California can now set its own emissions standards under the Clean Air Act, EPA announced today. This decision ends a feud that began when automakers pushed the Trump administration in review the fuel economy rulesthis finally made the former president revoke California’s waiver announced its own standards in 2019. California is known for pushing for stricter emissions requirements than the federal government, standards have also been adopted by 16 other states and Washington, D.C. through.
“Today we are proud to reaffirm California’s longstanding authority to address pollution from cars and trucks,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a statement. “Our partnership with the states to confront the climate crisis has never been more important. With today’s action, we revive an approach that for years has helped improve clean technologies and cut air pollution for people not just in California, but for the entire United States.”
The EPA also confirmed that other states may once again adopt California’s standards. As LA Times reportEPA’s decision means California can go ahead with the plan Ban on the sale of gasoline-powered cars by 2035. In January, Governor Gavin Newsom announced $10 billion plan to accelerate electric vehicle adoptionwith a focus on making electric vehicles more accessible to low-income consumers, building more charging infrastructure and electrifying the state’s fleet.
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