Denmark turns to green transport in runup to climate summit

April 5, 2009 at 1:43 pm

(Source: Deutsche Welle)

Denmark is a leader in climate policy, but the Danes are also among the highest per capita users of energy in the world. The government in Copenhagen is now trying to change that.

When Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen came to power in 2001, he didn’t seem at all interested in the environment and climate protection.

But with every Dane pumping out 5 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, Copenhagen could find itself in a tricky position as the host of a giant climate summit at the end of this year, when delegates from all over the world get together to set new global targets on emissions ahead of the 2012 expiry of the Kyoto agreement.

That’s why today a different message is heard coming from Copenhagen and the vision of green economic growth is sprinkled throughout just about every speech Rasmussen gives.

The prime minister is now openly advocating “a society in which we are completely independent from fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas” and a future in which renewable wind, solar and biomass energy sources will make it possible to live in “houses that produce more energy than they use.”

 

Currently there are only about 200 climate-friendly autos on the nation’s streets, but that should grow to 100,000 within two years.

 The Danish energy corporation DONG and the American company Better Place are planning to invest 100 million euros ($135 million) to build up infrastructure in the country for electric cars. The idea is to make it just as fast to charge up a battery as it is to fill up a tank of gas.

 The head of the Danish electric auto association, Per Moeller, is very pleased with that plan, and confident that Denmark can become a pioneer in this sector.

 “We have really good conditions for it here: no extreme climate changes and a flat landscape,” he said. “Denmark is certainly one of the countries in which it would be the easiest to introduce electric cars.”

The batteries to run these cars of the future have another advantage. They can be charged during the night when energy from wind turbines is available but isn’t being used much, essentially turning them into important energy storage devices.

“I don’t think we can leave it to the politicians to solve the problems with climate change,” said Jens Moberg, CEO of the Danish branch of Better Place. “Consumers and companies need to take an active role in the process.”

McKinsey Quarterly: Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel, proposes an electric plan for energy resilience

April 3, 2009 at 1:04 pm

(Source: McKinsey Quarterly ;Video:  The Auto Channel @ YouTube)

The fastest way to reduce America’s dependence on oil imports is to convert petroleum-driven miles to electric ones by retrofitting the SUVs and pick-ups now on the road with rechargeable batteries. Here’s how.

Our aim should not be total independence from foreign sources of petroleum. That is neither practical nor necessary in a world of interdependent economies. Instead, the objective should be developing a sufficient degree of resilience against disruptions in imports. Think of resilience as the ability to absorb a significant disruption, bigger than what could be managed by drawing down the strategic oil reserve.

 Our resilience can be strengthened by increasing diversity in the sources of our energy. Commercial, industrial, and home users of oil can already use other sources of energy. By contrast, transportation is totally dependent on petroleum. This is the root cause of our vulnerability.Our goal should be to increase the diversity of energy sources in transportation. The best alternative to oil? Electricity. The means? Convert petroleum-driven miles to electric ones.

Electric miles do not necessarily mean relying on all-electric cars, which would require building an extensive and expensive infrastructure. They can be achieved by so-called plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). (Since many plug-in cars are modified hybrid automobiles, they are sometimes called PHEVs.) PEVs have both a gasoline-fueled engine and an electric motor. They first rely on the electricity stored onboard in a battery. When the battery is depleted, the vehicle continues to run on petroleum. The battery then can be charged when the vehicle is not in service.

The engineering and organizational issues involved in retrofitting on a large scale are far from trivial. The biggest problem, however, is the availability of batteries. The most suitable battery technology, which offers both a sufficient range and enough power to provide the acceleration required by today’s drivers, is the lithium-ion battery system. Current battery-manufacturing capacity is limited, and nearly all of it is dedicated to supplying batteries for the nearly 200 million laptop computers and other handheld electronic devices built each year. Making the batteries required for one million vehicles would mean doubling current manufacturing output.

Click here to read the entire article (Register for Free to read and hear the entire discussion).
NOTE:
TransportGooru is proud to share Andy Grove’s keynote address on the critical importance; and business opportunity and viability; of moving transportation from oil to electricity.

