What’s new
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved California’s plan to enforce groundbreaking vehicle emissions standards, including banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035.
Why it matters
California’s rule, designed to transition the state toward zero-emission vehicles, is stricter than recently passed federal rules. While Washington’s standards tighten emissions limits, they stop short of requiring the sale of electric vehicles (EVs).
That decision, announced Wednesday, has reignited political and legal tensions as the president-elect Donald Trumps incoming administration promises to overthrow it.
What to know
On Wednesday, the EPA granted two requests from California to enforce strict vehicle emissions standards, including a rule aimed at banning the sale of new gasoline-powered cars for the next 10 years.
The EPA said its review found that opponents of the two exemptions did not meet their legal burden to show how either the EV rule or a separate measure on heavy-duty vehicles was inconsistent with the federal Clean Air Act.
The move has national implications, as over a dozen states follow California’s strict emissions standards.
But the exemption is likely to be short-lived as Trump has made clear his intention to repeal California’s exemption as part of a broader agenda to promote fossil fuels and roll back environmental regulations. This reflects his administration’s 2019 repeal of California’s emissions agency, a decision reversed in 2022 under President Joe Biden.
Kevin Wolf/AP
What people say
EPA Administrator Michael Regan stressed the importance of the state’s role in the fight against pollution and climate change.
“California has long had the authority to request waivers from the EPA to protect its residents from hazardous air pollution coming from mobile sources such as cars and trucks. Today’s action follows EPA’s commitment to work with states to reduce emissions and act against the threat of climate change,” Regan said in a statement.
Environmental advocates applauded the decision too Paul Cort, director of Earthjustice’s Right To Zero campaign describing it as a “critical step forward in protecting our lungs from pollution and our wallets from spending on combustion fuels.”
He added, “The gradual transition of car sales to zero-emission models will reduce smog and household costs while growing California’s clean energy workforce.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom also hailed the EPA’s decision as evidence of the state’s climate leadership as he stated earlier this year that major automakers support the state standards.
“We will not stop fighting to protect our communities from pollution and the climate crisis,” said Newsom, a Democrat.
What happens next
While it’s unclear whether the exemptions will be lifted once Trump takes office, any effort by the new administration is likely to create a new set of legal challenges that could delay any action.
Other legal challenges
While Supreme Court won’t review the exemption itself, it is poised to weigh in on a related issue involving fuel producers’ standing to challenge the federal exemption.
A federal appeals court ruled that the companies lacked standing to sue because they presented no evidence that they would be affected by the exemption, which directly affects vehicle manufacturers.
Car manufacturers included FordHonda and Volkswagen have already adapted their production to California standards, illustrating the industry’s gradual shift towards greener technologies.
However, the fuel producers behind the Supreme Court challenge argue that the appeals decision, if upheld, “would jeopardize future challenges to administrative action.”
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
