    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 14, 2007]
    [Pages 579-580]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Fuel Economy and Alternative Fuel Standards
    May 14, 2007

        Thank you all for coming. Good afternoon. I just finished a meeting
    with the Administrator of the
    Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretaries of
    Transportation and Agriculture, and the Deputy Secretary of Energy. Thank you all for being here.
        We discussed one of the most serious challenges facing our country:
    our Nation's addiction to oil and its harmful impact on our environment.
    The problem is particularly acute in the transportation sector. Oil is
    the primary component of gasoline and diesel, and cars and trucks that
    run on these fuels emit air pollution and greenhouse gases.
        Our dependence on oil creates a risk for our economy, because a
    supply disruption anywhere in the world could drive up American gas
    prices to even more painful levels. Our dependence on oil creates a
    threat to America's national security, because it leaves us more
    vulnerable to hostile regimes and to terrorists who could attack oil
    infrastructure.
        For all these reasons, America has a clear national interest in
    reducing our dependence on oil. Over the past 6 years, my administration
    has provided more than $12 billion for research into alternative sources
    of energy. And I'd like to thank the Congress for its cooperation in
    appropriating these monies. We now have reached a pivotal moment where
    advances in technology are creating new ways to improve energy security,
    strengthen national security, and protect the environment.
        To help achieve all these priorities, I set an ambitious goal in my
    State of the Union: to cut America's gasoline usage by 20 percent over
    the next 10 years. I call this goal 20-in-10, and I have said--sent to
    Congress a proposal that would meet it in two steps. First, this
    proposal will set a mandatory fuel standard that requires 35 billion
    gallons of renewable and other alternative fuels by 2017. That's nearly
    five times the current target. Second, the proposal would continue our
    efforts to increase fuel efficiency. My administration has twice
    increased fuel economy standards for light trucks. Together, these
    reforms would save billions of gallons of fuel and reduce net greenhouse
    gas emissions, without compromising jobs or safety.

    [[Page 580]]

        My proposal at the State of the Union will further improve standards
    for light trucks and take a similar approach to automobiles. With good
    legislation, we could save up to 8.5 billion gallons of gasoline per
    year by 2017 and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and
    trucks.
        Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA must take action
    under the Clean Air Act regarding greenhouse gas emissions from motor
    vehicles. So, today I'm directing the EPA and the Departments of
    Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture to take the first steps toward
    regulations that would cut gasoline consumption and greenhouse gas
    emissions from motor vehicles, using my 20-in-10 plan as a starting
    point.
        Developing these regulations will require coordination across many
    different areas of expertise. Today I signed an Executive order
    directing all our Agencies represented here today to work together on
    this proposal. I've also asked them to listen to public input, to
    carefully consider safety, science, and available technologies, and
    evaluate the benefits and costs before they put forth the new
    regulation.
        This is a complicated legal and technical matter, and it's going to
    take time to fully resolve. Yet it is important to move forward, so I
    have directed members of my administration to complete the process by
    the end of 2008. The steps I announced today are not a substitute for
    effective legislation. So my--members of my Cabinet, as they begin the
    process toward new regulations, will work with the White House, to work
    with Congress, to pass the 20-in-10 bill.
        When it comes to energy and the environment, the American people
    expect common sense and they expect action. The policies I've laid out
    have got a lot of common sense to them. It makes sense to do what I
    proposed, and we're taking action, by taking the first steps toward
    rules that will make our economy stronger, our environment cleaner, and
    our Nation more secure for generations to come.
        Thank you for your attention.

    Note: The President spoke at 1:21 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. The Executive order of May 14 titled Cooperation Among Agencies
    in Protecting the Environment With Respect to Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    From Motor Vehicles, Nonroad Vehicles, and Nonroad Engines is listed in
    Appendix D at the end of this volume.