Current:Home > InvestMaine to decide on stricter electric vehicle standards -InvestPioneer
Maine to decide on stricter electric vehicle standards
View
Date:2025-04-18 09:33:52
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine environmental regulators are set to decide whether the state will join a growing number of states adopting new standards designed to grow the use of electric vehicles.
The rules, which originated in California, would require an increasing percentage of new light-duty vehicles to be zero emission vehicles every year. The new standards would start with 51% in 2028 and grow to 82% by 2032.
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection is set to vote on the proposal Wednesday in a vote that has been anticipated for weeks. The proposal has encountered a mixed reception in Maine, where some have said it would speed up the already-growing adoption of electric vehicles.
“Consumers in Maine are already rapidly adopting electric vehicles,” said Sarah Krame, staff attorney with Sierra Club Environmental Law Program, in testimony. “Demand is so strong that lack of supply has been a major constraint on Maine residents looking to purchase EVs, with waitlists several months long for certain models.”
Opponents of the proposal, including prominent state Republicans, have described the move as wrong for the state’s economy and geography, and said it would heap costs onto consumers.
“Extremists seem to think that only 6% of consumers want EVs because the government hasn’t forced them to buy one. The truth is this plan isn’t feasible because of Maine’s geography and infrastructure,” said House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham late last year.
A dozen states have adopted the electric vehicle standards, and 17 states have adopted all or part of California’s low-emission and zero-emission vehicle regulations, according to the California Air Resources Board. The proposals have found support in Democratically-controlled states.
Meanwhile, sales of electric vehicles have begun to slow. The Biden administration announced new emissions standards on Wednesday that could boost the industry.
Transportation is a major contributor to Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions, and Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has made tackling climate change a major piece of her tenure.
The state received hundreds of comments about the electric vehicle proposal in advance of Wednesday’s meeting. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group that represents car manufacturers, testified in support of the proposal.
The proposal might still need to clear more hurdles, as state lawmakers are considering legislation that could allow them to ultimately make the final decision.
veryGood! (59517)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (July 14)
- RNC Day 4: Trump to accept GOP presidential nomination as assassination attempt looms over speech
- ACOTAR Book Fans Want This Bridgerton Star to Play Feyre in TV Show Adaptation
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- What to know about the Secret Service’s Counter Sniper Team
- Nevada judge used fallen-officer donations to pay for daughter's wedding, prosecutors say
- University of Florida president Ben Sasse is resigning after his wife was diagnosed with epilepsy
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Adidas apologizes for using Bella Hadid in 1972 Munich Olympic shoe ad
Ranking
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- How Travis Barker Is Bonding With Kourtney Kardashian's Older Kids After Welcoming Baby Rocky
- University of California regents ban political statements on university online homepages
- CBS News President Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews inducted into NAHJ Hall of Fame
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Recount will decide if conservative US Rep. Bob Good loses primary to Trump-backed challenger
- Long Beach breaks ground on $1.5B railyard expansion at port to fortify US supply chain
- Georgia man arraigned on charges of threatening FBI Director Christopher Wray, authorities say
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Travis Barker's Daughter Alabama Barker, 18, Admits She's Taking Weight-Loss Medication
Bud Light slips again, falling behind Modelo and Michelob Ultra after boycott
2024 Kennedy Center honorees include Grateful Dead and Bonnie Raitt, among others
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Panama president says repatriation of migrants crossing the Darien Gap will be voluntary
Alabama death row inmate Keith Edmund Gavin executed in 1998 shooting death of father of 7
Beleaguered Olympic boxing has a new look in Paris: Gender parity, but the smallest field in decades