US Senate Tries to Block California’s Vehicle-Emission Rules: What You Need to Know
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Congress might prevent California from enforcing its pioneering regulation that prohibits the sale of new gasoline-driven vehicles by 2035.
A Senate vote
anticipated by the end of this week could conclude the country’s
most aggressive effort
To shift towards electric vehicles as President Donald Trump’s administration reinforces its commitment to fossil fuels.
Approximately 11% of the U.S. automotive market is comprised of California, granting it considerable influence over buying patterns. Cars stand as one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
The Congress controlled by Republicans is aiming at three California waivers that enforce more stringent emission regulations compared to those established by the federal government. The House
voted to block them
A few weeks back, Senator John Thune, who leads the majority in the Senate, announced that his body would undertake a comparable initiative this week. Despite this, both the Senate Parliamentarian and the U.S. Government Accountability Office have stated that California’s policies fall outside the purview of the examination process employed by the House.
Thune stated that California’s actions represent “an unauthorized extension of the Clean Air Act’s narrow powers, which could jeopardize consumers, our economy, and the country’s energy supply.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom and state air regulators claim that what lawmakers are proposing is unlawful and indicate they may likely file a lawsuit if the measure proceeds.
Here’s what to know:
Why is California able to establish its own regulations?
For many years, the Environmental Protection Agency has allowed the state to implement more stringent emission standards, and other states have the option to join these regulations.
California boasts some of the country’s most severe air quality issues, with these waivers originating from attempts made during the 1960s and 1970s to combat smog in Los Angeles.
Trump
rescinded California’s ability
To uphold its standards during his initial tenure, however, President Joe Biden’s administration
restored it in 2022
.
What is the function of the standards?
In 2020, Newsom, who belongs to the Democratic Party, unveiled intentions to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-driven vehicles starting from 2035. The state’s air quality control board established these regulations in 2022, with the federal authorities subsequently giving their approval for implementation the previous year.
This regulation mandates car manufacturers to progressively increase their sale of zero-emissions vehicles, including cars, pickups, and sport utility units within the upcoming ten years. By 2027, electric vehicles must account for at least 43% of total sales; this percentage will rise to 68% by 2030 and reach full coverage with all-new vehicle sales being electric by 2035. However, individuals could continue purchasing pre-owned gasoline-driven automobiles, plug-in hybrid models, or those powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
In 2020, California implemented an additional regulation aimed at phasing out the sale of medium- and heavy-duty diesel vehicles such as box trucks, semi-trailers, and large pick-ups. By 2035, depending on their classification, these must be replaced with zero-emission trucks which should account for between 40% and 75% of total sales. This policy was endorsed by the Biden administration in 2023.
The third regulation under scrutiny by Congress aims to decrease smog-causing pollutants emitted by trucks. This new rule overhauls an inspection process to guarantee that large commercial vehicles adhere to emission regulations and introduces more stringent criteria for reducing contamination from nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, both of which can harm human health.
New York, Colorado, and New Mexico are some of the states that declared their intention to implement all three policies.
What stance have the automobile and trucking sectors taken?
Several automakers
Honda, Ford, and Volkswagen, among others, entered into agreements with California to adhere to certain statewide tailpipe emissions regulations. However, these companies have not pledged to comply with the 2035 requirement banning gasoline-driven vehicles should this directive be overturned. They also remained silent when asked about their stance regarding the forthcoming Senate vote on this matter.
The National Automobile Dealers Association encouraged the Senate to approve the bill.
“Banning gasoline and hybrid vehicles is a matter of national importance that ought to be determined by Congress rather than an unelected state agency,” wrote Mike Stanton, the organization’s president and CEO, in a letter.
The Safe Roads Coalition, representing towing and truck businesses, stated that the regulation for medium- and heavy-duty trucks is impractical and ought to be halted.
“Although shifting from combustion engines to electric ones is a good idea, impractical regulations could jeopardize roadside assistance for millions of American drivers,” stated Josh Lovelace, who serves as the organization’s national director.
Is our power grid capable of supporting additional electric vehicles?
Thune, the Senate majority leader, stated that the country’s electrical grid is not equipped to manage California’s proposed plans. This worry is echoed by various critics, who highlight California’s difficulty in maintaining steady electricity supply throughout a heatwave a few summers back.
“The strain on our already fragile electrical grid would rapidly increase due to the rise in electric vehicle usage,” he stated in an announcement regarding the vote.
Newsom’s administration contends that the state is well on track to develop an extensive electrical grid and charging network capable of accommodating a significant increase in electric vehicles. Overall, California aims to achieve zero-net greenhouse gas emissions throughout its entire economy by the year 2045.
However, the state still falls well short of what will ultimately be required. Currently, California boasts approximately 84,000 public electric vehicle charging stations, yet it must increase this number to around 1.2 million by 2030 to facilitate the shift towards electric vehicles, as reported by the California Energy Commission. During the Trump administration,
led states earlier this year
To halt the expenditure of funds allocated under President Biden for constructing electric vehicle charging stations throughout the United States. Over a dozen states have initiated legal action against the federal government regarding this initiative.
Newsom has recently highlighted the expansion of the state’s increasing battery storage capabilities. The commission along with the California Air Resources Board did not address inquiries regarding the extent to which the state’s electrical grid needs to expand to accommodate the anticipated power requirements resulting from the ongoing transition. However, officials have stated that the state requires a minimum increase of fourfold in both wind and solar power generation to satisfy projected energy demands for 2045, necessitating an “unprecedented” growth trajectory for the grid.
Timothy Johnson, a professor specializing in energy and the environment at Duke University, noted that the majority of areas across the U.S. have the capacity to produce sufficient additional electricity for electric vehicle charging needs; however, he also pointed out that local infrastructure such as power lines and transformers might become overwhelmed under certain conditions.
What about the response from other states?
Ten additional states, along with Washington, D.C., have embraced California’s strategy to gradually eliminate new gasoline-driven vehicles, as reported by the air board. Furthermore, several others have implemented the state’s earlier regulations for zero-emission vehicles.
But some of those states are already backing away.
Last week, Republican Governor Phil Scott of Vermont halted the enforcement of electric vehicle sales goals that align with those set by California, stating that the timeline was not feasible. Meanwhile, in Delaware, Democratic Governor Matt Meyer expressed his intention to revoke the state’s EV requirement. However, several other states seem to continue progressing with their plans.
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Mary Clare Jalonick, Matthew Daly, and Alexa St. John from Associated Press in Washington; Bruce Shipkowski from Toms River, New Jersey; Steve Karnowski from Minneapolis; Claire Rush from Portland, Oregon; and Susan Haigh from Hartford, Connecticut, were contributors.
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Austin is part of the corps for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.
Report for America
Is a non-profit national service initiative that assigns reporters to local newsrooms to cover underreported topics. Follow Austin on X:
@sophieadanna
Sophie Austin, from The Associated Press