The American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce, backed by former Attorney General Bill Barr, has taken legal action against California over regulations aimed at banning gas-powered trucks in the state. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
The chamber’s CEO, Gentry Collins, argued that the ability to transport people and goods efficiently and affordably is crucial to a free enterprise system and a properly functioning marketplace. He stated that California’s attempt to ban liquid fuels and internal combustion engines poses a significant threat to the American way of life and is poor climate policy.
The lawsuit alleges that California violated the Clean Air Act by implementing a rule that is more stringent than federal regulations without obtaining a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although California obtained a similar waiver for its regulations on vehicle emissions, it was revoked during the Trump administration and later restored by the Biden administration.
California’s rule, announced last year, involves gradually increasing the percentage of electric trucks sold in the state over a ten-year period from 2024 to 2035. The regulation mandates that short-haul trucks must be zero-emission by 2035 and requires half of heavy-duty vehicle purchases made by state and local governments to be zero-emission this year.
This rule, created in California, can potentially impact other states through adoption. Over a dozen states have already adopted California standards for low-emission and zero-emission vehicles. California has also established a timetable for phasing out internal-combustion medium- and heavy-duty trucks by 2036. The rule, approved by the Biden administration, will require fleet owners to ensure that their trucks are zero-emission by 2042.
The Hill has attempted to contact California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office for a response on this matter but did not receive one yet
