Colo. air panel looks to Calif. program to curb car emissions

Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 21, 2007 at midnight

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California motorists will pay more for cars that emit less greenhouse gases, but they will come out ahead through energy savings, a Golden State official told a Colorado air-quality panel Thursday.

The price of a passenger car will go up by $367 to meet California's 2012 standards and $1,064 to meet the even tougher 2016 standards, said Charles Shulock of the California Air Resources Board. "But it's important to note that cars that meet these standards are more efficient," he said.

Average monthly payments on car loans will increase by $7, but fuel savings will be $18 under the 2012 regulations - cutting costs by $11, Shulock said. And those numbers were figured when gasoline was $1.74 a gallon. The savings under the 2016 rules is $3.

Shulock was in Denver to speak to the Regional Air Quality Council. The group is charged with making recommendations to the state Air Quality Control Commission and Gov. Bill Ritter on steps to reduce both ordinary pollution and greenhouse gases along the Front Range area.

In addition to tougher fleet standards for cars, California is tightening restrictions on the kinds of fuel that can be sold.

Andrew Spielman, an environmental lawyer who leads the Regional Air Quality Council, said that the panel is paying attention to the California program, which have been copied in several other states.

"We're actively seeking every idea we can find," Spielman said.

The panel is set to hear from industry, local experts and ordinary citizens at future meetings.

The panel has not been told specifically to consider the cost to consumers of improving cars or savings on fuel, Spielman said. But the issue is sure to arise, he said.

California has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020. That will be accomplished by a variety of small improvements on cars, Shulock said. For example, cars might have six-speed transmissions.

The goal is a one-third reduction in emissions.

Meanwhile, manufacturers will have to produce fuel that contains less carbon, the basis of greenhouse gases. That can be accomplished by using more bio-fuels, such as ethanol from corn or switchgrass.

The low-carbon fuel program begins in 2010. The exact specifications of the fuels have not been set, Shulock said. But the standards will become stringent between 2010 and 2020, he said.

Counting the cost

To reduce greenhouse gases, California is mandating that residents buy more expensive, lower-emissions cars. But experts there say that motorists will save money in the long run.

• $367 is the added cost for a new, low-emissions car.

• $7 is the monthly car payment increase, but . . .

• $18 is the monthly savings in gas, so $11 net gain monthly.

Source: California Air Resources Board

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