 

Transportation and Climate Change Newsletter – February 2009

April 3, 2009 at 11:54 am

(SourceOffice of Planning, Environment and Realty Federal Highway Administration)

Recent Events

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer Announces Principles for Global Warming Legislation. On February 3, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) announced her intent to move quickly on global warming legislation and issued principles that she would like to see included. These include setting short and long term emissions targets that are certain and enforceable, using a carbon market to fund various efforts to reduce GHG emissions, and ensuring a level global playing field so that countries contribute their fair share to GHG emissions reductions. For more information including a link to Sen. Boxer’s Principles, see the Committee’s press release.

House Subcommittee Receives Testimony on Surface Transportation Energy Reduction.On January 27, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit heard from nationally recognized transportation experts and a panel of industry representatives about ways to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability in the surface transportation sector.  Video of the proceedings and written testimonies (scroll down) are available on the Subcommittee website.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Holds Meeting on Maritime Transport and the Climate Change Challenge. On February 17, FHWA’s Mike Savonis presented (via videoconference) results from USDOT’s Gulf Coast Study Phase I to an international audience in Geneva.  Additional information and presentations from the three-day event are available on the meeting website.

U.C. Davis Provides Congressional Briefing on Low-Carbon Transportation Policies & Strategies. On January 12, 2009, the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) Institute of Transportation Studies provided a briefing to Congressional staffers on the future of low-carbon transportation. More information about UC Davis climate change activities is available on the UC Davis ITS website. (TransportGooru is proud to share a video of UC Davis’s Dan Sperling Talk about the current Transportation system and its effect on Climate change. See below)

 House Subcommittee Conducts Hearing on Monitoring GHG Emissions.  On February 24, the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment conducted a hearing on how to monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions.  The purpose of the hearing was to determine the federal role in the funding of research and development of monitoring technologies as well as models to support reliable baseline data for GHG emissions.  The subcommittee heard testimony from businesses, government agencies, and localities on procedures and methods that can be used to monitor, report, and verify greenhouse gas emissions.  More information can be found on the Committee’s website at: http://science.house.gov/publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2359

State News

Oregon Governor Introduces VMT Fee Legislation. Following a study on charging a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee in place of a state gas tax, the Governor of Oregon introduced legislation that could move the state closer to adopting a per mile road user fee in place of the 24-cent per gallon gas tax. Governor Kulongoski’s Jobs and Transportation Act of 2009 requires the Oregon DOT to develop VMT fee collection technology that could be used to replace the gas tax.  The Act also directs Oregon DOT to further study gas tax alternatives.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Enters First Compliance Period. The ten signatory states to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) began their first compliance period on January 1, 2009 and the period ends in December 2011. At that time the ten Mid-Atlantic and New England states will be required to submit emissions allowances equivalent to their carbon dioxide emissions. For more information on the program, see the Pew Climate Center RGGI website.

Announcements

New Energy and Climate Change Database for Planners.  The American Planning Association has launched a new database of energy and climate change activities in planning.  You can search the database by a variety of criteria such as state, topic, planning tool, timeframe, or geographic scale.  The database includes many examples relating to transportation.  The database website iswww.planning.org/research/energy/database.

Summit on America’s Climate Choices, March 30-31 in Washington, D.C. Congress has tasked the National Academies with setting the stage for national action on climate change. In response, the Academies have launched America’s Climate Choices, a suite of activities that will provide policy advice, based on science, to guide the nation’s response to climate change. Experts representing various levels of government, the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and research and academic institutions have been selected to serve on four panels and an overarching committee.    The Summit on America’s Climate Choices provides an opportunity for study participants to interact with major thought leaders and key constituencies to frame the questions and issues that the study will address.  Registration and webcast information are available on the Summit website.  In addition to the summit, NAS is soliciting public input on the questions and content to be considered by the America’s Climate Choices Committee through the America’s Climate Choices website through April 17. 

Reminders

Washington State Department of Transportation Climate Change Weekly Digest, The Washington State DOT has an extensive Climate Change program and the Climate Change Team issues a weekly digest on climate change issues. For more information on WSDOT’s climate change activities see WSDOT’s climate change website. To be put on the email list to receive the weekly digest, please send a note to:StarkS@wsdot.wa.gov.

