Statement by CAP Expert Daniel J. Weiss on Clean Car Announcement

May 18, 2009

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Contact: Madeline Meth
Phone: 202.741.6277
Email: mmeth@americanprogress.org

WASHINGTON, DC—The new clean car standard being announced tomorrow by President Barack Obama is a triple play: It will help move America off foreign oil, save families money, and spur American businesses to take the lead in developing the job-creating, clean-energy technologies of the future.

The new standard will dramatically reduce oil use and help make cars go significantly further on a gallon of gas. It will also help American car companies make the super-clean cars of the future. And finally, it will help us compete with China, whose leaders have already announced their intention to become the worldwide leader in the production of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. They are currently investing $12.6 million every hour in greening China’s economy, which is six times the amount of comparable U.S. investments.

Moreover, the fact that this announcement has the support of the auto industry is yet another indication of the growing consensus within the business community that Congress needs to take strong action on energy reform—and it needs to do it now. We applaud President Obama for his continued leadership on this issue.

Daniel J. Weiss is a Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy at American Progress

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