Supporters say the proposal before the Board of Environmental Protection on Dec. 21 simply accelerates the adoption of electric vehicles, which is already happening, and that delaying a decision would push back the standards by a year.
If approved, the standards would go into effect for 2027 vehicles and would eventually require 82% of new vehicles sold to be considered zero emissions by the 2032 model year, said Jeff Crawford, director of the Bureau of Air Quality for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
A dozen states already have signed onto California's standards for boosting electric vehicle sales and reducing traditional vehicle sales to meet climate goals.
Maine has a long history of going beyond federal baseline standards to adopt stronger standards, similar to those put forth in California, the nation's most populous state, said Jack Shapiro, from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, which marshaled the effort to put the proposal to a vote.
He described the proposal as a win for consumers and for the environment. "We care about the environment. We care about saving money. We care about efficiency. We care about pollution," Shapiro said.
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