U.S. DOT Launches Web-Based Clearinghouse of Transportation, Climate Change Resources. The USDOT has launched a new, web-based clearinghouse of information on transportation and climate change. The site provides an introduction to climate change and transportation and related information on greenhouse gas inventories and forecasts, methodologies for analyzing greenhouse gases from transportation, climate change and adaptation, and federal, state and local actions on transportation and climate change. The site also includes a calendar of events and will soon be enhanced to provide an opportunity for users to post and respond to discussions and receive updates by email. To access the site, go to: http://climate.dot.gov

Transportation Research Board Starts a New Climate Change website. Transportation Research Board (TRB) has a new website offering information on TRB activities and products addressing transportation and climate change.

“Rushed” into judgement – “Republican God” Rush Limbaugh blasts green car movement – “nobody” wants hybrids

April 2, 2009 at 8:09 pm

 (Source: AutoBlogGreen)

In an attempt to stay politically neutral, we’re going to stop short of offering opinions about Rush Limbaugh’s recent statements regarding hybrid automobiles and the intent of automakers like Ford and Honda to “please politicians overseeing the industry’s multibillion-dollar bailout.” What we will say, though, is that Limbaugh’s a little off when he suggests that hybrid vehicles are entirely unwanted. So sayeth Rush:

Nobody’s buying ’em. Nobody wants them! The manufacturers are making them in droves to satisfy Obama! Sorry for yelling. Nobody wants them!

While it’s true that hybrid vehicle sales tend to rise and fall with the ebb and flow of fuel prices, which are currently down from the record highs from a year ago, Edmunds’ Green Car Advisor points out that 1.3 million hybrid vehicles have been sold in America since 1999, the first year the fuel-saving vehicles entered the market. Obviously, there are more than a few people out there who want to cut down on their fuel usage. Further, these hybrid vehicle programs have been in development since well before President Obama was elected.

When TransportGooru took a sneak peek into the trascripts posted on Mr. Limabugh’s website, the following golden statements caught the attention:   “I will only say that those people have probably given up their individuality for what they think is a larger cause, but nobody wants them.  That doesn’t matter, because as I mentioned earlier in the program, a couple hundred more million acres placed off-limits, energy rich, shale oil, natural gas, placed off-limits by the US Congress.  We’re gonna become more dependent on foreign oil, more dependent on foreign oil.  Gasoline prices are going to go through the roof at some point, Big Oil will be blamed by the Obama administration, and then you will be forced to start considering cars you do not want and you are not buying.  Good-bye freedom.  We have got to drive these people out of office before it’s too late. 

TransportGooru’s research found another rushed judgement on this issue back in June 2006 , as described in a Huffingtonpost article and the author David Franklin offers his counter along the way:

Rush says that, “Contrary to any loose statements made by our marketing partners in the environmental community and media, petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not ‘saved.’ It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else. Greenhouse pollutants are released.” I find this statement baffling! Is there a backlog of “oil orders” that lies unfulfilled somewhere that I am unaware of? Are there companies out there just waiting for people to buy more hybrids, so that they can have their oil orders taken off backorder? Not to my knowledge. Logic would dictate that if demand for oil decreases, drilling and production of oil will decrease as well!

Perhaps if it was put another way it would be easier for Rush to grasp the cold hard logic behind what hybrids can do for this nation; “If every privately owned vehicle in America was traded in today for a Prius, it would reduce the amount of oil our nation requires to a level that could be fully supported by our own resources!”

Let me say that again in case it didn’t sink in fully the first time; “If every privately owned vehicle in America was traded in today for a Prius, it would reduce the amount of oil our nation requires to a level that could be fully supported by our own resources!” (and that’s without having to drill in Alaska!)

NOTE 1: Rush Limbaugh is slowly but steadily moving himself towards a spectrum of insanity that only he can fathom. TransportGooru is perplexed by his stands on this issue.  Look, it is very simple, Mr. Limbaugh:  Every drop of fossil fuel we don’t consume saves a whole lot for our future generation.  Trust me! You are not speaking for the republican masses here, at least on this one issue.   BTW, Mr. Limbaugh, start planning your “objections” for the upcoming electric vehicle revolution, spearheaded by Tesla.
Note 2: The above shown picture of Rush and the golden words inscribed in them are too golden to pass.  It clearly demonstrates how Mr. Limbaugh can quickly drive himself off a cliff on certain topics, like Iraq’s Abu Graib prison abuse! 

