On August 21, 2017, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comments on their March decision to reconsider the Obama administration final determination that the 2022-2025 light-duty vehicle GHG standards which were established in 2012 continue to be appropriate.
The main purpose of this request for comment is to offer interested parties an opportunity to comment on the January 2017 final determination. EPA is also requesting comment on the separate question of whether the light-duty vehicle GHG standards established for model year 2021 remain appropriate.
According to the notice, EPA intends to make a Final Determination regarding the appropriateness of the model year 2022-2025 standards no later than April 1, 2018.
Here are the issues for which EPA is looking to receive input on:
The availability and effectiveness of technology, and the appropriate lead time for introduction of technology;
The cost on the producers or purchasers of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines;
The feasibility and practicability of the standards;
The impact of the standards on reduction of emissions, oil conservation, energy security, and fuel savings by consumers;
The impact of the standards on the automobile industry;
The impacts of the standards on automobile safety;
The impact of the GHG emission standards on CAFE and a national harmonized program; and
The impact of the standards on compliance with other air quality standards;
The extent to which consumers value fuel savings from greater efficiency of vehicles;
The ability for OEMs to incorporate fuel saving technologies, including those with “negative costs,” absent the standards;
The distributional consequences on households;
The appropriate reference fleet;
The impact of the standards on advanced fuels technology, including but not limited to the potential for high-octane blends;
The availability of realistic technological concepts for improving efficiency in automobiles that consumers demand, as well as any indirect impacts on emissions;
The advantages or deficiencies in EPA’s past approaches to forecasting and projecting automobile technologies, including but not limited to baseline projections for compliance costs, technology penetration rates, technology performance, etc.;
The impact of the standards on consumer behavior, including but not limited to consumer purchasing behavior and consumer automobile usage behavior (e.g. impacts on rebound, fleet turnover, consumer welfare effects, etc.).
The deadline for filing comments is Oct.5, 2017.
Docket reference: EPA–HQ–OAR–2015–0827
EPA contact: Christopher Lieske, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), Assessment and Standards Division (ASD), telephone number: (734) 214-4584; email address: lieske.christopher@epa.gov.