By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
After a several-month delay, Maine's Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) voted against adopting a SEMA-opposed proposal requiring that 82% of new vehicles sold in the state be zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) by 2032. A vote had been scheduled for December 2023 but was postponed due to a severe winter storm.
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection has voted against the proposal to align the state with California's latest clean-car rules.
Drafted in response to a citizen petition from an environmental group, the rule aimed to tighten emissions standards for new passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles sold in Maine, aligning the state with California's latest clean-car rules, which the state has historically followed.
While the BEP debated adopting California's clean-car rules, lawmakers concurrently held a hearing on a bill (L.D. 2261) that would reclassify the proposal as a "major" regulation, providing the legislature with final approval before it could become law.
SEMA believes that Mainers, not the government, should decide what vehicles are best for them and their families. And, in the case of Maine, it rebukes the push by 150 citizens who attempted to determine policy for the rest of the state. The automotive industry is embracing new technology to make cars cleaner and more efficient, including hydrogen, new synthetic fuels, alternative fuels and improvements to the internal combustion engine. The government should allow the market to continue to innovate all forms of technology that significantly reduce vehicle emissions.
For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.