model year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was given the authority to regulate fuel economies for automobiles and light trucks. Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products Part B of Title III of the EPCA established the Energy Conservation Program, which gives the Department of Energy the "authority to develop, revise, and implement minimum energy conservation standards for appliances and equipment." As currently implemented, the Department of Energy currently enforces test procedures and minimum standards for more than 50 products covering residential, commercial and industrial, lighting, and plumbing applications. Crude oil export ban, 1977-2015 The law has banned crude oil exports, with the U.S. Commerce Department able to grant exceptions for certain types of oil. In 1980, crude oil exports peaked at 104 million barrels, dropping to 43.8 million barrels in 2013. The exceptional export licenses were for oil from Cook Inlet, oil flowing through the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System, oil exported to Canada, heavy oil from California, certain trades with Mexico, and some exceptions for re-exporting foreign oil. When oil is processed, e.g. distillation, it can be exported without a license. Although, the export ban was quoted as a reason why crude oil was discounted $10 below the world price from early 2014 throughout 2015, as measured by the West Texas Intermediate benchmark, this claim has not been supported by empirical research. Oil producing companies and oil producing states, such as Texas, Alaska and North Dakota lobbied to lift the ban. Oil refineries have been against lifting the export ban, because their raw material, the sweet, light domestic crude was available at a low price. In June 2015, the Obama administration had permitted the export of sweet, light oil for the import of heavy, sour oil from Mexico. Environmental groups have opposed lifting the ban because it would mean more oil sales, more drilling and more oil production with all its environmental impacts, increasing emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. On December 18, 2015, Congress lifted the 41-year-old ban. Republicans favored lifting the ban and in return agreed to not block a $500m payment to the UN Green Climate Fund and tax breaks for solar and wind power. Other provisions The EPCA contained several policies to encourage the production of domestic energy sources. It authorized a program to promote coal production that would guarantee qualifying underground coal mining operations up to $30 million per project. The qualifying requirements are