Washington — Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) and members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are to be commended for releasing a clean energy bill that makes significant advances on long overdue legislation to address the impact of transportation on our climate. The bill contains a number of major provisions that will set the country on the path to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Transportation systems contribute approximately one third of the total annual CO2 emissions in the U.S. Right now more than half of U.S. households lack ready access to transportation options that will reduce individual CO2 emissions and help stem global warming. If we are going to successfully combat global warming, the clean energy bill must offer meaningful financial and regulatory incentives for states and metropolitan regions to design and implement aggressive plans that provide residents with cleaner transportation options and begin to modernize our national transportation program. The historic nature of this moment presents a unique chance to establish a new era of environment and energy standards for our transportation system that should not be missed, and Transportation for America stands ready to support Chairman Waxman’s efforts to fully seize the opportunity.