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The Dec. 12 column in the Bangor Daily News opposing proposed clean cars standards for Maine includes what I believe are several unsubstantiated claims, and I hope to correct the record ahead of a vote on this important standard for Maine.
Adopting these standards is consistent with Maine’s long-standing practice of adopting strong fuel-efficiency and tailpipe pollution standards going back decades, and they are needed to meet Maine’s greenhouse gas reduction targets as required by law. Zero-emission vehicle drivers can save $20 to $30 every time they fill up, and the standards are designed to ensure Mainers can participate and benefit as the clean energy transition happens and not get left behind.
The standards only apply to automakers, and establish a gradually increasing sales requirement starting with model year 2027. There are no purchase requirements for individuals or businesses whatsoever, and the standards don’t apply to used vehicles sales — the large majority of vehicle sales in Maine. Mainers are and will be free to purchase whatever vehicles they choose if the standard is adopted.
The column references an “apparent lack of enthusiasm” for EVs here in Maine, but the number of EVs on Maine roads has more than tripled in the past three years. Mainers that drive EVs love them: NRCM’s 2022 survey of every EV owner in the state found that 98 percent of them would recommend an EV to a friend. EVs save money and reduce pollution. Our job now is to expand consumer choice and reduce costs for more Mainers by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II standards.
Josh Caldwell, climate and clean energy outreach coordinator, Natural Resources Council of Maine
Augusta