WASHINGTON — Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, moving to stake his claim as a leading environmentalist among the Democratic presidential candidates, will call today for tougher miles-per-gallon rules for SUVs and other vehicles.
His plan includes federal aid to encourage automobile manufacturers to make more fuel-efficient cars -- an effort to overcome industry opposition that has thwarted similar proposals in recent years.
In a speech to be delivered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Kerry will propose a national energy policy that would raise fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles to 36 mpg by 2015.
Currently, fleets of light trucks -- including sport utility vehicles, minivans and pickups -- must meet an average of 20.7 mpg. That is due to rise to 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year. The average for cars is 27.5 mpg.
Under Kerry's plan, the auto industry would receive $1 billion a year to assist it in converting factories to make more fuel-efficient cars. Consumers would be offered tax incentives to encourage them to buy vehicles powered by alternative fuels.
Kerry also will propose requiring one-fifth of the nation's electricity to be produced from alternative sources, such as solar and wind power, by 2020.
The Kerry campaign provided The Times with excerpts of the speech.
With his remarks, Kerry hopes to spotlight an issue he has focused on in Congress -- and draw contrasts between himself and some of his main rivals for the Democratic nomination.
Last year, Kerry led an effort to raise fuel-economy standards but was rebuffed by the Senate in the face of opposition from the Bush administration, auto companies and the auto workers union. They argued that stricter rules would hurt the U.S. economy and, because of design changes needed to meet the higher mileage standards, could lead to less safe vehicles.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, one of Kerry's foes in the Democratic race, has supported tougher miles-per-gallon rules.
But he has taken a different approach in trying to overcome industry opposition, proposing a trading system that would allow auto companies that choose to build larger, less efficient vehicles to buy "credits" from manufacturers of smaller, more efficient vehicles.
Instead of setting a "rigid one-size-fits-all standard for every car," Lieberman said, his proposal would set a national standard for saving 2 million barrels of oil a day by 2015 while giving automakers flexibility in achieving the goal.
