MINNEAPOLIS — Seventeen states with vehicle emission standards tied to rules established in California face weighty decisions on whether to follow that state's strictest-in-the nation new rules that require all new cars, pickups and SUVs to be electric or hydrogen powered by 2035.
The Minnesota Auto Dealers Association says its reading of state and federal law is that the new California rules kick in automatically in the state, and it's making that case in court as it tries to block them. “We are not California. Minnesota has its own plan,” Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement. He called Minnesota’s program “a smart way to increase, rather than decrease, options for consumers. Our priority is to lower costs and increase choices so Minnesotans can drive whatever vehicle suits them.”
Regulators in Pennsylvania, which only partially adopted California's older standards, said they won't automatically follow its new rules. Under Democratic Governor Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania started the regulatory process last year to fully conform with California's rules, but abandoned it. The MPCA, with Walz's support, adopted California's existing standards through administrative rulemaking last year amid a bitter fight with Republican lawmakers who were upset that the Legislature was cut out of the decision. Legislators even tried unsuccessfully to withhold funding from Minnesota's environmental agencies.
Under federal law, by Lambert's reading, states have to either adopt California's rules in full or follow less stringent federal emission standards. He said they can't pick and choose from parts of each. And that effectively means there's a “ban on the books” in Minnesota for sales of new conventionally fueled vehicles starting with the 2035 model year, he said.
Ridiculous. We had outages all day due to the heat. We were told not to use our electricity. How will this work if we are all driving electric cars? Not to mention if there’s a car fire..it will take 10x’s more water.
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