Senate approves energy reforms

The White House, in a statement from spokeswoman Dana Perino, said the bill meshes with the goal Bush outlined in his State of the Union address in January to cut gasoline consumption by 20% within 10 years. "By addressing the concerns of the administration and moving forward with a bipartisan approach, senators have taken steps to improve our economic and energy security," her statement said.

The change in the fuel efficiency rules came when Detroit and its congressional allies relented after years of resistance.

The increase in miles-per-gallon requirements is the largest since the fuel-economy program was established in 1975. It is the most consequential environmental initiative in this Congress and is widely viewed as an important step toward reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and curtailing global warming.

Currently, each automaker's fleet of cars must average 27.5 mpg and its light trucks, including SUVs, pickups and minivans, 22.2 mpg. The tougher miles-per-gallon rules are projected to save 1.1 million barrels of oil a day by 2020. The U.S. consumes about 20 million barrels a day, an amount that is expected to rise to about 24 million by 2020.

The last energy bill, passed in 2005 by the Republican-controlled Congress, was tilted toward increasing domestic energy production. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said that this new bill was a "much greener energy bill than we've seen in the past."

California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown said he was relieved the bill did not include language that could have undercut the state's plan to enact tailpipe standards. California has been waiting nearly two years for an Environmental Protection Agency waiver for its standards.

"The Bush administration doesn't want California setting emissions standards," he said. "But under this bill, the Clean Air Act has been preserved, and that's extremely important, because it gives the EPA the authority to let California set its own standards."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a lead sponsor of the tougher fuel-economy rules, also inserted into the Congressional Record a statement that "there was no intent in any way, shape, or form, to negatively affect, or otherwise restrain California or any other state's existing or future tailpipe emissions law, or any future EPA authority on tailpipe emissions."

The pared-down energy bill is far less ambitious than the bill approved by the House last week and was a bittersweet victory for environmental groups.