HARTFORD, Conn. — The compromise plan to eventually end the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in Connecticut could be worked out as early as next year’s legislative session on Feb. 7, state lawmakers said on Nov. 28. The move comes a day after Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont withdrew proposed regulations mirroring California’s clean vehicle standards after it became apparent there wasn’t enough support on a key legislative committee. Those standards would have halted sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. This came as welcomed news to many in the trucking industry. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut (MTAC) both issued news releases on the matter. “By way of background, in August of this year, the DEEP (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) commissioner and the governor had decided to blindly follow other states and submitted the CARB regulations to the regulation review committee for consideration,” John Blair, president of MTAC, stated in his presidential statement. ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said that “the tide is turning as state officials across the country wake up to the reality that California’s electric-truck mandates are bad policy that carry serious political consequences. Technically unachievable standards and unrealistic timelines that set the trucking industry and consumers up for failure are not how we achieve our shared goal of further reducing emissions.” House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat from Hartford, said that his members plan to meet on Dec. 4 to discuss possible legislation that addresses concerns about the regulations. “We have to do more,” Ritter said. “We have to demonstrate to Connecticut residents that this switch will not only save the environment, save lives and save our planet — but not leave you in a position where you can no longer afford a vehicle.” Republicans and others say they’re worried about the high cost of electric vehicles, the availability of charging stations and the ability of the state’s electric grid to handle the anticipated changeover from gas-combustion engines to electric vehicles. Lamont’s decision to withdraw the proposed regulations, a week after New Jersey became the latest state to announce plans to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, was seen as a setback by some advocates. Members of the public booed when the withdrawal was announced during Tuesday’s meeting of the General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee. A growing number of states are committing to California’s aggressive plan to move toward zero-emission vehicles, including Vermont, New York, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, Virginia, Rhode Island and Maryland, according to Coltura, a Seattle-based nonprofit advocating for an end to gasoline vehicle use. “Unfortunately, a misinformation campaign fueled by the fossil fuel industry won and Connecticut residents will pay the price,” said Ruth Canovi, director of advocacy with the American Lung Association in Connecticut, in a written statement. She said Connecticut “is now positioned to be the only clean car state from Virginia to Vermont to leave our residents out of these strong public health, climate change, and health equity policies this year.” In an interview, Democratic Rep. Lucy Dathan from New Canaan, who was for the ban, gave her remarks after receiving word about the decision to withdraw the proposal. “I’m disappointed, to be completely honest,” Dathan said, citing many of Connecticut’s neighboring states which have adopted the regulation. “I was a big supporter of this, and I was feeling optimistic we could get it over the finish line… I see the market is going in this direction so it’s upsetting we couldn’t get there.” According to a Hartford-based news publication that covers all topics of Connecticut, CT News Junkie, House Speaker Ritter later mentioned how “even if they had been defeated the regulations would not be able to be altered, so this gives the Democrat-controlled legislature some more flexibility to draft a new proposal. When our caucus has the info it needs, we’re willing to act as quickly as possible.” He said the new proposal might give the state more time to determine what the electric vehicle marketplace will look like in five years. State Rep. Vincent Candelora, the Republican leader of the Connecticut House of Representatives, said he was pleased Lamont decided to withdraw the regulations. “I’m hoping that this next look will take into consideration the affordability and the impact it’s going to have on residents, especially people that live in the cities,” he said. “So we really need a broader conversation, looking at the electric grid and the feasibility of being able to do something like this.” A press conference occurred at the state capitol to inform the public of what could happen moving forward and how this speed bump allows more time for advocates to work on the issue before submitting the proposal again when the new session starts. The new legislative session begins Feb. 7. “It seems that we do have an opportunity for a compromise on this and to keep moving in the right direction that we need to move on,” said House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, a Democrat. “So we need to hold on to that when we get to the next legislative session and, as expected, will take this up.” Moving forward, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said Connecticut will either “default to the EPA standard or we will move forward with the California program.” Under the California program, the state must give auto manufacturers advance notice of when it plans to implement the tougher standards. In order to implement California’s standards for the 2027 model year, Connecticut would have to adopt the regulations by the end of 2023. If regulations are adopted in 2024, they’d impact the 2028 model year. Chris Herb, president and CEO of the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, said this was a victory for those who opposed it but stated how the overall battle may not be over. “It’s unclear what could happen next, but CEMA will continue to be vigilant in our opposition to this reckless policy,” Herb said. “This is too much too fast, and we are not ready for an EV-only future.” In April, the Biden administration proposed new automobile pollution limits that would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032, a nearly tenfold increase over current electric vehicle sales.
