Maine's Board of Environmental Protection is considering new clean vehicle standards that are supported by environmental organizations but opposed by other groups. A hearing on the standards is scheduled for next month.
The Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and Sierra Club petitioned the board to set cleaner emissions standards for new vehicles by incorporating California Advanced Clean Cars II regulations.
This would require an increasing percentage of new cars to be zero emission vehicles, starting in model year 2027, with a goal of 82% by model year 2032. A separate petition sets standards for trucks.
Jack Shapiro of the Natural Resources Council of Maine says a handful of states have already adopted the standards, including Massachusetts, New York and Vermont.
"This is all about both increasing that availability for Maine people to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle," he said. "But also to ensure that we're on track to hit our climate goals."
But not everyone's on board. The Maine Better Transportation Association opposes the standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. And Gov. Janet Mills has been critical of adopting other states' clean car standards. The board set a date of Aug. 17 for a public hearing.
