SACRAMENTO,
Calif. (AP) — In eliminating California’s authority to set its own
emission standards for cars and trucks, the Trump administration would
take away leverage the state needs to convince the world’s largest
automakers to make more environmentally friendly vehicles.
But
one California lawmaker is already working on a way to preserve at
least some of the state’s environmental muscle: rebates for electric
cars.
California residents who buy or lease a
zero-emission vehicle can get up to $7,000 from the state. A bill by
Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting would mean people could only get that
money if they buy a car from a company that has agreed to follow
California’s emission standards.
The
proposal comes as the Trump administration on Wednesday announced it
was revoking California’s authority to set its own auto emission
standards — authority it has had for decades under a waiver from the
federal Clean Air Act.
California has 35
million registered vehicles, giving it outsized influence with the auto
industry. That heft was on display in July, when Democratic Gov. Gavin
Newsom announced four automakers — Ford, BMW, Honda and Volkswagen —
agreed to follow California’s standards, bypassing the Trump
administration, which had been working on new rules.
California
officials have been negotiating with other automakers to follow suit,
but those talks stalled Wednesday when Trump announced, via Twitter,
that he was revoking California’s authority to set its own emission
standards.
But Ting’s proposal, first
reported by CalMatters, shows California has other ways it could entice
automakers to follow its environmental lead. David Vogel, a professor
emeritus of business ethics at the Haas School of Business of the
University of California-Berkeley, noted California could accomplish its
goals through various tax changes, which the federal government could
not stop.
“Even if the Trump administration
would win on this, California could use taxes to accomplish much of the
same goals,” Vogel said. “The federal government would have less of an
ability to challenge, because states can pretty much tax who they want.”
The
California Legislature adjourned for the year last week. But before
they left, they amended Assembly Bill 40 to include the new language so
they could debate it when they return to work in January.
State
officials could use the tactic to aid negotiations with Toyota and
General Motors, two manufacturers that make electric cars but have so
far not agreed to California’s emission standards. It’s unclear how
effective the law would be as California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project
has a waiting list.
A Toyota spokesman declined to comment.
Ting, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment. But he is scheduled to speak with reporters about the issue on Thursday.
Asked
about the proposal on Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he
would make an announcement by Friday, but he did not elaborate.
In
a tweet, Trump said his action to revoke California’s authority to set
its own emission standards would result in less expensive, safer cars.
He also predicted Americans would purchase more new cars, which would
result in cleaner air as older models are taken off the roads.
“Many
more cars will be produced under the new and uniform standard, meaning
significantly more JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Automakers should seize this
opportunity because without this alternative to California, you will be
out of business,” Trump tweeted.
U.S.
automakers contend that without year-over-year increases in fuel
efficiency that align with global market realities their vehicles could
be less competitive, potentially resulting in job losses. However, most
of the industry favors increases in standards that are less than the
Obama-era requirements, saying their consumers are gravitating to SUVs
and trucks rather than buying more efficient cars.
Top
California officials and environmental groups pledged legal action on
Wednesday to stop the rollback, potentially tying up the issue for years
in federal courts. The U.S. transportation sector is the nation’s
biggest single source of greenhouse gasses.
Trump’s
claim that his proposal would result in a cleaner environment is
contrary to his own administration’s estimate that by freezing economy
standards, U.S. fuel consumption would increase by about 500,000 barrels
per day, a 2% to 3% increase. Environmental groups predict even more
fuel consumed, resulting in higher pollution.
The
administration argues that lower-cost vehicles would allow more people
to buy new ones that are safer, cutting roadway deaths by 12,700 lives
through the 2029 model year. But The Associated Press reported last year
that internal EPA emails show senior career officials privately
questioned the administration’s calculations, saying the proposed freeze
would actually modestly increase highway fatalities, by about 17 deaths
annually.
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