China Invests to Be Leader in Electric Vehicles

April 1, 2009 at 8:04 pm

(Source: New York Times)

China wants to raise its annual production capacity to 500,000 hybrid or all-electric cars and buses by the end of 2011, from 2,100 last year, government officials and Chinese auto executives said. By comparison, CSM Worldwide, a consulting firm that does forecasts for automakers, predicts that Japan and South Korea together will be producing 1.1 million hybrid or all-electric light vehicles by then and North America will be making 267,000.

TIANJIN, China — Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and making it the world leader in electric cars and buses after that.

The goal, which radiates from the very top of the Chinese government, suggests that Detroit’s Big Three, even as they struggle to stay alive, will face even stiffer foreign competition on the next field of automotive technology than they do today.

“China is well positioned to lead in this,” said David Tulauskas, director of China government policy at General Motors.

To some extent, China is making a virtue of a liability: it is behind the United States, Japan and other countries, when it comes to making gas-powered vehicles. But by skipping the current technology, China hopes to get a jump on the next.

Japan is the market leader in hybrids today, which run on both electricity and gasoline, with cars like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. The United States has been a laggard in alternative vehicles. G.M.’s plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt is scheduled to go on sale next year, and will use rechargeable batteries imported from LG in South Korea.

China’s intention, in addition to creating a world-leading industry that will produce jobs and exports, is to reduce urban pollution and decrease its dependence on oil, which comes from the Mideast and travels over sea routes controlled by the United States Navy.

Premier Wen Jiabao highlighted the importance of electric cars two years ago with his unlikely choice to become minister of science and technology: Wan Gang, a Shanghai-born former Audi auto engineer in Germany who later became the chief scientist for the Chinese government’s research panel on electric vehicles.

Beyond manufacturing, taxi fleets and local government agencies in 13 Chinese cities are being offered subsidies of up to $8,800 for each hybrid or all-electric vehicle they purchase. The state electricity grid has been ordered to set up electric car charging stations in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin.

Click here to read the entire article.

Obama Favors “Cash for Clunkers”

April 1, 2009 at 7:43 pm

(Source: TreeHugger); Video: YouTube)

 Yesterday President Obama told Chrysler and GM that it is time to shape up or ship out. He also said he supports a program that would pay people to trade in older cars for newer, more fuel efficient vehicles. Europe has successfully tried this, but could it work here and would it be good for the planet? 

Speaking about a so called “cash for clunkers” program, Obama said:

“Such fleet modernization programs, which provide a generous credit to consumers who turn in old, less fuel-efficient cars and purchase cleaner cars, have been successful in boosting auto sales in a number of European countries.”

Here is an analysis from a News portal on what it could mean for consumers.

This is especially true in Germany, where new auto sales are said to have risen 20 percent last month. Of course, Europe has much higher gas prices than we do, increasing the desire to go with a greener car. They are also taxing people for their carbon output, again incentivizing people to get rid of heavier, more inefficient cars and trucks., A gas tax and other complimentary taxes that would bring our prices in line with Europe’s is politically unlikely, so a trade-in program may have some political legs given Congress’s new found attention on the climate. 

Another supporter is Ohio Rep. Betty Sutton, who sponsors the CARS Act, which creates vouchers of between $3,000 and $5,000 for people to trade-up. Given the president’s announcement yesterday, it’s suddenly a viable question to ask if there will be any American cars to buy if a cash for clunkers plan was enacted.

Here are some of the related posts from TransportGooru:

Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act revives “Cash for Clunkers” scrapping plan in U.S

Germany plans to extend Abwrackprämie aka “Environmental Bonus” (in plain english, car scrapping program)

The bickering starts over the implementation of the Cash for Clunkers legislation

Fear strikes the Kingdom! Saudi Oil Minister Urges Caution on Renewable Energy

April 1, 2009 at 7:12 pm

(Source: Green, Inc. – New York Times via AutoBlogGreen )

Al-Naimi

Fears about energy security, and last year’s oil price spike, have sparked a serious push for renewable energy in the United States, the world’s largest oil consumer.

The trend is apparently making the world’s largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia, nervous.

Speaking at a major energy conference earlier this month, Ali Al-Naimi, the Saudi oil minister, offered an impassioned defense of oil, which he called “an enabler of progress and prosperity.” He cautioned that the current economic crisis — and the uncertainties over future oil consumption — could force producers to trim their supplies, and hence could cause a new price shock.

