This morning, with a couple of bold strokes, President Obama did more to improve the nation's fuel economy and reduce our dependence on oil than has been accomplished in the past eight years.  Obama instructed the EPA to swiftly consider the application of California and 13 other states for a waiver that would allow for stricter emissions standards on cars and trucks than the federal government demands, a right that had been inexplicably blocked by the former administration.  Over on Switchboard, Dave Hawkins has a bit of background: 

In 2002 California enacted the world's first law to cut global warming pollution from automobiles. The response of the automakers was to hire lawyers instead of turning their engineers loose to make cleaner cars. Court after court shot down the auto company lawyers' claims but the Bush Administration threw yet another roadblock in the path of the cleaner cars that California and at least 13 other states were trying to put in the hands of their citizens. Overruling the advice of career agency staff, the Bush Administration EPA for the first time since EPA was founded 38 years ago, denied the right of the states to set tougher vehicle pollution standards under the Clean Air Act.

While the decision is not yet overturned, the EPA is expected to approve the waiver. Signing the presidential memorandum, and with EPA head Lisa Jackson and Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood at his side, Obama offered "The federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts; we will be guided by them."

Perhaps the most underrated players in this process (or, at least, undercovered in the national media) are the folks at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), who took the bold first steps so long ago.  NRDC Vehicle Policies Director Roland Hwang gives some special thanks to Fran Pavley, the California bill's original author, and has this to say about the prolonged struggle: "I don't think any of us who worked hard to pass the original bill (AB1493 Fran Pavley) realized what we were starting. It's been over 6 long years of regulatory battles, seemingly endless lawsuits, and pitched state-by-state adoption battles (13 states plus DC and counting)."

Besides California, the other 13 states signed on are Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.  These states, plus three others that are waiting for the EPA waiver, represent nearly half the U.S. auto market. The LA Times crunched the numbers, and found that California's standards will call for fuel economy an average of 3 miles more than the national standard by 2015 and 7pmg more by 2020.  The gasoline and greenhouse gas emissions reductions of such an increase spread across at least half of the auto market (more states are likely to adopt California's standards, or it could possibly become the national standar), will be enormous.  

The directive showed that President Obama is not waiting to put his stamp on energy policy, and his comments showed that this policy will have both short and long term implications, on the economy and the environment.  "For the sake of our security, our economy and our planet, we must have the courage and commitment to change," he said.  "It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs." 

For more commentary on this huge story, check out Switchboard's Clean Cars content.