AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine regulators will not vote on a controversial set of California-style electric vehicle standards until February at the earliest after delays caused by the recent wind storm forced a change.
The original proposal aimed to require electric and plug-in hybrids to make up 43 percent of new car sales for 2027 models and 82 percent of new sales by model year 2032. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection was scheduled to take a final vote on Thursday, but it was postponed because of lingering power outages and damage from Monday’s storm.
The delay forced the board to push the effective date to the 2028 model year and reopen a public comment period that will last until Feb. 5. Members could vote soon after that. A majority of the panel supported the rules in an October straw vote despite opposition from car dealers, legislative Republicans and U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine’s 2nd District.
This year, EVs have made up only about 6 percent of new vehicle sales in Maine. The proposal is similar to California’s plan to end sales of gas-powered vehicles by 2035, but Maine would have to review progress by 2028 before adopting any similar mandate. The board did not support a similar proposed rule aimed at ramping up sales of electric trucks.
Emergency, off-road, rural postal carrier and military vehicles, along with rental vehicles with a final destination outside Maine, are exempt from the rule being considered, which received only minor tweaks and clarifications from department staff during the feedback process.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine and several allies proposed the rules earlier this year through a little-known provision in state law allowing citizens to bypass the Legislature and ask agencies to adopt or change rules if at least 150 registered voters sign a petition.
Those groups argued the rule will position Maine among 11 states following California’s lead on EV rules that manufacturers will prefer when distributing vehicles, while Republicans and dealers have said unelected officials should not be making such a major decision and questioned whether the demand and infrastructure exists to make the change.
BDN writer Billy Kobin contributed to this report.