To reduce the dangerous greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, it is clear that we must reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. The transportation sector is responsible for the largest single share of those emissions in the U.S., especially in Maine.
So, if we are to reduce the risks and impacts of rising temperatures, rising sea levels, more intense storms, and other consequences of climate change, we need to change our transportation habits. That may mean driving less, increasing the availability of public transportation such as buses and trains, and other changes to reduce our reliance on cars and trucks.
But, because Maine is a driving-dependent state, it primarily means transitioning away from gas and diesel-powered vehicles to ones that are powered by electricity. The question, essentially, is how fast that transition should and can practically happen.
The state’s climate action plan has a goal of 219,000 electric vehicles by 2030. In a December 2022 status report, the Maine Climate Council reported that 8,594 electric vehicles were in use in Maine.
That leaves a large gap to be closed in seven years.
There are legitimate disagreements about how best to close that gap. Three environmental groups have petitioned the Maine Board of Environmental Protection to move toward California’s rules for clean cars and trucks by requiring that zero-emission vehicles make up 43 percent of new sales in the state for model year 2027 and 82 percent of sales by model year 2032. A review would be done in 2028 to gauge Maine’s progress toward these goals and whether the state should then adopt California’s rules for 2035.
California adopted rules last year to prohibit the sale of new gas-powered cars and light trucks by 2035, with targets of having 35 percent of zero-emission vehicle sales by 2026, 68 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035.
Electric vehicles currently make up about 6 percent of new sales in Maine.
The BEP heard hours of testimony on the proposal earlier this month. Supporters of the proposed rules argued that they are needed to meet climate goals, while also improving air quality in Maine. Opponents argued that the move was too quick, and that Maine isn’t ready for such a transition.
This leaves the board with the difficult and far-reaching task of deciding not whether but how quickly Maine should transition to electric vehicles.
Maine lags behind other New England states in installing electric vehicle infrastructure. Without rules requiring more electric vehicles, the environmental groups argue, Maine will fall further behind as manufacturers send EVs to other states where there is more demand. This could doom the state to poorer air quality and a continued high reliance on fossil fuels.
Opponents of the rules are right that Maine currently lacks the charging stations and grid infrastructure needed to reach the goals. However, the rules could speed up the installation of these stations.
This issue of grid infrastructure goes beyond the EV debate. As Maine rightly continues the move toward greater use of electricity for heating and transportation, big questions about the reliability of the grid and the location of new power lines and renewable energy generation remain. For example, opposition is growing to a new transmission line through central Maine that aims to bring power from a new wind farm in Aroostook County into the New England grid.
Speeding the transition to clean energy is essential. However, the petition to adopt California rules ties in with other large energy issues that are unresolved in Maine. For that reason, it seems odd that the Board of Environmental Protection can adopt sweeping changes after a petition from 150 people. Making such changes through the Legislature, which admittedly brings its own pitfalls, could make more sense.
