Bush Administration Considering Stronger Fuel-Economy Rules

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he Bush administration, which has been pushing plans to lessen dependence on imported oil, is considering strengthening fuel-economy rules, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said Monday that raising mileage standards within the framework of the Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations that have been on the books since the 1970s might not be enough, the Journal said.

Under current rules, automakers’ fleets of passenger cars must average 27.5 miles per gallon, while the truck standard is scheduled to increase to 22.2 mpg in the 2007 model year from 21 mpg this year, the Journal said.

The government is considering alternatives such as allowing uniform percentage increases over current average ratings, but has not come up with a consensus yet, the paper reported.