Today, the Environmental Protection Agency rolled out the strongest tailpipe emissions standards in hopes to push automakers to increase electric vehicles in their sales to 67 percent by 2032.
Today, we are proposing the strongest-ever pollution standards for cars and trucks. These proposed standards will accelerate the transition to a clean transportation future and help tackle the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/FWaSTaRrRV
— U.S. EPA (@EPA) April 12, 2023
The Renewable Fuels Association‘s CEO Geoff Cooper says they strongly disagree.
“While we certainly share the Biden administration’s goals of increasing vehicle efficiency and reducing carbon emissions from transportation, we strongly disagree with policy approaches that arbitrarily pick technology winners and losers with no clear scientific basis. Today’s EPA proposal would effectively force automakers to produce more battery electric vehicles and strongly discourage them from pursuing other vehicle technologies that could achieve the same—or better—environmental performance at a lower cost to the U.S. economy and American families. We urge EPA to reconsider its proposal and instead adopt a technology-neutral approach that treats all low-carbon transportation options fairly and equally.”
Cooper added that the Biden Administration’s own research shows that low-carbon renewable fuel like ethanol can dramatically improve fuel efficiency, but the announcement ignores the opportunity of ethanol.
“All we are asking for is a level playing field,” said Cooper.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan called the targets ambitious, but it is imperative.
“The stakes could not be higher. We must continue to act with haste and ambition to confront the climate crisis and leave all our children, like my 9-year-old son, Matthew, a healthier and safer world. By doing so, we will secure America’s global competitiveness and deliver economic benefits for all.”
