According to the Trump administration, oil conservation is no longer necessary for the United States.
This statement demonstrates a pushback by the Trump administration against past administrations’ efforts to create technology which would help cars save more gas.
The administration’s recent declaration only adds to the White House’s current measures related to easing fuel mileage standards. These measures have been met with mixed reception.
The U.S. Energy Department recently released a memo addressing the Trump administration’s new position, stating that the growth of natural gas and petroleum alternatives has made importing oil unnecessary. The memo also states that “the United States [now has] more flexibility than in the past to use our oil resources with less concern.”
The Trump administration seems to be focused exclusively on the pragmatic side of oil conservation, not even mentioning climate change in its statement. Previous governmental policies regarding this topic, such as mileage standards, were implemented primarily to combat climate change.
President Trump himself has called into question the existence of climate change. He considers “energy dominance” to be a major goal of his presidency. His decision to halt the Obama-era fuel economy standards would diminish the program’s progress, as it would stop the yearly increase of miles per gallon in vehicles.
Current standards were set by automakers, state officials, environmentalists, and federal regulators in 2012. These groups agreed to begin increasing vehicle efficiency in the U.S. on a yearly basis, reaching a target of 34.5 mpg by 2016 and 54.5 by 2025. The Trump administration is trying to cut this goal short, ending the yearly progress in 2020.
The Trump administration’s pushback has backfired against automakers. States such as California independently set their efficiency standards, automakers will now have to face the challenge of making two types of cars. One type of car would follow standards approved by certain cities and states, and the other would follow standards set by the rest of the country.
Featured Image via Coast Guard Heartland
