OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Cars beating efficiency goals

DRIVING UP EFFICIENCY: Cars sold in 2013 were more fuel efficient and less polluting than federal standards required, the second year in a row in which the fleet has beat the rules, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Thursday.

The EPA’s annual report of car efficiency found that, on average, cars emitted 272 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases, per mile, 12 fewer than the EPA requirements for model-year 2013.

{mosads}The Obama administration used the findings to promote the EPA’s fuel efficiency rules and their benefits to the United States auto industry.

“These findings are a terrific early success story for President Obama’s historic effort to reduce the pollution that contributes to climate change,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement.

“Automakers are racing to meet our goals. The American auto industry has never been stronger, we’re creating jobs here in the U.S., selling cleaner cars here and overseas, and consumers are really benefitting from the innovations spurred by these standards,” she said.

Read more here.

ON TAP FRIDAY: Various law and global policy organizations are teaming up Friday for a seminar on efforts to mine minerals in the deep seas. Three legal experts will speak, along with Peter Oppenheimer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s general counsel office.

Rest of Friday’s agenda …

Ajay Mathur, director of India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency, will give a lecture Friday at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy on energy efficiency successes in India, especially with increased use of LED light bulbs.

The George Washington University Law School will host the second and final day of its symposium on environmental law on Friday. Friday’s panel events will focus on data analysis, state perspectives and policy perspectives.

NEWS BITE: Several members of Congress asked the Interior Department Thursday to slow down its process of changing the rules for recognizing American Indian tribes, the Associated Press reported.

The lawmakers, led by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), said they disagreed with the changes and want more time to suggest a different direction.

Interior’s effort would be the first changes to tribe recognition standards in two decades.

“We are concerned that the department’s proposed rules fail to address many of the issues that have been identified and could create new problems that lead to unintended and unjustifiable outcomes,” the member wrote, according to AP.

AROUND THE WEB:

Oilfield services firm Schlumberger has pleaded guilty to violating Iran sanctions and agreed to a $237.2 million federal fine, CNBC reports.

New York state lawmakers are working on a measure to move $41 million out of the state’s clean energy fund and into its general fund, Capital New York reports.

Oil prices rose 5 percent in trading Thursday, the most in a month, Reuters reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Check out Thursday’s stories …

– GOP senators object to climate planning directive for federal agencies
– Energy offers loan to aluminum company for car parts
– Dem measure seeks to protect officials who mention climate change
– EPA: Cars exceeding emissions standards
– Obama to ask chemical agency chief to resign, lawmakers say
– Dems intensify fight for oil train regulations

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