The federal and state governments should mandate that all contractors and suppliers affirmatively choose technology that reduces energy consumption. This program would work a lot like Affirmative Action, created exclusively through the power of an executive order. With such a plan, government agencies and their contractors would be required to submit detailed plans and timetables of fuel economy goals. This is a rather complex way to mandate fuel efficency, but it has been successful with Affirmative Action. At the end of the day, it would save money for both taxpayers and everybody else.

There are many ways this could work. NASA is in the market for 200 new 1/2 ton long-bed pickup trucks. They could get Dodge Ram 1500s, Chevy Silverado 1500s, or Ford F-150s. They find out that Chrysler has the best biding price on the Ram, by about $2,000 for the model they need. But the more expensive F-150 gets better gasoline milage. With 'Affirmative Energy Action', they would be required to purchase from Ford, because it would save them in the long run and the better gasoline milage is a trait wanted more then a low price due to it's spillover benefits.

If the government and all people seeking such goverment contracts had to follow such rigorous standards, it would encourage automotive makers and a wide swath of industry to improve their fuel economy or energy usage. It would make standards obsolete in many cases. There is no coersion here either, instead it's that find stuff called competition, that conservatives dig so much. Companies compete for government contracts, and that's the way it should be. The government should keep this in mind when they are regulating.

It was President Johnson who was responsible for the initial Affirmative Action requirement through an executive order. President Nixon extended it even further. Bush could propose a weak executive order on fuel economy, and then his predecessor could strengthen it when he takes over. It is the job of President to oversea the executive branch in ways that he views neccessary and proper. President Bush is not an activist president who would be likely to do this, but it's more likely that his predecessor would do this.

Making cars more efficent is possible. When government mandates this efficency for it's own purchases, it could push the market further towards more efficent cars and trucks without forcing any specific change to their vechicles. We would still have full-size pickups, but those who could make trucks that good gas milage would sell far more to the government. As other companies would want to compete for contracts, there would be an evolving movement towards better cars and trucks.