Maine
Maine won’t ‘blindly’ follow California electric vehicle requirement
The Mills administration is signaling that it received’t observe California’s lead in prohibiting the sale of gas-powered automobiles and vans within the state by 2035.
Maine has prior to now joined different states in adopting car emissions requirements or different environmental rules first adopted by California. However Gov. Janet Mills isn’t endorsing California’s newest, bold plan to require all new automobiles, vans and SUVs to run on electrical energy or hydrogen by 2035.
“I’d not be inclined to undertake any mandate alongside these strains,” Mills mentioned Friday morning in a short interview following a State Home occasion. “Make electrical automobiles out there, rebates out there — however not a mandate.”
In a follow-up assertion, Mills spokesperson Lindsay Crete mentioned Maine “is not going to blindly observe the lead of another state however, as an alternative, will put the pursuits of our state and other people first to scale back greenhouse gasoline emissions, half of which in Maine come from transportation.”
Given the large measurement of the California market, the current vote by regulators there’s anticipated to offer extra motivation for auto producers to hasten their transition to electrical automobiles. In Maine, the Mills administration has set an bold purpose of getting 219,000 electrical automobiles registered within the state by 2030. However as of final yr, there have been solely about 5,500 electrical automobiles on the street in Maine.
Below the Inflation Discount Act just lately handed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, automotive patrons might qualify for as much as a $7,500 tax credit score for the acquisition of a brand new electrical car or as much as $4,000 in tax credit for a used one. Crete mentioned that Maine can be increasing the variety of electrical car charging stations across the state, significantly in rural areas, and is offering state incentives to customers whereas engaged on different initiatives to enhance public transition and vitality effectivity.
“This work will save Maine folks cash, whereas enhancing our economic system and high quality of life,” Crete mentioned.
Roughly half of Maine’s greenhouse gasoline emissions come from the transportation sector, so decreasing tailpipe air pollution is a key element in assembly the state’s emissions reductions targets. These official targets are to scale back carbon emissions by 45 p.c from 1990 ranges by 2030 and by 80 p.c by 2050.
The Maine Division of Environmental Safety has proposed adopting one other California regulation, often called the California Superior Clear Vans Rule, that will require business truck and van producers to promote an rising variety of electrical automobiles within the state starting with 2025 fashions. If adopted, producers might face penalties for failing to stay as much as the principles. The Maine Board of Environmental Safety solicited public remark final fall however the proposal continues to be pending.
This text seems by means of a media partnership with Maine Public.