Maine to decide on stricter electric vehicle standards

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine environmental regulators are set to decide whether the state will join a growing number of states adopting new standards designed to grow the use of electric vehicles.

The rules, which originated in California, would require an increasing percentage of new light-duty vehicles to be zero emission vehicles every year. The new standards would start with 51% in 2028 and grow to 82% by 2032.

The Maine Board of Environmental Protection is set to vote on the proposal Wednesday in a vote that has been anticipated for weeks. The proposal has encountered a mixed reception in Maine, where some have said it would speed up the already-growing adoption of electric vehicles.

“Consumers in Maine are already rapidly adopting electric vehicles,” said Sarah Krame, staff attorney with Sierra Club Environmental Law Program, in testimony. “Demand is so strong that lack of supply has been a major constraint on Maine residents looking to purchase EVs, with waitlists several months long for certain models.”

Opponents of the proposal, including prominent state Republicans, have described the move as wrong for the state’s economy and geography, and said it would heap costs onto consumers.

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