Overview

• Maine's Board of Environmental Protection is set to decide next week on whether to adopt California-style regulations to limit the sale of new gas-powered vehicles and boost electric vehicle sales.
• If approved, the standards would require at least 43% of new vehicles to have zero emissions by 2027 and 82% of new vehicles to have zero emissions by 2032.
• The proposal has faced opposition from Republican lawmakers in Maine who argue the regulations 'go too far' and 'too fast'.
• The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing car and truck manufacturers, supports Maine's efforts but notes that consumer acceptance and the need for additional charging ports are hurdles.
• The proposal was brought forward by the Natural Resources Council of Maine through a process that allows any Maine resident to submit an agenda item with 150 signatures of registered voters.