BILL NUMBER: AJR 5 CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 84 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 18, 2005 ADOPTED IN SENATE JULY 11, 2005 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 28, 2005 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 28, 2005 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Oropeza (Coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Baca, Bass, Berg, Bermudez, Chan, Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Coto, Dymally, Evans, Frommer, Goldberg, Hancock, Harman, Shirley Horton, Jones, Karnette, Klehs, Koretz, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Liu, Matthews, Montanez, Mullin, Nation, Nava, Negrete McLeod, Nunez, Pavley, Richman, Ridley-Thomas, Ruskin, Saldana, Salinas, Torrico, Umberg, Vargas, Wolk, and Yee) JANUARY 31, 2005 Relative to corporate average fuel economy standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AJR 5, Oropeza Corporate average fuel economy standards. This measure would memorialize the Congress and the President of the United States to take necessary action to increase corporate average fuel economy standards by at least 1.5 miles per gallon per annum until total average fuel economy for the new light-duty motor vehicle fleet sold in California is double today's average. WHEREAS, California has more than 26 million registered motor vehicles; and WHEREAS, California represents at least 12 percent of the light-duty vehicle market in the United States; and WHEREAS, Californians consume more than 18 billion gallons of motor fuel annually; and WHEREAS, A study adopted by the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (California Energy Commission) and the State Air Resources Board (California Air Resources Board) projects that demand for onroad gasoline fuel will increase by about 1.6 percent annually between now and 2020; that onroad diesel demand will increase by about 2.4 percent annually between now and 2020; and that the number of miles that Californians drive is growing at a rate greater than the population growth; and WHEREAS, California's refineries are operating at near capacity, and California is importing more gasoline and diesel fuel annually to meet this growing demand; and WHEREAS, The combination of greater dependence on imported fuels and vulnerability to refinery outages exposes California's economy to more frequent and higher fuel price spikes; and WHEREAS, Fuel price spike vulnerability creates a business climate with diminished certainty about anticipated expenses; and WHEREAS, Petroleum extraction, refining, and use are significant sources of pollution and environmental degradation in California and around the world; and WHEREAS, Motor vehicle fuel economy dramatically affects fuel demand; and WHEREAS, A study adopted by the California Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board determined that doubling the fuel economy of the nation's light-duty motor vehicle fleet is technically achievable and will result in important reductions in consumer demand for fuel; and WHEREAS, Only the federal government has the authority to require motor vehicle fuel economy improvements through the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standard; and WHEREAS, In recent years, the nationwide motor vehicle fleet fuel economy has declined as motor vehicles have become larger, heavier, and less aerodynamic; and WHEREAS, The United States Congress, through its legislative powers, and the President of the United States, through the President' s administrative powers, are in position to require a significant increase in the CAFE standard; and WHEREAS, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's current rulemaking raising CAFE standards for light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles by just 1.5 miles per gallon above the 1996 levels, over three years, bringing total requirements far below requirements for passenger cars, is insufficient to address the critical need to improve fuel economy and reduce fuel demand; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California memorializes the Congress and the President of the United States to take necessary action to increase CAFE standards by at least 1.5 miles per gallon per annum until total average fuel economy for the new light-duty motor vehicle fleet sold in California is double today's average; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to all Members of the Congress of the United States, and to the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.