| Washington, DC – Yesterday, ConservAmerica filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in support of litigation challenging federal and state efforts that effectively ban gasoline and diesel vehicles. To provide for uniform, national vehicle emissions standards, when Congress passed the Clean Air Act (CAA), it restricted states from adopting their own emission requirements; however, a provision written into the law allowed California to apply for a waiver of federal preemption to address its unique air pollution problems. If a waiver is approved, the CAA allows other states to adopt California’s standards. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently restored California's waiver authority, thereby giving the state the ability to set its own zero-emission mandate and tailpipe emissions limits. The State of California aims to phase out vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, banning the sale of new gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles starting in 2035. The ban from the country’s most populous state will have far-reaching impacts well beyond California. Per the brief: [T]he approach endorsed by EPA, NHTSA and the State of California has serious and widespread implications for energy policy, environmental conditions, and the economy. When the full lifecycle of a vehicle and its energy source is taken into account — including GHG emissions during fuel production, manufacturing, operation, and disposal stages — advanced internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) are actually capable of achieving comparable or better reductions in GHG emissions as similarly equipped, full battery electric vehicles (BEVs or EVs). While EPA’s notice of decision supporting the California waiver is based upon the assumption that the rapid move to electric vehicles will account for greater emission reductions, that assumption is flawed, not supported by the record and not grounded in fact. Read the full amicus brief here. There’s no question that electric vehicles will play an important role in reducing emissions and fighting climate change, however, the push to decarbonize the transportation sector should not come through mandates that discourage the development of other technologies. To ensure the most efficient technology reaches the market, and to be good stewards of taxpayer resources, policymakers should focus on competition and innovation. Moreover, one state should not be in a position to create a de facto federal policy. Read ConservAmerica’s 2020 whitepaper, discussing the implications of EV mandates and the need for a lifecycle approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, here. ConservAmerica is a nonprofit organization that advocates for market-based solutions to conservation, environmental, and energy challenges. Visit us at ConservAmerica and follow us on Twitter @ConservAmerica and Facebook. CONTACT: [email protected]. |
