Back in March 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reinstated the right for California to set its own emissions standards, not too terribly long after former (and future) President Donald Trump took action to strip it beforehand. Ford previously supported such a move, and an appeals court upheld that decision earlier this year. Regardless, a number of other states have been working to challenge this decision, but were just dealt a substantial blow in that mission.
That’s because the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up an appeal over the EPA’s decision to allow California to set its own emissions standards, according to CNN. Previously, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments pertaining to whether or not fuel companies can sue over these regulations, but chose to shoot down the appeal, regardless. It’s unclear if Trump plans to revisit the matter when he takes office next month, however.
In addition to setting its own, independent, and more strict fuel economy and emissions standards, California is also seeking to ban the sale of new ICE-only vehicles by 2035, something that it expects the EPA to approve as well. “We certainly made it clear that we expect EPA to grant these waivers,” said CARB Executive Officer Steven Cliff. “What’s important is we cannot enforce a rule without that waiver in place.” An EPA spokesperson added that the agency “is following the prescribed process in the Clean Air Act in reviewing all California waiver requests.”
California’s proposed rules – which dictate an 80 percent all-electric and 20 percent plug-in hybrid sales mix by 2035 – have been adopted by a dozen other states, and would begin being phased in starting in 2026. The rules call for a reduction in pollution from light-duty vehicles of 25 percent by 2037, and mandate that 35 percent of all new vehicles sold in the state must be electric or PHEV by 2026, a number that would rise to 68 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035. By comparison’s sake, the EPA’s own rules call for a 35 percent EV sales mix by 2032.
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The case was not heard because it was determined that the oil companies-who filed this appeal- did not have standing to sue. The waiver will be eliminated by the Trump administration and then the actual issue will reach the Supreme Court. Farley was an absolute idiot to support California’s standards and now they wish to backtrack.
Spot on! Let’s go…who’s excited to kill this BS?!
Fartley & CARB, 2 losers looking for a place breed.
California has had a special requirement since the 1970’s on vehicles. California Emissions were so different that some vehicles had different starters than the 48 state vehicles.
Has it helped them??? I don’t really know.
But, if you were in an auto shop in the Midwest and had a car come in for repair, it was very confusing and hard to repair being you probably did not have all the knowledge, test equipment, repair manuals and replacement parts.
Same thing would happens if a Canadian vehicle came to us in Minnesota. They had less emission equipment.
I would think emissions will automatically be getting better, because many are leaving the state!
This is the kind of nonsense that Elon and Vivek should be looking at with DOGE. Over burdensome and confusing regulations do nothing but add cost to government operations and ultimately to tax payers and consumers. In a truly free market products are dictated by consumer choice and common sense, not government mandates.
Woo! One for the good guys. It is ecocide to continue business as usual with fossil fuels. So grateful for California.