Upton, Burgess, Whitfield request timeline for report on fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles

House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders requested a timeline on Monday for a draft report on the EPA’s mid-term evaluation of fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles.

The EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are expected to release a report detailing their mid-term evaluation of Model Year (MY) 2022-2025 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program standards for light-duty vehicles.

In letters to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI), the chairman of House Energy and Commerce Committee, Ed Whitfield (R-KY), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, and Michael Burgess (R-TX), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, indicated that the mid-term assessment could have “significant economic impacts” for consumers.

“We understand that the EPA and NHTSA are planning to publish a draft technical assessment report (TAR) around the middle of 2016,” the lawmakers wrote. “We also understand that a final determination regarding the appropriateness of the MY 2022-2025 standards is not required until April of 2018. We are seeking additional insight into how the agencies see the process unfolding between those dates.”

The lawmakers questioned when McCarthy and Rosekind expected the release of the draft TAR, how long the comment period would be and whether the agencies would respond to comments received.

The lawmakers added that they looked forward to a mid-term evaluation process that offers, “A robust opportunity for public participation, and that includes a comprehensive review of all information relevant to the 2022-2025 standards.”