PORTLAND, Maine — Maine environmental regulators decided Wednesday the state will not join a growing number of states adopting new standards designed to grow the use of electric vehicles.
The rules, which originated in California, would have required an increasing percentage of new light-duty vehicles to be zero emission vehicles every year. The new standards would have started with 51% in 2028 and grow to 82% by 2032.
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection’s vote on the proposal Wednesday had been anticipated for weeks. The proposal encountered a mixed reception in Maine, where some said it would speed up the already-growing adoption of electric vehicles and others warned it would be expensive and bad for rural residents.
Members of the board said the state will likely take up the subjects of electric vehicles and reducing transportation emissions in another form. State lawmakers were also considering a proposal to give legislators more control of car emissions rules.
Opponents of the defeated electric car proposal, including prominent state Republicans, described the move as wrong for the state’s economy and geography, and said it would heap costs onto consumers.
“I’ve talked with many of my nearly 8,400 constituents who would love to have efficient vehicles to drive in an effort to be more environmentally friendly but they just cannot afford them,” testified state Rep. Jack Ducharme, a Republican from Madison. “Mandating them either in the case of trucks or passenger vehicles will not change that dynamic.”
Environmental groups had rallied in support of the proposal. 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.
“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.”
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.
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