“The National Academy of Sciences study on CAFE standards underscores two critical concerns that Americans have about energy and the environment: the levels of oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions. The overall use of petroleum fuels in our transportation sector has got to be addressed. Fuel efficiency improvements for passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks alone could reduce demand by 1.5 million barrels of oil a day. The academy’s scholarly contribution to the fuel economy debate supports a view long advocated by Senate Democrats: America must continue to develop and implement new technologies and other mechanisms that will reduce the need for gasoline. “I agree with the panel’s finding that the Federal government has a responsibility to ensure fuel economy levels beyond those that might result from market conditions alone. While boosting vehicle fuel efficiency will be a central component of the legislation that we will begin marking up on Wednesday, we also work to assure that American consumers always have safe, affordable and reliable transportation services.” # # # NOTE: On Thursday, Aug. 2, at 2:30 p.m. in Hart 216, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will hold a joint hearing on the NAS Report on Fuel Economy.