Gas War: More Backup Arrives for California

California has gained additional support from two Democratic governors in the gas war. On Tuesday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced her state would adopt new tailpipe greenhouse gas and zero-emission vehicle requirements starting in the 2022 model year. The following day, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz directed his state to do the same.

Both of the plans embrace Californian standards already adopted by 13 other states hoping to aggressively curb vehicle emissions and promote the sale of electric cars. It also expresses support for the state after the Trump administration announced it would take for steps to eliminate California’s ability to self-regulate fleetwide greenhouse gas emissions.

“It’s pretty obvious today amongst all chaos in the national news that we can’t count on Washington to lead, so Minnesota needs to,” said Walz.

According to Bloomberg, Minnesota and New Mexico earned praise from environmental advocates who disapprove of the federal government’s attempt to rein in California’s authority to set standards that are more stringent than those proposed by Washington.

“While the Trump administration is working to stall clean car standards, a growing number of states are stepping up and showing they want to protect their air and curtail the largest source of carbon pollution,” Luke Tonachel, director for clean cars and fuels at the Natural Resources Defense Council, stated.

Automakers, which have attempted to keep as many friends in the gas war as possible, continue hoping for a national standard. Unfortunately, the situation now looks to be decided by a prolonged legal battle that could end with a Supreme Court decision.

From Bloomberg:

Automakers warn that new rules are only part of the puzzle when it comes to electric cars. States must also offer incentives such as tax credits for purchasing the vehicles, carpool-lane privileges and vehicle charger infrastructure, Bryan Goodman, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said in a statement.

If states are going to adopt the California zero emission vehicle mandate, they “would need to make a massive investment to create the necessary infrastructure and complementary policies to make the program work,” he said.

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