ASV pieņemts likums par automašīnu energoefektivitātes paaugstināšanu

" The US House of Representatives has voted through a Bill that seeks radical changes in the way energy is utilised. The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, for the first time in 32 years, raise the bar for vehicle fuel efficiency in the US to be achieved by 2022 by 40 per cent to 35 miles per gallon (mpg) for both cars and light trucks including sport utility vehicles. The current standard is 27.5 mpg for passenger automobiles and 20.7 mpg for light trucks.
While this is not enough, it is a beginning. The policy is expected to help American consumers save an average of $700 to $1,000 a year. The law also calls for increasing the production of renewable fuels by five times by 2022. It calls for the generation of ethanol to be raised to 36 billion gallons a year and recommends ethanol to be produced from multiple feedstock including agricultural and forest residue apart from corn. The Bill also sets efficiency standards for electric appliances like light bulbs, washing machines etc. It aims to phase out incandescent bulbs gradually.
India must take a cue from this legislation. Oil accounts for a third of India's import bill and this country is one of the 10 largest oil consuming nations in the world. Nearly 70 per cent of our oil is imported, a factor that becomes painful when oil prices are ruling at record highs and are only set to increase. If the supply side presents a grim picture, it should also be remembered that the share of the transport sector in total energy demand is growing all the time. As in other parts of the world, the Indian transport sector accounts for 25 per cent of total commercial energy consumed, a share that could rise to 30 per cent by, say, 2030. Automobile manufacturers have demonstrated that India is a huge market for small cars. Despite passenger car sales rising by 100 per cent in the last five years alone, India does not have any mandatory fuel efficiency norms in place. The automobile boom entails phenomenal increase in petroleum consumption.
With oil prices touching record highs, the framing and enforcement of the norms must be fast-tracked. Fuel-guzzling vehicles must be taxed heavier than others. The money raised must be utilised to fund research in efficient fuel technologies. Implementation of the norms will directly result in reducing our dependence on imports as well as cut down on pollution. The National Integrated Energy Policy estimates that if vehicle efficiency is improved by 50 per cent, the country stands to save 86 million tons of oil worth over $30 billion at current prices by 2031. The introduction of hybrid and flexible fuel models by Indian and multinational vehicle manufacturers must be encouraged."

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