The Clean Fuels Myth and the Market Alternative: Mobile Sources Emissions Charges

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Clean Fuels For All

In June, President Bush released his Clean Air Plan for improving air quality in the U.S., particularly in urban areas.  One aspect of this plan, the clean fuels program, is described by the White House as “perhaps the most innovative and far-reaching component” of the proposal.  The clean fuels program would phase in alternative fuels, most notably ethanol, methanol and possibly natural gas, in at least nine major U.S. cities, including Houston, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  The program would also require car companies to produce alternative fuel vehicles, with a goal of one million new clean-fueled vehicles on the market every year by 1997.  According to Bush, the plan “taps the power of the marketplace and local initiative.”