Massachusetts should uphold the state's clean car rules, advocates say

Yahoo

01-05-2025

More than 60 environmental, business, and housing groups are asking Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, not to delay the state's commitment to getting more electric vehicles on the road, despite pressure from automakers to do so.
'Massachusetts should not be asked to compromise its policy leadership or economic competitiveness to accommodate private automakers who would prefer to build less efficient, less technologically advanced cars,' wrote Kat Burnham, senior principal at industry association Advanced Energy United, and Jordan Stutt, Northeast senior director for clean transportation advocacy group Calstart, in a letter last week to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
The push to defend the state's plan to ramp up zero-emissions passenger vehicle sales follows a decision by Healey's administration in April to postpone enforcement of similar rules encouraging sales of zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
The regulations are crucial to reaching Massachusetts' goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, supporters said. Transportation is the state's largest source of carbon emissions, making up 38% of the total as of 2021, the last year for which full data are available. Getting more EVs on the road, advocates said, would also improve air quality and public health, and save consumers money since EVs cost less than gas-powered cars to fuel and maintain.
'If we roll back these regulations or prevent them from moving forward, we will have dirtier air, more unhealthy communities, and higher costs,' said Kathy Harris, director of clean vehicles, climate, and energy for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection yesterday issued a statement saying, 'We remain committed to working with all stakeholders on a path forward that eases the burden on car customers and dealerships, who are already being harmed by President Trump's tariffs, while continuing to increase access to affordable electric vehicles and achieve our climate goals."
The Natural Resources Defense Council will join the Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Green Latinos to present a webinar on May 1 that will explain the regulations, their potential impact, and how residents can let the state know if they want to keep them on track.
The regulation in play is Massachusetts' iteration of the Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) rule, which became law in California in 2022. The regulation calls for 35% of the light-duty vehicles automakers provide to dealerships to be zero-emissions as of the 2026 model year; the requirement increases every year until it hits 100% in 2035.
California is the only state with the authority to implement vehicle emissions standards stricter than those of the federal government, though other states are allowed to adopt the regulations passed by California. As of today, 11 other states and Washington, D.C., have signed on to ACC II. Combined, these jurisdictions and California account for about 28% of new light-duty vehicle registrations in the country.
In recent months, however, resistance to the regulations has grown, particularly among industry and business groups that claim rules deprive consumers of choice and will force automakers to reduce inventory in order to artificially inflate the percentage of EVs they are putting on the market. Opponents also argue that the targets are unrealistic. Indeed, there is a gap between current sales in Massachusetts and the ACC II goals: In the fourth quarter of 2024, EVs made up about 14.2% of the state's new car sales, well below the 35% goal slated to kick in next year.
The U.S. House yesterday voted to repeal California's authority to set similar rules for truck sales; a vote on revoking the state's ability to implement the light-duty vehicle regulations is slated for today. And opposition has cropped up in the states as well: Last year, refinery workers in New Jersey and Delaware protested the rules, with some attendees inaccurately saying ACC II would ban gas-powered cars. In Maryland, Democratic Gov. Wes Moore last month issued an executive order delaying penalties for noncompliance by two years.
Massachusetts advocacy groups are now hustling to make the case that their state should not be the next to waver.
Despite the gap between current sales and the ACC II target, advocates are confident that demand will grow to meet the numbers set out in the regulations. Interest in electric vehicles has steadily risen in recent years: Light-duty EV purchases in Massachusetts rose nearly 50% in 2023 compared with the year prior, though growth slowed in 2024.
'This [opposition] is not coming from consumers. It is coming from companies that are not eager to meet the moment,' Advanced Energy United's Burnham told Canary Media.
The regulations are also unlikely to limit consumer choices, supporters contend. New gas-powered cars will still be in the mix until 2035, and even then, used gas-powered cars will be available for many years to come. Plus, zero-emissions options are only increasing: There are now 144 different electric models for sale in the U.S., and more are likely to come as ACC II drives up adoption, proponents said.
'There are plenty of light-duty passenger vehicles that are great options,' said Anna Vanderspek, electric vehicle program director for the Green Energy Consumers Alliance. 'There is really no way automakers can make an argument that they can't comply with these regulations.'
Furthermore, Massachusetts has a strong system of electric vehicle incentives and programs that will support the transition, advocates said. A state rebate program offers from $3,500 to $6,000 to drivers buying new or used EVs. The state has also invested in the planning and development of charging infrastructure in recent years.
'There is so much programming and infrastructure there to make it happen,' Burnham said. 'There is really a handful of automakers who have procrastinated on preparing, but we can't afford to procrastinate any longer.'