In the debate over cutting global warming pollution, the forces of do-nothing often are on the side of costing consumers more money. Such was the case in last week’s announcement for cleaner car standards by the federal government.

The announcement Thursday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the average fuel economy for passenger cars will have to be 37.8 miles per gallon by 2016 was applauded by Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. That’s a 40 percent increase from the current 27.5 mpg.

MCEA’s Jim Erkel participated in a telephone press conference organized by Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago. Minnesota Public Radio quoted Erkel on how the clean-car standards should help the ethanol industry.
“There's actually a reason for manufacturers to begin tracking how much use there is of the E85 blend, and would actually provide an incentive for more use of that and the production of more flexible fuel vehicles," Erkel said.
Erkel said the new rules could also help efforts to keep St. Paul's Ford plant open, as companies will need to develop innovative fuel-efficient technologies. However, Ford has given no indication it is reconsidering shutting down the plant in the near future.
But the other figures from the newly energy-efficient automobiles should have consumers smiling. Those new standards are estimated to save as much as 11.6 billion gallons of gasoline a year by 2016. That not only equals half of what the U.S. imports each year from Saudi Arabia, but it would also save American consumers $31.8 billion a year at the gas pump.
Put another way, it’s estimated that the owner of a 2016 model car will save $3,000 in gasoline costs over the lifetime of the car. That will be significantly more than the expected costs of the improved technology necessary for the cleaner, more efficient cars.
This is not a surprise to Minnesota policy-makers or MCEA. When Gov. Tim Pawlenty created his Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group in 2007, the group found that supporting clean car standards would be one of the solutions to global warming that would save the state, and consumers, money.
That’s not even talking about how this will clean the air, and just in time, since the Twin Cities have been seeing a steady rise in the number of days each year where an air pollution alert is issued. Global warming pollution will be cut. The estimated pollution savings from vehicles built between 2012 and 2016 will be 655 million metric tons. The standards begin with the 2012 models and get progressively stronger.
It’s a great step forward for the air Minnesotans breathe, for the fight against global warming and for keeping more money in Minnesotan's wallets.