HARRISBURG -- The federal government needs to raise its fuel efficiency standards to 62 mpg by 2025 to reduce America's dependence on oil and greenhouse gas emissions, a Pennsylvania environmental organization said in a report released today.

This contrasts with the 56.2 mpg number the White House had floated at negotiations with key automobile manufactures in late June. PennEnvironment's recommendations are more stringent by 5.8 mpg.

"We have the technology. We don't have to settle. It doesn't need to be a compromise," said Megan Fitzpatrick, a federal field associate with PennEnvironment, said of the fuel efficiency recommendations.

"Every tiny bit matters when you have that many people on the road," she said of the nations' 256 million vehicles, 11 million of which are from Pennsylvania.

In 2008, the average passenger car fuel efficiency was 22.6 mpg, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Last year, the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency said they would consider a federal standard somewhere between 47 mpg and 62 mpg. President Barack Obama is currently negotiating with vehicle manufacturers to set this standard. Negotiations are expected to commence in September.

PennEnvironment's study said a 31 percent reduction of today's oil use by 2030-31 is possible if "strong action" is taken. In addition to increasing fuel efficiency, the study recommends, among other things, investing in a public transportation infrastructure, establishing a clean fuel standard, and updating heating units in old homes.

Ms. Fitzpatrick said her organization supports the use of electric vehicles, cars that run on an electric charge rather than gas, to meet this goal. However, she said PennEnvironment did not support the use of cars that run on natural gas given concerns for the natural gas extraction process of fracking, which she said pollutes drinking water and negatively affects the health of ecosystems.

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