto Plant
Western Grid Can Accommodate More Wind, Solar
Ex-Im Bank Speeds Financing of Solar Exports
FERC Eases Small Hydro Development
Renewable Energy Grows Rapidly Over Next 28 Years
President Obama Orders Fuel Efficiency Standards for Trucks
President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on May 21, directing the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to create the first national policy to increase the fuel efficiency of medium- and heavy-duty trucks while decreasing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The directive targets new trucks in the 2014-2018 model years.
U.S. trucks consume more than two million barrels of oil a day and average 6.1 miles per gallon, while emitting 20% of the GHG pollution related to U.S. transportation.
The president also called for an extension of the groundbreaking fuel efficiency and GHG emissions policy he announced on May 19, 2009, which covers cars and light-duty trucks in the model years 2012 to 2016. The new policy would apply to model years 2017 and beyond.
Obama also directed DOE to increase support for deployment of advanced vehicles and directed the EPA to explore ways to cut vehicle emissions of pollutants other than greenhouse gases.
In his remarks announcing the memorandum, the president called for public and private sector cooperation to develop the advanced infrastructure that will be necessary for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. He said his administration will work to diversify the U.S. fuel mix, including biofuels, natural gas, and other cleaner sources of energy. See the White House press release, the president's remarks, the Presidential Memorandum, and an article on the light vehicle standards from the April 7 edition of the EERE Network News.
Boosting the fuel economy of new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles could create about 124,000 new green jobs nationwide by 2030, curb U.S. oil dependence, and save truckers thousands of dollars annually at the gas pump, according to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists and CALSTART, "Delivering Jobs: The Economic Costs and Benefits of Improving Heavy Duty Vehicle Fuel Economy."
The report found that increasing the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 3.7 miles per gallon over the next 20 years would generate net job growth for all 50 states. By 2030, the report projects a net economy-wide savings of $24 billion. See the UCS press release and the full report (PDF 62 KB).
Tesla Motors to Revive California Auto Plant
Tesla Motors, Inc. announced on May 20 that it has acquired the recently-shuttered New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) vehicle manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, and will begin production of its Model S electric vehicle (EV) there in 2012.
NUMMI had been operated by Toyota in partnership with General Motors, and ceased production of the Toyota Corolla sedan and the Toyota Tacoma truck in early April. The facility is capable of producing half a million vehicles per year, or about 1% of worldwide car production.
Tesla, which currently makes the all-electric, two-seat Tesla Roadster, will use the facility to produce the Model S, a premium electric sedan, as well as other future Tesla vehicles. Tesla will partly finance the new facility with a $465 million loan from DOE, which will also support construction of a manufacturing facility for electric powertrains in Palo Alto, California. See the Tesla press release and an article on the DOE loan from the January 27 edition of the EERE Network News.