Mr. Naimi also offered his strongest public criticism against the drive for alternative fuels — which he referred to as “supplemental” energy — and the inconsistent policies of consuming countries. Although he never once mentioned either the United States or President Obama by name, these were clearly his targets.

But as I listened to the speech carefully again this week, it also struck me as one of the most important discourses on the economics of petroleum made by a senior oil official in recent times.

A video of the session is available here — though it takes a while to get through other speakers. (The relevant parts start around the ninth minute and last about 20 minutes.)

Mr. Al-Naimi, without doubt the most influential spokesman for the petroleum industry, began his address by praising the virtues of oil, the mainstay of the Saudi economy for 60 years.

“Oil is expected to retain its leading position as the world’s largest single source of energy,” Mr Al-Naimi said.

An article on AutoBlogGreen says:  “Court disaster.” “Catastrophic.” “In their infancy.” These are logical statements for someone who represents the Saudi oil industry, but it sure sounds like someone is working hard to dial down expectations for anything that threatens the dominance of oil. 

Thanks to AutoBlogGreen for pointing to a video on OPEC’s website featuring Mr. Naimi’s speech (starting at minute 9 in the video).

Calfornia gas station owners rebel against pollution rules; Half of California gas stations could be forced to close for failing to install new nozzles

April 1, 2009 at 6:43 pm

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

Gas station protest

Operators balk at having to comply with a California requirement to install costly nozzles and hoses to capture fumes. The governor calls on the Legislature to delay enforcement by a year.

James Hosmanek, an ex-Marine, has operated his San Bernardino Chevron station for 21 years, patiently installing equipment to control gasoline emissions, even as the region’s air grew smoggier.
Now he says he can’t, and won’t, obey the latest mandate: a state order to buy sophisticated nozzles and hoses to capture more of the vapors that cause respiratory disease and cancer. “It may be necessary to protect public health,” he says. “But it’s unaffordable.”
Today is the deadline for California’s 11,000 gasoline stations to comply with the nation’s most stringent controls on the fumes that seep from refueling cars. And Hosmanek is among the estimated one of five station owners who have joined an open rebellion against air pollution authorities.
Last week, spurred by a high-decibel campaign by gasoline trade associations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on the Legislature to delay enforcement by a year.

“Improving California’s air is of the utmost importance,” he wrote legislators. But “enforcement flexibility is an absolute necessity to ensure against the job and financial losses that could come from stations being shut down or fined for non-compliance.”

If the Legislature agrees, it would be the second time in the last two months that business interests have succeeded in rolling back a major pollution regulation. In February, a measure was added to the state’s budget package allowing construction firms to delay retrofitting diesel bulldozers and other equipment.

A campaign against the measure in recent weeks was laced with misleading information, according to officials with the California Air Resources Board. One alert mailed by the Responsible Clean Air Coalition, a group led by a former John McCain campaign staffer, Tom Kise, charged that, “On April 1st, more than 6,000 gas stations statewide are going to shut their doors because of zealous Sacramento bureaucrats.”

But in a letter to legislative leaders Friday, local air pollution districts charged with enforcing the rule said, “Air districts do not intend to shut down any stations on April 1.” Station owners have known about the deadline for four years, the letter said.

Battered by competition from cheaper chains such as Thrifty and Arco, the 51-year-old businessman said he was refused credit by banks and equipment lenders. Refitting his eight nozzles and hoses would cost more than $60,000, he said. “Even if I could get the funding, I couldn’t make the payments.”

Single-station owners like Hosmanek aren’t the only ones hurting. David Berri, an Irvine businessman whose family owns 22 stations in Orange, San Diego and Los Angeles counties, said he put a 25% deposit on vapor equipment last year. But his bank has since canceled his credit line. His family has put seven stations up for sale, but so far, there are no buyers.

Click here to read the entire article. 

Interesting insights from the Congressional testimony “The Role of Research in Addressing Climate Change in Transportation Infrastructure”

April 1, 2009 at 5:28 pm

(Source: SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES)

Witnesses testify before the Subcommittee

(From L to R): Mr. David Matsuda, Ms. Catherine Ciarlo, Dr. Laurence Rilett, Mr. Steven Winkelman, and Mr. Mike Acott

On Tuesday, March 31, 2009, the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation convened a hearing to address the research agenda required to mitigate the environmental impact of the transportation infrastructure on the environment, with an emphasis on climate change. Witnesses will address the components of such an agenda and possible implementation strategies.

