After rolling out new fuel efficiency standards a year ago, President Barack Obama’s proposal to double the current standards were officially adopted last week.

The new federal regulations will nearly double the average gas mileage of new cars and trucks by 2025. All new vehicles will have to get an average of 54.5 miles per gallon within 13 years ”“ up from 28.6 mpg at the end of last year, according to the Associated Press. The requirements will be phased in gradually. Automakers may face fines for non-compliance.

Environmentalists in Maine praised the changes last week.

“Future generations may well look back on today as a decisive step toward breaking our destructive oil addiction,” said Emily Figdor, director of Environment Maine, when the announcement was made.

Adam Lee, president of the Lee Auto Malls car dealerships, said more fuel-efficient vehicles will save Maine drivers 195 million gallons of gasoline and $610 million a year when the standards are fully implemented, according to the Associated Press. Lee, who is also board chairman of Efficiency Maine, added that the new standards will spur innovation and put people to work.

Lee is right, and we look forward to the U.S. strengthening its automobile manufacturing industry through new, innovative car models and efficiency beyond just the required minimums. Reducing our dependence on oil is good for the country and good for the economy, as spikes in the cost of gasoline and petroleum-based products would have a lesser impact on families that rely on cars to get to and from work and school.

Rising oil prices also affect everything from food and services to asphalt and construction projects. Using new products in place of oil and reducing the oil we still must use will put the U.S. in a better financial position and keep well-paying, high-tech jobs in demand.

But the main reason these changes are needed is the high cost at the gasoline pumps, which force Americans to shorten or cancel vacations, make difficult choices about purchases, and keep older, less efficient cars around longer ”“ just a few among many problems with the rising cost of gasoline.

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, one of the original authors of the Ten-in-Ten Fuel Economy Act, which was enacted as part of the 2007 energy bill, said in a statement last week that she is pleased with the final standards.

“With gasoline prices having increased 50 cents per gallon since January, rising energy costs have placed an unacceptable burden on American families and our country’s economy. I am encouraged that the ambitious fuel economy standards outlined by the Department of Transportation will maintain consumer choice for cars and trucks and help reduce energy costs, while also making our country less dependent on imported Middle Eastern oil,” Snowe said.

As automakers consider changes, we hope that innovation will flourish as more and more cars are released to the public with better fuel efficiency and emissions-reducing technology, while maintaining affordability for today’s consumers.