Chris Van Hollen: “I rise in support of what I hope and expect will be the final version of this year's energy bill. While less…”

“I rise in support of what I hope and expect will be the final version of this year's energy bill. While less comprehensive than the legislation passed by the House, it is nevertheless an historic accomplishment and worthy of this chamber's support. For the first time in thirty-two years, we are increasing the corporate average fuel economy, CAFE, standard for cars and trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This single step will create 150,000 jobs, save consumers $22 billion at the pump and slash our nation's oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day--about half what we currently import from the Persian Gulf. Additionally, and importantly, this improved standard is the greenhouse gas equivalent of taking 28 million cars and trucks off the road. To further reduce our dependence on foreign oil, this package includes a Renewable Fuels Standard, RFS, that expands our nation's domestic biofuel production to 36 billion gallons by 2022. I am especially pleased that this RFS includes a substantial requirement for advanced biofuels from a variety of different feedstocks, as well as robust environmental protections necessary to safeguard vital ecosystems like the Chesapeake Bay. Finally, this legislation achieves meaningful efficiency improvements across the economy, makes government a part of the energy solution, and accelerates our research and development efforts into the clean, renewable energy technologies of the future.”