This was the third in a series of hearings that the Subcommittee has convened on the impact of our transportation system on the environment. The first addressed regulatory barriers to the utilization of green technologies that mitigate surface water runoff from our roadways and parking areas. As a result, the Subcommittee reported H.R. 5161, the Green Transportation Infrastructure Research and Development Act, in the 110th Congress to address this issue.

The second hearing explored the R&D agenda required to improve energy efficiency and lessen the environmental impact of the pavements used in our transportation infrastructure.  The focus of today’s hearing was to examine the R&D that is required to help mitigate the impact of our transportation infrastructure on the climate.

The press release from the event outlines the DOT’s efforts.  The Department of Transportation (DOT) funds research on strategies to reduce the impact of the transportation sector on the environment, but the interest in addressing climate change is relatively new. The following research categories would support the reduction of carbon emissions from transportation:

• Forecasting and analytical tools to support state and local global warming studies;
• Tools to assess system performance;
• Travel behavior;
• Demand management;
• Congestion; and
• Energy use in materials.

“We need to think about improving the energy efficiency of our transportation system, not just the cars and trucks on it,” added  Chariman David Wu. “For example, what are the modeling tools that would help communities develop an effective mixed-use transportation system of cars, buses, light rail, trolleys, and bikes like we have in Portland? If we are serious about congestion mitigation and traffic management, what’s required to realize these goals?”

Throughout the 111th Congress the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee will continue its work to decrease the impact of our transportations systems on the environment. In May 2007, the Subcommittee held a hearing to address the regulatory barriers preventing the utilization of green technologies. This hearing resulted in creation of H.R. 5161, the Green Transportation Infrastructure Research and Technology Transfer Act. In June of 2008, the Subcommittee held a hearing to review sustainable, energy-efficient transportation infrastructure.

Witness Statements (click the names below to access the respective witness’ testimony)

The testimony of U.S. Department of Transportation Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation, Mr. David Wu, is in PDF viewer below and also available for download at the subcommittee website alongside the Chairman’s (David Wu) remarks and other witness testimonies.

Climate bill takes aim at transportation emissions on land and at sea

April 1, 2009 at 2:47 pm

(Source: New York Times- Greenwire; Image: Steve Edwards @Flickr)

Roughly one-third of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions are from the transportation sector, according to government estimates, and several key lawmakers have said that no climate and energy measure can be complete without addressing transportation.

Sweeping climate and energy legislation that Democratic leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled yesterday takes direct aim at greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles across the transportation spectrum, from passenger cars to oceangoing ships.

 The bill from Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) would create a suite of federal emissions standards for cars and light trucks, as well as trains, heavy-duty trucks, and ships. It also seeks to curb emissions by pushing the development of plug-in electric vehicles and infrastructure and by setting a “low-carbon fuel standard” for the transportation sector.

Roughly one-third of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions are from the transportation sector, according to government estimates, and several key lawmakers have said that no climate and energy measure can be complete without addressing transportation.

One of the bill’s provisions would require the president to “harmonize” federal auto fuel economy standards with any future emissions levels set by U.S. EPA and the strict emissions standards that California is hoping to enforce later this year, if it receives the waiver it needs to do so.

Earlier this year, the White House signaled that it was considering a similar move that would blend new corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, standards with the auto emissions standards California is fighting to enforce. Under the federal Clean Air Act, California is the only state that can enforce its own standards — but only with an EPA waiver. If California receives the waiver, other states would be permitted to enforce the same tailpipe standard. Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia have already moved to adopt the stricter standards, and a handful of others have indicated they will follow if the waiver is granted.

The Waxman-Markey bill also pushes for greater use of plug-in electric cars and trucks, which are seen as a promising way to curb emissions and displace oil consumption by using electricity in the transportation sector.

The bill calls for states and utilities to develop plans to support the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and all-electric plug-ins and for the Energy Department to launch a large-scale electric demonstration program. The state plans would determine how utilities would accommodate large fleets of plug-ins and would consider a host of charging options — including public charging stations, on-street charging, and battery swapping stations — and establish any necessary standards for integrating plug-ins into an electrical distribution system, including Smart Grid technology.

Click here to read the entire article.